Bundesliga Season Preview 2026-2027

Bundesliga 2026-27 Season Preview — by BIGGG Sports

Season Expectations

The Bundesliga returns on Friday 28 August 2026, with the usual late-August start pushed back slightly to give players time to recover from the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Our sports team has been through the whole summer’s business, and we’ve put it all together here — who’s come in, who’s gone, and where we think all eighteen clubs are heading.

Bayern Munich head into the new season as champions after a hugely one-sided title race, wrapping up their 34th domestic championship with a 4-2 win over VfB Stuttgart and a record-breaking 122 league goals along the way. Vincent Kompany is chasing a third straight title, and with Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Luis Díaz all still there, we simply can’t see anyone getting close to them this season. Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen are the clubs we’d point to as the best of the rest, with RB Leipzig, Stuttgart and a resurgent Hoffenheim making up a fairly open scrap for the Champions League places behind the top two.

Behind Bayern, this is a season of fresh faces in the dugout. Bayer Leverkusen have turned to Carles Martínez Novell after their post-Xabi Alonso struggles continued. RB Leipzig have gone for Martin Demichelis, returning to Bundesliga management for the first time in over a decade, with Leipzig’s brief now explicitly framed around cup success rather than chasing Bayern. Eintracht Frankfurt have brought back Adi Hütter for a second spell, seven years after he first left the club. Union Berlin have appointed the Swiss coach Mauro Lustrinelli, fresh from a title win with FC Thun, and 1. FC Köln have made René Wagner’s caretaker role permanent after he steered them to survival.

At the bottom, the headline story is Wolfsburg: relegated for the first time in the club’s history after 29 years in the top flight, beaten by Paderborn in the promotion/relegation play-off. They go down alongside FC St. Pauli and 1. FC Heidenheim, both dropping after multi-season spells in the Bundesliga. Their replacements are SC Paderborn (back up after six years away), FC Schalke 04 (returning after three years in 2. Bundesliga as runaway second-tier champions) and SV Elversberg, who are in the Bundesliga for the first time in their history. We’d make all three promoted sides, plus Köln, Werder Bremen and Hamburg, the clubs with most to worry about come next May.

Matchday 1 Schedule

Bayern Munich open the defence of their title at home to Stuttgart on Friday night — a rematch of May’s title-deciding fixture. All three promoted clubs get a taste of what they’re in for straight away: Elversberg host Bayer Leverkusen in their historic Bundesliga bow, Mainz welcome Paderborn, and Schalke travel to Augsburg to close out the round on Sunday.

Friday 28 August

• Bayern Munich vs VfB Stuttgart — 20:30 CEST

Saturday 29 August

• SV Elversberg vs Bayer Leverkusen — 15:30 CEST
• 1. FC Köln vs TSG Hoffenheim — 15:30 CEST
• 1. FC Union Berlin vs Eintracht Frankfurt — 15:30 CEST
• 1. FSV Mainz 05 vs SC Paderborn 07 — 15:30 CEST
• RB Leipzig vs Borussia Mönchengladbach — 15:30 CEST
• Borussia Dortmund vs Hamburger SV — 18:30 CEST

Sunday 30 August

• SC Freiburg vs Werder Bremen — 15:30 CEST
• FC Augsburg vs FC Schalke 04 — 17:30 CEST

The Clubs, One by One

Bayern Munich — the team to catch

Vincent Kompany’s side arrive as the clear benchmark, having scored a staggering 122 league goals last season on their way to a 4-2 win over Stuttgart that sealed the title. Harry Kane, the reigning European Golden Shoe winner with 36 goals, remains the focal point, with Michael Olise and Luis Díaz combining for over 100 goal involvements between them last term. João Palhinha has left for Benfica, but Germany international Nathaniel Brown adds fresh legs, and Jamal Musiala’s return to full fitness would give Kompany’s side an extra gear they barely needed last season. We make Bayern overwhelming favourites to win a third straight title.

Borussia Dortmund — talent waiting on a manager

Niko Kovac keeps his job after steadying Dortmund defensively, even if his cautious 4-2-3-1/4-4-2 approach hasn’t always sat well with a fanbase used to more expansive football. Karim Adeyemi has left for Barcelona and Julian Brandt for Ajax, but the club reinvested in Joey Veerman from PSV and winger Konstantinos Karetsas from Genk. Serhou Guirassy, with 60 goals in his last two Bundesliga seasons, and goalkeeper Gregor Kobel remain the spine of the side. Fourteen years without a Meisterschale is starting to weigh on this club, and we think this season is really about whether Kovac’s pragmatism can finally close the gap on Bayern rather than just keep Dortmund comfortably in the Champions League places.

Bayer Leverkusen — starting again, again

Carles Martínez Novell takes over a club still searching for stability since Xabi Alonso’s departure, bringing an adaptable, competitiveness-first approach after a difficult season under his predecessors. Alejandro Grimaldo’s exit is offset by Miguel Gutiérrez arriving from Napoli, while Ibrahim Maza, who made 28 Bundesliga appearances as a 20-year-old last season, and vice-captain Patrik Schick carry most of the attacking weight. A strong pre-season, including wins over Newcastle and Sevilla, has us thinking a top-four finish and a return to the Champions League places is a realistic target after finishing sixth.

RB Leipzig — a more modest brief

Martin Demichelis, in his first permanent Bundesliga job, has already been refreshingly honest that Leipzig “can’t compete with Bayern” and should instead target cup success alongside a top-four push. That’s partly a response to losing Yan Diomande to Real Madrid for a club-record €125m, a sale the club hasn’t fully replaced in defence. Christopher Nkunku returns on loan to bolster the attack, joining Nicolas Seiwald and Antonio Nusa, while Rocco Reitz arrives from Gladbach for midfield depth. We see Leipzig as part of the chasing pack rather than a title threat, competing for a Champions League spot rather than the Bundesliga itself.

VfB Stuttgart — building towards the top four again

Sebastian Hoeneß continues what’s been a genuinely impressive project, with the club’s own preview calling this “the deepest squad of the Hoeneß era.” Alexander Nübel has returned to Bayern, but Bilal El Khannouss’s permanent move from Leicester adds real quality, and Deniz Undav (25 goals last season) leads a strong attacking unit alongside Ermedin Demirović and Chris Führich. Stuttgart won’t be seen as genuine title challengers, but we’d be surprised if they’re not fighting for a top-four finish again.

Eintracht Frankfurt — Hütter’s second coming

Adi Hütter returns to Frankfurt seven years after his first spell ended, and this time the club has backed him to rebuild balance across the squad rather than chase marquee names — Germany youth international Noël Aséko Nkili is the headline arrival, adding athleticism and defensive bite in midfield. Hütter’s high-pressing, transition-heavy style should suit a squad assembled with exactly that identity in mind, and we think Frankfurt are better positioned than they have been in several seasons to push for a European spot, even if the top four looks a stretch in year one back.

SC Freiburg — Europe as the release valve

Julian Schuster’s side reached the Europa League final last season and finished seventh domestically, and the changes this summer have been sensible rather than dramatic: goalkeeper Mio Backhaus arrives from Werder Bremen, and striker Igor Matanović adds to a front line still built around captain Vincenzo Grifo and Maximilian Eggestein. Losing Johan Manzambi to Aston Villa stings, but Freiburg have made a habit of absorbing departures without losing their identity. We’d back Europe again to be the realistic ceiling, and Freiburg’s cup and continental exploits to matter as much to them as their league position.

TSG Hoffenheim — Ilzer’s project keeps climbing

Christian Ilzer, who picked up Bundesliga Coach of the Season recognition, has extended his contract after guiding Hoffenheim to one of the surprise stories of recent seasons, with goalkeeper Oliver Baumann still marshalling the defence behind him. There’s a genuine, if outside, case for Hoffenheim to be involved in the European qualification picture again, and we wouldn’t rule them out of gatecrashing the top four if the pieces click the way they did last season.

Borussia Mönchengladbach — searching for goals again

Eugen Polanski gets a full season after steadying a sinking ship mid-way through the last one, but Gladbach’s 42 league goals last season — their lowest since 2008-09 — remain the central problem. Rocco Reitz has left for RB Leipzig, but the returning Tim Kleindienst, back from injury as captain after a 16-goal season and a Germany call-up, gives them a genuine focal point again, alongside Ko Itakura’s return from Ajax and second-tier top scorer Isac Lidberg. We think a push back into the top half, something Gladbach haven’t managed since 2020-21, is a realistic ambition rather than wishful thinking.

1. FSV Mainz 05 — quietly building something solid

Urs Fischer, who previously took Union Berlin into the Champions League, arrived in December and has had a full summer to reshape the squad his way, switching to a back three. Philipp Tietz, Sheraldo Becker and Nadiem Amiri remain the attacking core, with Ransford-Yeboah Königsdörffer arriving from Hamburg to add further firepower. Mainz have made a habit of overperforming their budget, and we think there’s real scope for them to push for a European qualification spot rather than just settle for another comfortable mid-table finish.

1. FC Union Berlin — a transitional year

Mauro Lustrinelli arrives from FC Thun, where he won the Swiss title, to lead a squad that lost both first-choice centre-backs, Danilho Doekhi and Diogo Leite, on free transfers over the summer. Felix Uduokhai and the returning Marvin Friedrich add defensive experience, while loanee Emmanuel Latte Lath and forward Marin Ljubičić carry the attacking hopes. We think Union have enough quality to stay clear of genuine relegation trouble, but a season spent nearer the bottom half than the European places looks the most likely outcome.

1. FC Köln — consolidation is the job

René Wagner’s permanent appointment came after his 4-4-2 system rescued Köln from a relegation fight, and this summer has been about adding depth rather than reinvention: Jahmai Simpson-Pusey and Reigan Heskey arrive from Manchester City’s academy system, while Said El Mala, involved in over 32% of Köln’s goals last season, has been kept despite interest from Dortmund. Staying up comfortably, rather than going through the same nerve-shredding run-in again, is the target, and we think a repeat of last season’s placing near the lower half of the table is the realistic range.

FC Augsburg — steady as she goes

Manuel Baum has settled the ship since taking over from Sandro Wagner mid-season, and Augsburg’s business has been sensible rather than eye-catching: Rodrigo Ribeiro arrives permanently from Sporting, and Michael Gregoritsch adds proven Bundesliga goalscoring know-how up front alongside emerging talents Mert Kömür and Anton Kade. We don’t see European qualification as realistic, but a repeat of last season’s comfortable mid-table finish looks well within reach.

Werder Bremen — trying to change the culture

Daniel Thioune continues after addressing what captain Marco Friedl memorably called being “in deep shit” last season, with the club backing him to build a more organised structure. Niclas Füllkrug’s loan return from West Ham gives Bremen genuine attacking leadership, and Ludovit Reis adds midfield control, but selling Romano Schmid and Karim Coulibaly for a combined €28.5m shows this remains a selling club at heart. We’d keep the relegation battle in mind here rather than assume the improvements under Thioune are enough on their own.

Hamburger SV — guarding against second-season syndrome

Merlin Polzin led Hamburg back into the Bundesliga and kept them there comfortably in year one, but losing Fábio Vieira back to Arsenal and Luka Vušković to Tottenham removes two of last season’s most important contributors. Patson Daka arrives from Leicester for attacking depth, and Albert Grønbäk’s loan has been made permanent after a strong impression, but we think Hamburg’s second season carries real risk of being harder than their first, even if there’s enough there to avoid the bottom three.

FC Schalke 04 — back among the big crowds

Miron Muslić walks into a different kind of pressure after winning the 2. Bundesliga title with Schalke playing some of the best football in the second tier, and he’s added shrewdly on a limited budget: Robin Gosens returns to Germany on loan from Fiorentina, and the romantic addition of veteran Edin Džeko, a Bundesliga champion with Wolfsburg back in 2008-09, gives this Schalke side a genuinely experienced focal point up top. With one of the smallest squads by market value in the division, we think Schalke’s season will be defined by whether they can pick up points against the other strugglers, and a real relegation fight looks likely.

SC Paderborn — a tough return to the top flight

Ralf Kettemann’s promotion-winning side plays possession-based football out of a back three, built around ball-players like Santiago Castañeda and the impressive Laurin Curda at wing-back. Gabriel Vidovic arrives from Bayern Munich to add further quality on the ball. Paderborn have a habit in German football of being the kind of promoted side that goes straight back down, and with clear vulnerabilities at set-pieces against much stronger opposition, we’d make them one of the most likely candidates to make an immediate return to 2. Bundesliga.

SV Elversberg — writing their own history

Vincent Wagner’s side are in the Bundesliga for the first time in their history, and their manager has described survival as “our journey to Mars” — which tells you everything about the scale of the challenge. Noel Futkeu arrives on loan from Frankfurt as their marquee striker signing after 19 goals in 2. Bundesliga last season, and winger Lukas Petkov gets a second crack at the top flight after failing to make his mark at Augsburg. An opening run of Leverkusen, Gladbach and Bayern doesn’t do them any favours, and we think Elversberg will be fighting relegation from the very first weekend to the last.

Note: our sports team put this preview together in the run-up to kickoff. Team news, injuries and late transfer business can and will shift some of this before a ball is kicked. Check back for updates as the season gets going.