The Bundesliga season kicks off on Friday with the opening match between Werder Bremen and Bayern Munich. The Bavarians are once again the big favourites, with Dortmund and Leipzig also in contention.

The Bundesliga starts again

After an 83-day summer break, the Bundesliga is back! This Friday, the reigning champions traditionally open the new season. For FC Bayern, it's a trip to the Weser to take on SV Werder Bremen. In this article, we take a look at the first matchday and make our first season predictions. Will we see another exciting title race and who will qualify for Europe? We also take a look at two newcomers to the Bundesliga, Heidenheim and Darmstadt. Finally, we assess the current transfer window.

Outlook for the 1st matchday

As well as the opening match between Werder Bremen and FC Bayern, eight other German stadiums will get the ball rolling. Runners-up Borussia Dortmund will host 1. FC Köln in a match that is likely to be friendly off the field but less so on. In Leverkusen, Bayer 04 Leverkusen will play host to Supercup winners RB Leipzig.

Werder Bremen vs. FC Bayern Munich - 18/08/2023 at 20:30

For the first time in almost 20 years, the reigning champions will start the season away from home. The game between Werder Bremen and FC Bayern kicks off at 20:30. The Bavarians are expected to travel to the Weser with a lot of anger in their stomachs after losing 3-0 at home to RB Leipzig in the Super Cup last Saturday. Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel has his work cut out. There were deficiencies in almost every part of the team. 100-million signing Harry Kane was due to start for the first time as the Englishman looks to fill the void left by Robert Lewandowski.

Their opponents, Werder Bremen, are also in dire straits. At the start of the season, they suffered an embarrassing 3-2 defeat at third-division Viktoria Köln. Again, it is the defence that is causing problems.

We expect a game in which Bayern will dominate from the outset, with Bremen limited to defending. Should Werder survive the first half hour, we think an upset is possible, with bet365 offering odds of 9.00 for Bremen to win. However, we are more inclined to back the goals. If more than 3.5 goals is too risky for you, you can take a 'both goals' bet with odds of around 1.65. Two shaky defences lead us to this conclusion.

Our bet: Over 3.5 goals - bet365 odds 1.80

Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs. RB Leipzig - 19.08.2023 at 15:30

Bayer vs. Red Bull isn't expected to be a big crowd pleaser, but it should be an attractive match. Saturday's 3.30pm clash features two teams known for their attacking football.

Leipzig gave a glimpse of what is to come against Bayern on Saturday, when midfielder Dani Olmo was the man of the match with three goals. If Marco Rose's side can build on that performance, a win in Leverkusen is anything but unlikely.

Bayer 04 kicked off their DFB Cup campaign with an 8-0 defeat at Teutonia 05 Ottensen. There was a great attacking combination around Florian Wirtz, new signing Victor Boniface and Co. We at Gamblejoe are expecting a good game this Saturday with both teams playing to their strengths. As it is still early in the season, it is difficult to predict a win or a loss, especially with teams of similar strength.

However, if you want to back a winner, we recommend the 2.75 odds. If you are looking for something a little less ambitious, we also recommend over-goals in this match.

This is a game where we can look forward to the new signings made by both clubs. Leverkusen have brought in some real quality players, which we will look at in more detail later in the article. The same goes for the Red Bulls. The Bulls have brought in Xavi Simons from Paris Saint-Germain and Lois Openda from Ligue 1.

Our bet: Over 2.5 goals - bet365 odds 1.66

Borussia Dortmund vs. 1. FC Köln - 19.08.2023 at 18:30

The shock was deep in Dortmund! On the last matchday of last season, BVB lost the league title they thought they had already won, and shortly afterwards, midfield gem Jude Bellingham announced his move to Real Madrid. In total, they paid around €103 million plus bonuses for the Englishman. The club then went on a spending spree, with coach Sebastian Kehl bringing in two direct replacements for the outgoing Bellingham: Felix Nmecha for 30 million and Marcel Sabitzer for around 20 million. Cologne's opponents have also lost a key figure in midfield, with Ellyes Skhiri joining Eintracht Frankfurt on a free transfer, while captain and idol Jonas Hector has also called time on his career.

Cologne's hopes remain pinned on the team and coach Steffen Baumgart. But don't expect them to make huge strides towards Europe, as they simply lack the quality and quantity to do so.

We expect a game in which BVB will try to pressure FC from the outset and eventually win the game. We have seen in recent years that Dortmund are very strong at home, especially at the start of the season.

Our bet: Handicap (-1.5) - bet-at-home odds 2.01

Review of the last season - Finally excitement in the title fight again

After years of boredom at the top, football fans in Germany and probably across Europe were rubbing their eyes in amazement. After the 33rd matchday, it looked as if Bayern's 11-year dominance was about to be broken, and then the unbelievable happened. Dortmund were 2-0 down at half-time against FSV Mainz in front of their home crowd and couldn't find a way out of a 2-2 draw, while Bayern prodigy Jamal Musiala scored an 89th-minute winner in Cologne to give Bayern Munich a 2-1 victory. Crazy Bundesliga!

In the battle for Champions League places, Union Berlin pulled off a major upset by finishing fourth and qualifying for the top flight for the first time.

They were followed by SC Freiburg and Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the Euro League. Eighth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt secured the final spot in the international competition and will play for a place in the UEFA Europa Conference League.

For a long time it looked as if VFL Wolfsburg were going to qualify for Europe, but on the last day of the season they were beaten by the already relegated old ladies from Berlin. In addition to Hertha, the Bundesliga has lost another traditional club to the second tier as FC Schalke 04 finished 17th despite a strong second half of the season.

The Königsblauen put up a sacrificial fight in the second half of the season, amassing 22 points, almost a record for a European Cup contender. In the end, they finished two points behind Stuttgart, who avoided relegation by beating Hamburger SV.

At the end of the season, the picture was as follows:

1.       FC Bayern München

2.       Borussia Dortmund

3.       RB Leipzig

4.       Union Berlin

5.       SC Freiburg

6.       Bayer 04 Leverkusen

7.       Eintracht Frankfurt

8.       VFL Wolfsburg

9.       FSV Mainz 05

10.   Borussia Mönchengladbach

11.   1.FC Köln

12.   1899 Hoffenheim

13.   Werder Bremen

14.   VFL Bochum

15.   FC Augsburg

16.   VFB Stuttgart

17.   FC Schalke 04

18.   Hertha BSC Berlin

The promoted teams - Heidenheim and Darmstadt

A last-gasp goal in the 99th minute secured promotion to the Bundesliga for 1. FC Heidenheim for the first time in the club's history on the 34th matchday of the 2. Bundesliga season. It was the culmination of an unparalleled success story for the team led by Frank Schmidt. Through hard work and humility, the small town of Heidenheim has become a Bundesliga club. Coach Frank Schmidt's tenure is also something of a novelty in this day and age. The former player has been in charge since the 2007/2008 season, when Heidenheim were in the Regionalliga. Since then, the Baden-Württembergers have continued on their upward trajectory, and this season is no exception.

Marvin Pieringer and Eren Dinkci are two promising strikers, while the services of talented centre-back Tim Siersleben have also been secured. Heidenheim have not had to deal with any notable departures. As a result, the core of the team remains together. This is one of the reasons why pundits see Heidenheim as a team that can pull off the odd upset, especially at home. We agree and are looking forward to the newcomer!

Newly promoted Darmstadt 98 dominated the 2. Bundesliga last season. The Lilies were top of the table for most of the season, only running out of steam towards the end. Darmstadt squandered two match points for direct promotion. In the end, a 2-1 win over 1.FC Magdeburg on matchday 33 was enough to earn them promotion, which they deserved considering the season as a whole. The fact that it wasn't enough to win the league didn't matter to the fans or the club, as the celebrations were boundless.

The parallels with Heidenheim are unmistakable; the board in Darmstadt are also calm and serious. Since relegating in 2017, they have never really been in danger of relegation and have built up a strong squad over the years. Coach Torsten Lieberknecht is known for his old-school approach to football and relies on a solid defence. In contrast to Heidenheim, however, they have had to make some painful departures. Defenders Patric Pfeiffer and Phillip Tietz have both joined FC Augsburg. The southern Hessians have had to dig deep to replace them. Centre-back Christoph Klarer joined for 2 million euros from Fortuna Düsseldorf and centre-forward Fraser Hornby from Stade Reims in France. However, the squad planning is not yet complete. We think Darmstadt are in for a tough season and are currently the leading relegation candidates. But if anyone can pull off an upset, it's Darmstadt! The last time they were promoted, in 2015, they surprisingly finished in 14th place to keep their place in the Bundesliga.

Favourites for the championship title, it will be exciting again?

A season like the last one is what (almost) every football fan wants! Suspense right to the end and lots of excitement. But how likely is it to happen this year?

In our opinion, the championship will stand or fall on the form of FC Bayern. If they can finally sort out their goalkeeping issues and integrate top new signing Harry Kane, there is no way they will miss out on the 34th title. If they fail to do so, and if the club's ongoing turmoil continues, Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig are two of the favourites to lift the trophy. We see Bayer 04 Leverkusen, who have made excellent additions in the form of Jonas Hofmann, Alejandro Grimaldo and Granit Xhaka, as outsiders.

Fight for the International Places

Many players and even more fans dream of playing internationally with their club. What could be better than travelling to Madrid, Milan or Istanbul? In the Bundesliga, 1st-4th place entitles them to qualify for the Champions League, 5th-6th place can go to the Europa League and 7th place to the Conference League. From our point of view, Bayern, BVB and RB Leipzig are pretty much guaranteed to finish among the top 4. Behind them it will be exciting. Surprises like Union Berlin last season can never be ruled out. In terms of performance, we think Leverkusen and Frankfurt are definitely ready for Europe.

Teams like Union Berlin, SC Freiburg, Wolfsburg, Gladbach and Hoffenheim are the classic surprise teams, although one or two of them may be happy about Europe in the end.

We see Mainz as outsiders, the Rheinhessen team played a strong second half of the season and secured a sought-after talent in Tom Krauß.

Cologne, Bremen, Bochum and Stuttgart will have a hard time competing for the top places and are more likely to be in the lower third of the table.

Important additions / disposals

Since mid-August, a lot has also happened in terms of transfers. In total, the 18 Bundesliga clubs have invested around 600 million euros, compared to revenues of almost 750 million euros. These figures illustrate once again how much money is transferred from one club to another in today's football. We are pleased to present the most important transfers.

• Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern Munich - 100 million euros:

With Harry Kane, Bayern have finally found a legitimate successor for Robert Lewandowski. The centre forward is considered the king transfer of the current season.

• Min Jae Kim from Napoli to Bayern Munich - 50 million euros:

Considered the best centre-back in Serie A last term, South Korea's Kim is now expected to form a defensive partnership with De Ligt that will bring success both domestically and internationally.

• Sadio Mané von Bayern München zu Al-Nassr - 30 Millionen Euro:

The South Korean Kim was considered the strongest centre-back in Serie A last season and is now expected to form a defensive duo together with De Ligt that will bring both domestic and international success.

• Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid - 103 million euros:

Despite guaranteed Champions League football, Dortmund failed to keep their key player. Jude Bellingham is Borussia Dortmund's brains and leader. Considered a future world-class player, he leaves a huge void.

• Christopher Nkunku from Leipzig to Chelsea - 60 million euros::

Nkunku was Leipzig's life insurance policy, with 47 goals and 43 assists in 119 Bundesliga appearances.

• Lois Openda from RC Lens to Leipzig - 38.50 million euros:

Together with Benjamin Sesko, he is expected to compensate for Nkunku's departure. Like Nkunku, Openda is technically strong and incredibly quick in the first few metres. Sesko, on the other hand, stands 1.94 metres tall and has the power to match.

• Xavi Simons from Eindhoven to Leipzig – loan deal

Simons impressed in the Netherlands last season and is now expected to develop into a real star at Red Bull. He comes to Leipzig from Paris for one season..

In addition to the aforementioned top transfers, Bayer 04 Leverkusen have also been busy. A total of 52.50 million euros has been spent on Victor Boniface, Granit Xhaka, Jonas Hofmann, Alejandro Grimaldo and Brazilian talent Arthur. Their aim is to compensate for the departure of Moussa Diaby, among others.

Last year's Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt have also brought in two top talents. Midfielder Hugo Larsson (19) has joined from Malmö FF, while defender Willian Pacho (21) has arrived from Antwerp. We can also look forward to the arrival of Dina Ebimbe, as the midfielder moved to Paris from Frankfurt for around 6.5 million euros.

On the departures side, Djibril Sow (Sevilla), Daichi Kamada (Lazio) and Ndicka (AS Roma) are heavyweights.

Bundesliga clubs have until 1 September to finalise their squads, so we can look forward to one or two more transfers before then.

FAQ

Where can I follow the Bundesliga?

You can watch the Bundesliga live on both Sky Bundesliga and DAZN. Both subscriptions are required to watch all matches. Sky Bundesliga broadcasts the entire Saturday and DAZN the Friday match at 20:30 and the two Sunday matches at 15:30 and 17:30.

Who is favourite for the championship?

The championship seems to have been decided before the season even begins. The betting odds on bet365 suggest that FC Bayern will lift the trophy for the twelfth year in a row. Dortmund and RB Leipzig are seen as the only serious contenders for the title.

Until when does the Bundesliga go 2023/24?

With next year's European Championship just around the corner, the 2023/24 Bundesliga will end earlier than usual. The last matchday is scheduled for 18 May 2024. The following week, relegation will decide whether the 16th-placed team in the Bundesliga or the third-placed team in the second division will play in the Bundesliga in the 24/25 season.