Three weeks from now, Eintracht Frankfurt will welcome Bayern Munich to the Deutsche Bank Park for the opening game of the 2022/23 German Bundesliga season.
With the new campaign right around the corner, it’s time to discuss all the key talking points. Who will win the title? Who will secure European football? How will the newly-promoted teams fare? And who are the new players to watch?
⚽🗓️Die Begegnungen der #Bundesliga und 2. Bundesliga bis Mitte September sind zeitgenau angesetzt. ◼️ Bundesliga: Spieltage 1-7◼️ 2. Bundesliga: Spieltage 3-9➡️ https://t.co/QIR9pCEKMr pic.twitter.com/JbRKAO4m0D— DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga (@DFL_Official) July 1, 2022
⚽🗓️Die Begegnungen der #Bundesliga und 2. Bundesliga bis Mitte September sind zeitgenau angesetzt. ◼️ Bundesliga: Spieltage 1-7◼️ 2. Bundesliga: Spieltage 3-9➡️ https://t.co/QIR9pCEKMr pic.twitter.com/JbRKAO4m0D
Unsurprisingly, Bayern Munich are the clear favourites to win the 2022/23 Bundesliga title. After all, they have claimed each of the previous ten crowns – taking their total collection to 32!
The Bavarians lost just five of their 34 games last term, picking up 24 wins and five draws along the way. Not only were they the highest scorers, but they also ended the campaign with the joint-best defensive record.
Borussia Dortmund are Bayern’s only realistic title rivals. BVB have finished second six times in ten seasons since winning the title in 2011/12. Can they finally end Bayern’s hegemony?
Dortmund finished eight points behind Bayern last season, while Bayer Leverkusen finished five points behind Dortmund. The next four clubs were separated by just six points.
RB Leipzig claimed the fourth and final Champions League spot, while Union Berlin, SC Freiburg and FC Koln sealed the remaining European places. Those teams should challenge for a top-seven finish again.
Borussia Monchengladbach, VfL Wolfsburg, Eintracht Frankfurt and 1899 Hoffenheim are also expected to push for European football during the upcoming campaign.
Schalke 04 and Werder Bremen were both relegated from the Bundesliga in 2020/21. However, both clubs required just one season in the second tier to gain promotion back to the top flight.
After registering three wins, seven draws and 24 losses in their previous Bundesliga campaign, Schalke will be desperate to make amends this time around. Needless to say, Werder will also be eager to cement their place in the big time.
Bayern Munich have bolstered their squad with the signing of Sadio Mane from Liverpool and Ryan Gravenberch from Ajax. Meanwhile, Dortmund have added Sebastien Haller and Karim Adeyemi to their ranks.
That said, the high-profile Bundesliga departures are the major talking points. BVB have sold Erling Haaland to Manchester City, while Robert Lewandowski looks set to leave Bayern.
It will be interesting to see whether the chasing pack can close the gap to Bayern Munich in 2022/23. Make sure you keep up to date with all the latest Bundesliga predictions throughout the season via Forebet.