New Delhi: The 2024-25 Bundesliga season is set to kick off with renewed excitement and anticipation. The 62nd edition of Germany’s premier football league begins tomorrow at midnight with a thrilling clash between Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Monchengladbach at Borussia Park. As the new season unfolds football fans can look forward to a campaign brimming with potential.
From the fierce battle for the title and the emergence of young stars to tactical innovations and a heightened fan experience, this season promises to offer a captivating spectacle. As teams prepare to make their mark, let’s take a look at the key talking points ahead of the season.
Can Bayer Leverkusen win the title again?
Jonathan Tah of Bayer Leverkusen celebrates with teammates after Gianluca Mancini of AS Roma scores an own-goal during the UEFA Europa League 2023/24 Semi-Final second leg match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and AS Roma. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)
Bayer Leverkusen last season was quite the campaign with Xavi Alonso ending their wait for the Bundesliga title and finally slaying off the unwanted nickname “Neverkusen”. A maiden Bundesliga title was won in a manner never before achieved with an unbeaten domestic season. They won 28 games and drew six of their 34 league games, claiming the title by a margin of 17 points ahead of surprise runner-up VfB Stuttgart.
The big question is can they repeat it? It’s time for the challenging second album, and Leverkusen has a considerably bigger bulls-eye on their back than they did a year ago, despite their incredible results over the course of a season suggesting they’re more than a passing trend.
Will Harry Kane finally end the title drought?
Harry Kane of Bayern Munich celebrates after scoring their sides third goal from the penalty spot during the UEFA Champions League match between FC Bayern München and Manchester United at Allianz Arena on September 20, 2023 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Matthias Hangst/Getty Images)
Harry Kane the England warrior is famous for two things one scoring goals and the other is having never won a trophy. Initially, it started as a bit of gentle football banter leading to people mostly joking when Kane moved to Bayern Munich last summer from Tottenham.
Bayern Munich missed out on winning the Bundesliga title for the first time in 12 years. Now the joke seems to have gone a bit too far, especially considering how well the former Tottenham performed individually. Harry Kane scored an astonishing 36 goals and eight assists in 32 appearances. And yet still no trophy under his name.
After an unusual season without a trophy at the Allianz Arena the Bavarian giants will be determined to lead their way back to winning ways. With the young head coach Vincent Kompany at the helm, Bayern will look to reclaim the crown. New players have bolstered the team that set the record, and a strong preseason suggests that the championship race will likely be exciting.
Can Borussia Dortmund start fresh under Nuri Sahin?
Head coach Nuri Sahin of Borussia Dortmund shouts during the DFB-Pokal match between 1. FC Phönix Lübeck and Borussia Dortmund. (Photo by Max Ellerbrake – firo sportphoto/Getty Images)
Borussia Dortmund has turned out to be Bayern’s biggest rival in recent years. After the appointment of Nuri Sahin as the club’s new head coach following the exit of Edin Terzic the club will be looking for the season revival. Dortmund’s inconsistency has been a recurring problem and their fifth-place result from the previous season was a better indicator of their current situation than their incredible run to the Champions League final.
Over the summer transfer window, veteran players Mats Hummels and Marco Reus left, and after just one season, Germany’s Niclas Fullkrug left as well. The German Cup match on Saturday saw the debuts of new acquisitions Pascal Groß, Waldemar Anton, Yan Couto, and Maximilian Beier, who all won 4-1 over Phonix Lubeck. Serhou Guirassy, a star player for Guinea arrived from Stuttgart injured so Dortmund will have to wait till he can play.
Will VfB Stuttgart maintain their momentum after key departures?
Players of VfB Stuttgart celebrate victory as fans light flares following the team’s victory in the Bundesliga playoffs first leg match between VfB Stuttgart and Hamburger SV at Mercedes-Benz Arena. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images)
Like Leverkusen, VfB Stuttgart outperformed predictions in the previous campaign under head coach Sebastian Hoeneß who is the nephew of Bayern’s star player. Stuttgart avoided relegation the previous season and came in second in the Bundesliga just one point ahead of Bayern. However, defender Waldemar Anton and top scorer Serhou Guirassy have moved to Dortmund while Hiroki Ito has joined Bayern.
Germany’s Deniz Undav had a spectacular season on loan at Brighton & Hove which allowed Stuttgart to sign him permanently. In 30 Bundesliga games, Undav netted 18 goals. The question is how well he will perform without Guirassy at his side.
Stuttgart will look to take advantage of the unanticipated opportunity to compete in the Champions League that their incredible season provided them with while also doing their hardest to resurrect their Bundesliga form now that they are not under the pressure to soar to such great heights.
As the Bundesliga 2024-25 season kicks off these storylines and questions will drive the excitement and anticipation. With key players, managerial changes, and new challenges ahead the season promises to be an enthralling spectacle for football fans.
Can last year’s champs repeat? Will a familiar face break his trophy drought? Discover the key storylines and predictions for the upcoming season. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
