Bundesliga 2026/27: Bayern bid to leave Dortmund, Leipzig & the rest trailing in their wake again

Bayern Munich’s dominance of the Bundesliga has only sporadically been challenged during the 21st century.

They have failed to win the title just seven times in the last 26 years, and are long odds-on to enhance their record this season.

Bayern last relinquished top spot in 2023/24, when Bayer Leverkusen claimed their first German championship without losing a game.

Normal service has resumed since then, with Bayern winning the title by 13 and 16-point margins over the last two seasons.

Read on as we preview the upcoming Bundesliga season and assess whether any club can prevent Bayern from winning their 36th league title.

Bundesliga 2026/27 – Top summer transfers

Bundesliga clubs still have a few weeks remaining to strengthen their squads, with the summer transfer window scheduled to run until September 1.

These are the top transfers completed to date (Tuesday, August 4).

Bundesliga 2026/27 – Preview

Bayern will head into the new campaign as the overwhelming favourites to defend the title. It is impossible to bet against them.

The Bavarian giants already have a strong squad at their disposal, but that has not stopped them from splashing the cash in the summer transfer window.

Playmaker Ismael Saibari has joined the club from PSV Eindhoven, while full-back Nathaniel Brown has been snapped up from Eintracht Frankfurt.

No other German club comes close to matching Bayern’s financial muscle, which creates an unbalanced landscape in the Bundesliga.

Players such as Harry Kane and Michael Olise give Bayern a reliable source of goals, while their squad depth helps them challenge for trophies on several fronts.

Bayern will have a heavy focus on trying to win the Champions League, but that is unlikely to derail their bid to defend the domestic title.

Borussia Dortmund finished second last season, but will head into the new campaign with question marks hanging over them.

Dortmund were strong defensively last season, with their record of 34 goals conceded in 34 games the best in the Bundesliga.

However, inconsistent performances against lower-ranked teams ultimately prevented them from mounting a sustained title challenge.

Intriguingly, Dortmund manager Niko Kovac recently sparked plenty of debate amongst the fanbase by dismissing his team’s title chances.

“I know everyone expects more, higher, further, faster, but I don’t see us challenging Bayern next year,” Kovac told WAZ.

“I’m not a naive person, but a realist, and I’m trying to put everything into perspective. Bayern have far more money, far more superstars than we do.”

Kovac’s defeatist comments were mirrored by new RB Leipzig manager Martin Demichelis, who believes second place is the best his team can hope for.

Leipzig finished 24 points adrift of Bayern in third place last season, and Demichelis does not think that bridging the gap is a realistic aim.

“We have to be honest – we can’t compete with Bayern yet [in the Bundesliga],” Demichelis told Sport Bild.

“But the goal is to keep improving and get closer to Bayern. RB Leipzig have already won the DFB-Pokal twice. We have to try to win it a third time.”

Leverkusen could be best placed to capitalise if Dortmund and Leipzig fail to give Dortmund a run for their money next season.

New manager Carles Martinez looks to be an astute appointment after impressing during a three-year spell with Toulouse in Ligue 1.

Leverkusen started last season under Erik ten Hag, but he lasted just three games. They then missed out on Champions League qualification under replacement Kasper Hjulmand.

Martinez’s style bears plenty of similarities to former Leverkusen manager Xabi Alonso, who guided them to the double in 2023/24. He is eager to emulate his compatriot.

“One thing I have learned a lot is to accept the reality – accept the place that you are at,” he said.

Here in Leverkusen, it’s normal that the brand of Xabi remains, because what they did was amazing and we have to try to take advantage of a lot of things from that.

“But it’s important that now it’s one year without Xabi. I’m sure that if I talk with him, he will try to help the club to be better.

“But the most important thing is that after one year I have to learn about which type of things were amazing, which type of things Kasper did as well, and which type of things can improve, and after (that) it’s keep growing, keep building Leverkusen history. This is very, very important.”

Stuttgart and Hoffenheim will be striving to challenge for European qualification, while Frankfurt and Freiburg will also hope to be in the mix.

However, the title battle looks set to be a one-horse race, with Bayern fancied to finish a long way clear of their rivals again this season.