It’s all change at the top of the Bundesliga in terms of the managerial merry-go-round but it’s unlikely to be any different when it comes to handing out the shield at the end of the season.
Bayern Munich have won the Bundesliga nine times in a row and it’s going to take something monumental to deny them their bid for a tenth straight title.
The Munich machine are 2/11 to be champions again and who can stop them? Probably only themselves and as long as new coach Julian Nagelsmann is able to make the step up from RB Leipzig, Bayern will rightly expect to finish on top.
Bavarian Nagelsmann, still only 34, seemed destined to manage the club at some stage given his sky-high reputation from a young age.
Some believe it is a little early in his career and the Munich dressing-room can be unforgiving but this is basically the same side that romped to the title by 13 points last season with the exception of Dayot Upamecano replacing Real Madrid-bound David Alaba.
Senior figures such as Manuel Neuer, Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski should maintain the zero complacency attitude which is usually on show and, realistically, most of the betting action will take place in the markets outside of Bayern Munich.
Dortmund Can Follow Munich Home
Borussia Dortmund deserve to be favourites in the betting without Bayern and should land the odds of 20/29.
Marco Rose looks an excellent managerial appointment from Borussia Monchengladbach and they have managed to keep hold of Erling Haaland, who is 9/4 in the top goalscorer market behind 4/7 shot Lewandowski.
Donyell Malen is an exciting signing to replace Jadon Sancho and Dortmund appear to have upgraded their goalkeeping options with the arrival of Gregor Kobel from Stuttgart.
Leipzig have once again turned to RB Salzburg for inspiration – American Jesse Marsch replacing Nagelsmann – but they also need a whole new centre-back pairing with Upamecano and Ibrahima Konate joining Bayern and Liverpool respectively.
They are targeting the top four, although a better bet could be Bayer Leverkusen at 13/10 with new manager Gerardo Seoane, so impressive at Young Boys, fancied to get the most out of the club.
Leverkusen have a lot of good younger players such as Paulinho, Edomond Tapsoba, Mossua Diaby and Florian Wirtz who should leave last season’s sixth place behind them.
Wolfsburg have lost Oliver Glasner to Eintracht Frankfurt and the new Eagles boss arrives with a worse team than the one Adi Hutter left behind. Hutter left Frankfurt for Gladbach, who are 6/4 for a top-four finish.
Promoted Pair Will Find It Tough
Greuther Furth and Bundesliga 2 champions Bochum are the two new faces in this season’s top flight and both are expected to find life tough.
Expect Cologne, who stayed up via the playoffs last term, Bielefeld and Augsburg to be most at risk of automatic demotion should either of the promoted pair do better than expected.
However, the likes of Mainz, Freiburg and Stuttgart should be absolutely fine.
Mainz manager Bo Svensson has the potential to be quite special having been tipped for the top by Ralf Rangnick and if that is the case don’t rule them out of a surprise push towards Europe. They are 33/1 for a top-four finish which is worth consideration as a dark horse.
*All odds correct at time of writing
