The 2025/26 Bundesliga season kicks off on Friday, 22 August, as Germany's premier division returns with Bayern Munich looking to retain their title while facing challenges from a rejuvenated field of competitors.

Xabi Alonso's departure from Bayer Leverkusen to Real Madrid opens the door for new challengers, with Erik ten Hag taking over at the BayArena. Hamburger SV and 1. FC Köln return to the top flight after their respective absences, replacing Holstein Kiel and VfL Bochum who drop to the second tier.

Our Bundesliga season preview for the 2025/26 campaign will guide you through the ins and outs at every club, as well as their expected strengths and weaknesses and potential lineups, though there's still time for more transfer business before the window closes.

FC Augsburg

Last season: 12th
Coach: Sandro Wagner

The Fuggerstädter are entering their first full season under the guidance of Sandro Wagner, who took over from Jess Thorup after a somewhat disappointing campaign. Wagner faces the challenge of building on Augsburg's consistent mid-table status while implementing his own tactical philosophy.

Augsburg have been quietly efficient in the transfer market, addressing key areas with proven Bundesliga talent. The arrival of Han-Noah Massengo from Burnley should add defensive stability to midfield, while the permanent signing of Cédric Zesiger provides depth in central defense.

Possible Augsburg XI: Dahmen – Matsima, Gouweleeuw, Zesiger – Wolf, Jakic, Massengo, Giannoulis – Kömür, Claude-Maurice, Tietz

Strengths: Wagner inherits a well-organized defensive unit that has consistently kept Augsburg competitive in the top flight. Jeffrey Gouweleeuw's leadership at the back, combined with the club's ability to develop young talent, provides a solid foundation.

Areas of concern: Scoring goals remains Augsburg's perennial challenge, and the departure of Berisha (albeit on loan) leaves them light up front. The integration of new signings under a relatively inexperienced head coach could take time.

FC Bayern München

Last season: 1st
Coach: Vincent Kompany

The Rekordmeister begin the defence of their title under the continued guidance of Vincent Kompany, aiming to extend their domestic dominance while making a stronger impression in European competition.

Bayern's marquee signing of Luis Díaz from Liverpool represents a statement of intent, adding pace and creativity to their front line. The acquisition of Jonathan Tah from Leverkusen strengthens their defence, while saying goodbye to club legend Thomas Müller marks the end of an era.

Possible Bayern XI: Neuer – Laimer, Tah, Upamecano, Stanisic – Goretzka, Kimmich – Díaz, Olise, Coman – Kane

Strengths: Bayern possess world-class talent across all positions, with Harry Kane's goal-scoring prowess complemented by a creative midfield and solid defensive foundation. The addition of Díaz provides another dimension to their attack.

Areas of concern: The loss of Müller's leadership and experience cannot be understated, while questions remain about depth should additional long-term injuries occur (Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala are already out for some more time while Hiroki Ito's fitness is an open question after an injury-ravaged first season in Munich). Managing expectations in Europe while maintaining domestic supremacy will be crucial.

Bayer 04 Leverkusen

Last season: 2nd
Coach: Erik ten Hag

Die Werkself enter a new era under Erik ten Hag following Xabi Alonso's move to Real Madrid. The Dutch tactician faces the considerable challenge of maintaining Leverkusen's competitiveness after losing several key players.

Leverkusen face a massive rebuilding job after losing several key players who were also part of the championship-winning team in 2023/24. The signings of Tillman and Quansah represent significant investments in young talent, though Ten Hag acknowledges needing more players to compete at the highest level in all competitions.

Possible Leverkusen XI: Flekken – Quansah, Tapsoba, Hincapié – Tella, Andrich, Aleix Garcia, Grimaldo – Tillman, Adli, Schick

Strengths: Ten Hag's tactical expertise and track record of developing young players could prove crucial. The core around Schick, Boniface, Tapsoba, Hincapié and Andrich provides quality, while new signing Flekken is a proven goalkeeper with Bundesliga experience (before moving to the Premier League, he was SC Freiburg's undisputed starting goalkeeper for several seasons).

Areas of concern: The departures of Wirtz, Frimpong, Xhaka and Tah leave enormous gaps to fill, both in terms of quality on the pitch and in terms of leadership on and off the field. Ten Hag's admission that the squad needs significant reinforcement suggests this could be a transitional season, even though a bunch of young players with significant potential means that the longer-term prospects are tantalizing.

Borussia Dortmund

Last season: 4th
Coach: Niko Kovač

After a tumultuous season that saw Nuri Šahin dismissed and Kovač appointed mid-season, BVB are looking for stability and – at the very least – a return to the Champions League places. Kovač's strong finish to the campaign earned him a lot of goodwill with fans and management as he managed to achieve what had seemed impossible just a few weeks earlier: Dortmund qualified for this year's Champions League on the final day of the season.

Dortmund have been relatively quiet in the transfer market so far, although they didn't have to replace one of their star players either which is different from most recent seasons. The signing of Jobe Bellingham continues their investment in young English talent while squad stability should help Kovač to build on the improvements at the end of the previous campaign.

Possible Dortmund XI: Kobel – Ryerson, Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini – Gross, Nmecha, Svensson – Adeyemi, Bellingham, Guirassy

Strengths: Kovač has brought tactical discipline and defensive solidity to BVB. The attacking talent of Bellingham, Adeyemi, and new signing Guirassy provides multiple goal threats.

Areas of concern: The team remains virtually unchanged from last season but which team is going to show up? At the end of the campaign, Dortmund secured 22 points from the last eight games. Before that, they languished in tenth place after the winter break after losing far too many points against teams in the bottom half of the table.

Eintracht Frankfurt

Last season: 3rd
Coach: Dino Toppmöller

Die Adler secured European football and will be looking to build on their solid campaign under Toppmöller, who has brought stability and an attractive playing style to the club.

Frankfurt's biggest coup was beating competition for Burkardt from Mainz, while the acquisition of Doan from Freiburg adds pace and creativity to their wings. Both are also proven Bundesliga players who shouldn't have too many problems settling in. The departure of Ekitike represents a significant blow but provides funds for further investment – and Frankfurt are no strangers when it comes to losing their top striker.

Possible Frankfurt XI: Trapp – Kristensen, Theate, Koch, Brown – Larsson, Götze, Chaibi – Doan, Uzun, Burkardt

Strengths: Frankfurt possess one of the most exciting young squads in the Bundesliga, with a great blend of experience and youth. Their attacking play under Toppmöller is among the most entertaining in the league.

Areas of concern: Replacing Ekitike's goals will be challenging. Squad depth could be tested if they progress in European competition after comfortably qualifying for the Champions League.

SC Freiburg

Last season: 5th
Coach: Julian Schuster

The Breisgau club enters their second season under Julian Schuster, looking to repeat an impressive campaign which ended with Freiburg missing out on Champions League qualification on the final day. They will nevertheless aim to continue playing at their increasingly high standards.

Freiburg have been busy in the transfer market, addressing attacking areas with multiple signings while losing their top scorer Doan. The arrival of Treu as Sildillia's replacement looks promising.

Possible Freiburg XI: Atubolu – Günter, Ginter, Lienhart, Kübler – Eggestein, Osterhage, Suzuki – Grifo, Dinkci, Matanović

Strengths: Schuster has instilled a clear tactical identity based on high pressing and quick transitions. The depth in attacking positions gives them multiple options. This will be particularly important as qualification for the Europa League will put some stress on the depth of the team.

Areas of concern: Losing Doan's goals and assists creates a significant void. The integration of multiple new attackers could take time to gel.

Hamburger SV

Last season: Promoted from Bundesliga 2
Coach: Merlin Polzin

After seven years in the second tier, HSV return to the Bundesliga with a mix of excitement and expectation. The Rothosen will be eager to establish themselves back in the top flight under the guidance of Merlin Polzin.

HSV have not made a big splash in the transfer market, focusing on experience and adding depth with Poulsen from Leipzig. The club appears confident in the squad that achieved promotion.

Possible Hamburg XI: Heuer Fernandes – Elfadli, Torunarigha, Ramos – Gocholeishvili, Capaldo, Remberg, Muheim – Sahiti, Königsdörffer, Philippe

Strengths: The core group that achieved promotion remains intact, providing continuity and understanding. Strong home support at the Volksparkstadion will be crucial.

Areas of concern: The step up to Bundesliga quality is significant, and HSV may struggle defensively against top-tier attacking talent after several seasons during which they were the team to beat in the second tier. Merlin Polzin has no top-flight coaching experience and could experience that his job security will quickly come under threat after a couple of bad results.

1. FC Heidenheim

Last season: 16th
Coach: Frank Schmidt

Die Schwaben survived relegation through the playoffs and will be hoping to build on that dramatic escape under the continued guidance of Frank Schmidt in his remarkable tenure at the club which started in 2007.

Heidenheim's minimal transfer activity has raised concerns among supporters, particularly after the team barely managed to remain in the top flight. The arrival of Ibrahimović will provide some attacking depth, however, and the team will not have to cope with midweek European competition.

Possible Heidenheim XI: Ramaj – Siersleben, Mainka, Gimber – Traoré, Dorsch, Schöppner, Ibrahimović, Busch – Zivzivadze, Honsak

Strengths: Schmidt's tactical acumen and the fighting spirit shown in the playoffs demonstrate this team's character. The core group remains together and can concentrate on the Bundesliga this time around. Qualifying for Europe was an amazing achievement for a club of Heidenheim's stature but it almost came at the cost of relegation.

Areas of concern: The lack of significant reinforcements despite a relegation battle is worrying. Goal-scoring remains a persistent issue, squad depth is limited and could be exposed by long-term injuries to key players.

TSG Hoffenheim

Last season: 15th
Coach: Christian Ilzer

Die Kraichgauer enter the new season under Austrian coach Christian Ilzer, looking to build on a solid mid-table finish and potentially challenge for European qualification.

Hoffenheim have been measured in their transfer approach, adding quality in key areas while maintaining their squad stability. The arrival of Lemperle on a free transfer provides striking options.

Possible Hoffenheim XI: Baumann – Coufal, Chaves, Machida, Bernardo – Touré, Avdullahu, Burger, Kramarić – Lemperle, Asllani

Strengths: A well-balanced squad with proven Bundesliga quality throughout. Andrej Kramarić remains one of the league's most consistent attackers, Tim Lemperle is an addition with a lot of potential.

Areas of concern: Dependency on key players could be problematic if injuries occur. The loss of important midfielders Anton Stach – who joined Leeds after their promotion to the Premier League – and Tom Bischof – who moved to Bayern Munich on a free transfer – is a concern for a team that underperformed significantly last season.