As we approach the resumption of the European football season, an exciting title race is hotting up in the German Bundesliga. As Bayern Munich look to win a 13th consecutive crown, they appear to have genuine competition in Bayer Leverkusen.
However, despite leading the pack for so much of this campaign, many football experts are sceptical about Bayer’s chances of staying the course until the end of the season.
The current Bundesliga odds reflect this scepticism, as Bayern Munich remain favourites to beat out Leverkusen and their other foes and win yet another German league title.
Bayern Munich (8/11 favourites)
Despite trailing behind upstarts Bayer for most of this campaign, it isn't easy to bet against Bayern. They have won the last 12 titles in a row. Even when it looks like another team could win (Dortmund last year), Bayern have managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat at the last second. Understandably, bookies continue to favour Bayern for the title this time around.
England captain Harry Kane is on fire for the Bavarian giants this season. He is far and away the leading goalscorer in the German top flight. With world-class players around him, like Serge Gnabry and Leroy Sané, he is likely to continue scoring all season long. This is a big part of why Munich are favourites to win the Bundesliga but by no means the only part.
Bayer Leverkusen (evens)
Leverkusen are the surprise package of the 2023/24 Bundesliga season. They currently lead the pack at the top of the table under former Bayern Munich and Real Madrid midfielder Xabi Alonso. They have played some outstanding football so far this season and thoroughly deserve their league position but can they keep the momentum going until the end of the campaign?
Nigerian striker Victor Boniface is banging in the goals for Alonso's side. His goals and assists have been a huge part of the team’s success. Likewise, former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka has had a huge impact on this Leverkusen squad.
The big question for Leverkusen is whether or not they can shake the 'Neverkusen' moniker which has followed them for decades. They have long been known as the bridesmaid of German football, always coming so close to glory but just falling at the last hurdle. Could this be the year that they do the spectacular?
RB Leipzig (500/1)
Bookies aren't giving much of a chance to anyone apart from Leverkusen and Bayern. The bookies' odds suggest that a two-horse racing is opening up. Nonetheless, RB Leipzig are third favourites as we anticipate a strong second half of the season for the Eastern Germans.
Lois Openda has had a great start to this campaign up front, continuing the fine form he showed at Club Brugge, Vitesse and Lens at Leipzig. He could be crucial if Marco Rose’s side are to win their first German title and end the domination of Bayern this season.
VFB Stuttgart (500/1)
It's been a truly outrageous start to this season for Stuttgart, and one that nobody ever saw coming. They were playing in the German second tier as recently as 2020 and narrowly avoided relegation from the top flight the past two seasons, finishing 16th on both occasions.
Coach Sebastian Hoeneß has done an exceptional job in moulding his limited resources into a brilliant style of play and getting the best out of the players at his disposal. He's catapulted a team tipped for relegation struggles at the start of the season into genuine challengers for the top four, and now dark horses for the title.
Last season's top scorer Serhou Guirassy has gone from strength to strength. He scored 14 goals last campaign but has already blitzed that score this time around, and is the only striker keeping pace with Bayern ace Harry Kane. His deadly finishing has been invaluable to VFB.
Many sceptics thought it was just a good opening few games for Stuttgart but as we sit halfway through the season, it’s impossible to call this a fluke anymore. Stuttgart are here to stay. They may have to settle for Champions League qualification, which would still be an unbelievable achievement for the club, but many fans will be dreaming that they can go all the way and "do a Leicester" to win the German league title.
It's going to be a brilliant conclusion to this Bundesliga season. The league is the most goal-filled of all the top five European domestic leagues. Several high-quality strikers are banging in the goals, and some of the best coaches in the world are plying their trade in the Bundesliga.
There are plenty of reasons to keep following the Bundesliga season until its end.
