The Bundesliga is back – and so is the Bundesliga Rundown with Marcus Iredahl!
Next week marks the drop of the very first episode of Season 2.
You can follow the Rundown on Bluesky: @bundesligarundown.bsky.social – and this season we’re also on Instagram: @thebundesligarundown. Instagram gives us more space for writing and visuals to bring the beautiful game to life, so make sure to follow along!
But before all that, just like last season, it’s time for our yearly predictions – let’s see how much we
get right (or wrong).
Bundesliga prediction table:
1. Bayern Munich
Summary: A boring prediction, I know. But let’s not kid ourselves, Bayern still have the most complete squad in the Bundesliga – despite Jamal Musiala sidelined for much of 2025.
Manager: Vincent Kompany is a good coach. He took charge of Bayern amid domestic turmoil and, within a year, brought the fun back to Munich.
Player to watch out for: Dayot Upamecano. One of several players that improved under Vincent Kompany. A physical monster who could become the best in the world – if he cuts out the occasional moments of madness.
2. RB Leipzig
Summary: Not a boring prediction. Despite missing out on Europe, Leipzig have somehow kept most of their squad intact – apart from Benjamin Šeško. They’ve added several talents from Portuguese to Dutch football and brought in a domestic coach. Leipzig needed change – and while there’s plenty of question marks – it feels like a step forward is coming.
Manager: Ole Werner impressed at Holstein Kiel and Werder Bremen. Now, the North German has now moved East for his biggest challenge yet. Patience from the RB board will be key.
Player to watch out for: Xavi Simons. Not the most original shout, but for good reason: he’s one of the most complete attacking players in the Bundesliga. If he keeps progressing – and if Leipzig hold onto him through the season – Leipzig might seriously challenge Bayern.
3. Borussia Dortmund
Summary: While I’ve been (and still am) a doubter of Niko Kovač’s coaching credentials and Hans-Joachim Watzke’s squad-building ability, there’s a sense of dull stability at Dortmund. Their Club World Cup and pre-season form hasn’t exactly impressed, but they’ve kept their core squad together, with only the inconsistent Jamie Bynoe-Gittens moving to Chelsea. This Dortmund side has fewer raw talents but more routine, and Kovač could be the one to unlock much needed stability.
Manager: Kovač’s time at Dortmund has been excellent so far. The big question: can he build on that and make a remarkable comeback to the very top of German football?
Player to watch out for: Jobe Bellingham. More than 80 Championship games at just 19 years old says a lot. Now, he has the chance to carve out his own name at the Westfalenstadion.
4. Eintracht Frankfurt
Summary: Frankfurt’s project is one of the most exciting in German football: a big club from a big city, backed by excellent scouting, strong sporting directors, an ambitious coach, and smart signings. It all adds up to another campaign of progress.
Manager: Dino Toppmöller looks like he’s found a long-term home in Frankfurt. The challenge this season will be handling the squad without Hugo Ekitike, but he’s shown enough to suggest he’s up to it.
Player to watch out for: Hugo Larsson. At just 21, the Swedish midfielder has already been a near-constant starter under Toppmöller. This could be the year he makes the full leap into stardom.
5. VfB Stuttgart
Summary: Besides finishing 9th in the league last year, Stuttgart under had a solid campaign during the second full season under Sebastian Hoeneß. Thanks to a DfB Pokal win, they’ll play in Europe this year. Crucially, they’ve held onto most of their key players (with Enzo Millot the main departure), which gives Baden-Württemberg’s pride a chance to build on that success.
Manager: Hoeneß is part of the Bundesliga’s impressive crop of young, progressive coaches (there’s no league in the world that has more of them). He did well last year – despite losing Waldemar Anton, Serhou Guirassy, and Hiroki Ito.
Player to watch out for: Angelo Stiller. If he stays put, Stuttgart will have one of the league’s best midfield orchestrators pulling the strings.
6. Bayer Leverkusen
Summary: There’s a sense of too much change, too quickly, at Leverkusen. Five starters from last season’s title-winning side have departed, along with the mastermind behind it all, Xabi Alonso. The replacements have plenty of promise, but it may take time before everything clicks.
Manager: Erik ten Hag’s appointment is one of the Bundesliga’s most intriguing storylines this season. He’s a good coach that lost his way at Manchester United – but replacing Xabi Alonso (without Florian Wirtz and 4 other key players) seems like a very difficult task.
Player to watch out for: Patrik Schick. Fresh off a new contract, the 29-year-old Czech striker seems to be favoured by ten Hag ahead of Victor Boniface. If he can finally stay fit, he remains one of the Bundesliga’s most clinical finishers.
7. Hoffenheim
Summary: Despite last year’s struggle, Hoffenheim is a team that aims for Europe. They invested heavily in January, and these new signings could play a much bigger role this year.
Manager: Christian Ilzer famously stated that he wants his Hoffenheim to challenge Bayern Munich for the title within a few years. He also motivated his Hoffenheim team with dildos. He’s also a good coach that toppled the Red Bull dynasty in Austria. I’ll choose to believe in crazy.
Player to watch out for: Leon Avdullahu. My pick for signing of the season (so far). A 21-year-old defensive midfielder who has been a regular starter for Basel over the past two seasons.
8. VfL Wolfsburg
Summary: A squad far stronger than what they’ve shown in recent years. They’ve quietly had a good transfer window, with Vini Souza from Sheffield United and Jesper Lindstrøm from Napoli standing out.
Manager: Paul Simonis led Dutch club Go Ahead Eagles to their first piece of silverware in eons last season. He now takes the next step at a club with a bigger budget and higher ambitions.
Player to watch out for: Mohamed Amoura. The Algerian enjoyed a fantastic debut season for Wolfsburg amid tumultuous times. With a new coach and new opportunities, he could become one of the Bundesliga’s most exciting forwards.
9. Freiburg
Summary: Freiburg have had a busy summer, replacing Ritsu Doan and Kiliann Sildillia with new signings from across Europe. It will be a testing season as they balance domestic competition with European fixtures.
Manager: Julian Schuster, Christian Streich’s apprentice, had a fantastic first season in charge. The second one will be much tougher.
Player to watch out for: Jan-Niklas Beste’s return to the Bundesliga did not go as planned, with zero goals in 12 appearances since joining in January 2025. A comeback could be on the cards for this season – perhaps.
10. Mainz 05
Summary: Mainz face a tough season, balancing Bundesliga play with European fixtures (if, as I expect, they qualify). Bo Hendriksen’s side is one of the few in the league that doesn’t prioritise build-up play – which could make the campaign challenging if results don’t go their way.
Manager: Bo Hendriksen. The energetic Dane did wonders with Mainz, guiding them to European football shortly after relegation scares. Managing Europe alongside the Bundesliga will be a far bigger test (just ask Frank Schmidt).
Player to watch out for: Nadiem Amiri. Arguably last season’s most standout player. Can he do it again?
11. FC Köln
Summary: I – obviously – think that Köln will avoid relegation drama. Their promotion campaign was unusual – they sacked coach Gerhard Struber just two games before the end of the season, yet Bundesliga dinosaur Friedhelm Funkel guided them back to the top flight. This season, Köln has lost several players but invested whopping €22.43 million in new arrivals. I expect it to pay off.
Manager: Lukas Kwasniok. The Polish-German. He has done ok in Germany’s lower divisions but has never managed in the Bundesliga. It’s a big risk, but his squad looks capable of getting results.
Player to watch out for: Ísak Jóhannesson. New signing. Was one of 2. Bundesliga’s best players last season. A financial risk, but the 22-year-old Icelandic midfielder could be the difference between relegation and survival.
12. Werder Bremen
Summary: A very hard team to predict. Bremen had a fantastic season last year, finishing a respectable 8th. It won’t be as easy this season, as Ole Werner and talisman Marvin Ducksch have left the club. However, new signings and what looks like very smart decision-making around the club make me think they’ll do just fine.
Manager: Steffen Horst replaces Ole Werner. He spent the last seven years working wonders at miniscule SV Elversberg, almost miraculously guiding them to the Bundesliga. It’s now a completely new challenge for him, and it hasn’t started smoothly – Bremen were eliminated by Bielefeld in the DFB Pokal.
Player to watch out for: Samuel Mbangula, Bremen’s second highest transfer of all time. Featured for Juventus regularly last year and could prove to be a Diego-like X-factor.
13. Borussia Mönchengladbach
Summary: I’m tired of having Gladbach sympathies. They’re maddeningly inconsistent – playing beautiful football one matchday and absolutely abysmal the next. I don’t expect this year to be any different. Losing Ko Itakura and Alassane Plea won’t help.
Manager: I’m tired of having Gerardo Seaone sympathies. Since joining the Bundesliga in 2021 with Leverkusen, the Swiss manager has shown flexibility – but not mastery of a single tactic. His offensive Leverkusen started well but spectacularly fell apart, leaving Xabi Alonso to clean up. At Gladbach, he leans much more defensive – sometimes very dull.
Player to watch out for: Rocco Reitz. Who else? The 23-year-old midfielder is one of their own and could take another step this season – if he stays fit.
14. FC Augsburg
Summary: If I learned anything from predicting the Bundesliga – it is that one should never predict FC Augsburg getting relegated. A very average squad? It doesn’t matter. A very inexperienced coach? Doesn’t matter. They’ll do enough to stay up.
Manager: Jess Thorup made Augsburg one of the league’s best defensive teams with his pragmatic approach. Sandro Wagner, who calls Julian Nagelsmann the best coach he’s ever worked with, will likely be more offensive. Let’s see if it works (but remember, Augsburg won’t get relegated).
Player to watch out for: Chrislain Matsima. The 23-year-old centre-back had a fantastic debut Bundesliga season and looks set to improve. A vital part of Thorup’s famous back three.
15. Heidenheim
Summary: I predict the Cinderella story will continue in 2026. No Conference League trips this year means Frank Schmidt can focus entirely on building a gritty, hard-fighting side that will do whatever it takes to survive. I expect them to do just that.
Manager: Frank Schmidt. Fußballgott. Miracle worker. Leader. The best manager in German football.
Player to watch out for: Arijon Ibrahimović. On loan from Bayern Munich, he could provide the X-factor Heidenheim desperately needs.
16. Hamburg SV
Summary: The Bundesliga dinosaur is back – but confidence doesn’t seem to be on display. They were seconds from getting knocked out of the DFB Pokal by a 5th-tier side. While active in the transfer market, the squad doesn’t seem to have gelled yet.
Manager: Merlin Polzin. The first Hamburg-born coach to take over since HSV’s relegation – and the first to actually get the club promoted back to the Bundesliga. A true club legend in the making, loved by everyone at the Volksparkstadion. But reality is harsher: he’s by far the most inexperienced coach in the league, and it pains me to say it, but I fear he might be the first Bundesliga manager to get the sack in 2025/26.
Player to watch out for: Robert Glatzel. The 31-year-old striker missed large parts of last season through injury but remains a Volksparkstadion hero. He scored 73 goals in 115 league games for the club. How? Not sure, he’s not that good… he just… scores.
17. Union Berlin
Summary: Unlike Heidenheim, I predict this Cinderella story from the East will end their top-flight adventure this year. Despite improving under Steffen Baumgart last season, there’s not much actually to this Union side. They remain painfully weak in attack and mediocre defensively.
Manager: Steffen Baumgart is a Bundesliga cult hero. You’d recognise him and his ‘Peaky Blinders’-inspired newsboy cap anywhere. But there are many question marks after his successful stints with Paderborn and Köln – especially given how poor his HSV side was.
Player to watch out for: Andrej Ilic. The tall Serbian striker had a solid first season with Union and now returns full-time. He needs to perform if the Köpenick club wants to survive.
18. FC St. Pauli
Summary: While I rate Alexander Blessin as a manager, I don’t rate this squad. St. Pauli scored 28 goals last season – five fewer than the second-worst scoring team, VfL Bochum. They haven’t brought in a Bundesliga-quality goal scorer and have sold three players who scored 12 of those goals. Jackson Irvine – the former (?) Fußballgott – being on bad terms with the club isn’t helping either.
Manager: If St. Pauli survives another year, it won’t be because of the squad’s quality. It’ll be because of Alexander Blessin, who had a great first year with the club.
Player to watch out for: Forward Andreas Hountondji, brought in from loan this season, is expected to be St. Pauli’s talisman. He scored 4 goals in the Belgian first division last season…
