Champions Bayern Munich are in search of a 10th league crown in a row this season
After running away with the title again last season and strengthening in the summer, Germany's most dominant side show no signs of slowing down in their pursuit of a tenth consecutive triumph. Bayern have started the season well and predictably sit top of the Bundesliga after five games but it looks as though they may have some real competition this season. Wolfsburg currently sit in second and level on points, a rejuvenated Dortmund under new man Marco Rose are a point behind in third, and Bayer Leverkusen, despite losing the likes of Leon Bailey and Damarai Gray in the summer, are only three points back in fourth. Bayern Munich will be confident that they have what it takes to win again but with the departure of Hansi Flick and the introduction of new man Julian Nagelsmann they may need some time to adjust to a new style of play. Neutrals among us will hope that their competitors can push them all the way in the 2021/22 edition of the German Bundesliga.
The world's best sportsbooks are making their predictions known. It's early in the season, some teams are doing better than others. With everything taken into account, here are the odds the bookies are coming up with for an outright winner of the Bundesliga this time around:
*all odds from Bet 365
Bayern Munich (1/6 Favourites)
In typical Munich fashion, the Champions raided their closest competitors from last season, RB Leipzig, for their coach and probably their two best players in centre back Dayot Upamecano and midfielder Marcel Sabitzer. The duo cost a combined €50m and working with the coach they know so well, they are expected to quickly flourish this season. Their only meaningful loss has been David Alaba, who joined Real Madrid in the summer. With the squad they have on paper, the way they performed last season and a bright, young, sought after coach, it is clear to see why Bayern are favourites to win the Bundesliga again. The odds reflect that. Their rivals can only hope that they need a little time to transition into some new patterns of play and that they can capitalise on those likely brief moments of chaos on the pitch.
OFFICIAL: Bayern Munich announce the signing of Marcel Sabitzer from RB Leipzig 🌟 pic.twitter.com/ogEu8N3loC
— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 30, 2021
Borussia Dortmund (5/1)
Traditionally Germany's second biggest club, at least in recent decades, Borussia Dortmund struggled last season in the league, arriving late to snatch a place in this season's Champions League. They did win the DFB Pokal by beating RB Leipzig 4-1 in the final and provided a lot of entertainment going forward. They were second highest scorers last season behind Bayern and that trend looks set to continue. They've already smashed in 17 goals in 5 Bundesliga games, 7 of those coming from their majestic forward Erling Braut Haaland, whose ridiculous scoring form may never end. The Yellow Wall have every reason to believe that this year they could recapture the title for the first time since 2011-12 and the days of Jurgen Klopp. New manager Marco Rose is a very exciting young coach and could make the difference. As the odds demonstrate, Dortmund are still outsiders, but this campaign could come down to a battle between two emerging, dynamic managers in charge of squads equally filled with exciting talent.
Erling Haaland’s start to the season:
— B/R Football (@brfootball) September 19, 2021
10 goals in eight games. Relentless 🤖 pic.twitter.com/ljfunckF1X
Bayer Leverkusen (25/1)
Leverkusen are somewhat of a surprise inclusion as third favourite for the title. They finished sixth last season, nine points adrift of the Champions League places. However, despite losing influential winger Leon Bailey, the Eternal Bridesmaids as they are mockingly referred to by rival fans, have started very well. They've picked up impressive wins over Monchengladbach and Stuttgart. They've been banging in the goals, only Munich and Dortmund have scored more than their 3 per game average in the league. New boss Gerardo Seoane impressed at Young Boys, where his direct but versatile play style delivered three straight league titles. They invested well in young stars Amine Adli from Toulouse and Mitchel Bakker from PSG in the summer. Leverkusen are certainly a big underdog but at 25/1 you could do worse than having a punt on them finally tearing off that forever-runners-up moniker and winning the Bundesliga.
One #EuropaLeague manager we can't wait to see in action tonight is Gerardo Seoane.
— The Sack Race (@thesackrace) September 16, 2021
A speaker of 6 languages, he promised attractive and entertaining football at Bayer Leverkusen, and so far he has delivered emphatically with his five matches jam-packed with 21 goals! 🔥
RB Leipzig (33/1)
It's a damning sign of how much RB Leipzig have fallen to find them only fourth in the list of favourites to win this season's Bundesliga. Half way through last season many believed they had a serious chance of winning their first title and finally breaking Bayern's dominant streak. Nobody believes that now, and it's clear to see why. A shocking start to this campaign sees them sitting in 12th with only four points from five games. They've managed only six goals during that time. It could be a momentary blip. Their new coach, American Jesse Marsch - yes, all four teams have new managers, that's just how the Bundesliga rolls - comes highly lauded from his time at Red Bull Salzburg. He is said to be a manager who improves players, who develops teams. This could just be growing pains and we are very early into the campaign. However, for many it's hard to see how they can make up the thirteen point gap between them and Bayern from last season while giving them Sabitzer, Upamecano and Ibrahima Konate, as well as their manager. They are serious outsiders but it's very early days yet.
Jesse Marsch on losing Sabitzer and Upamecano to Bayern: "That might not be ideal, but the situation in football is always changing. Bayern is a great club. They always have a lot of money and flexibility. They often use this power to find the best players in the league." [Sky] pic.twitter.com/sP20szvp2W
— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) September 9, 2021
You can watch all of this German football action for free via live streaming with Bet 365. Every Bundesliga match, including Der Klassiker, is available to UK football fans on the betting brand's app and website. You can watch the likes of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund battle it out for the Bundesliga title live every week online. Simply sign up or login, navigate to the fixture you want to watch and click the small video icon next to it to start streaming. Terms and conditions apply.
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