Eleven Bundesliga titles on the bounce for Bayern Munich have re-written the record books…and a run like that will likely never be repeated.
But the Bavarians aren’t finished yet; though they almost were in 2023 as Borussia Dortmund snatched defeat from the jaws of victory on a dramatic last day. That would have been a disaster for Bayern’s latest coach Thomas Tuchel. Nobody wants to be at the helm to oversee a failure after a decade of unrivalled success. And that applies just as much to the 2023/24 campaign.
The pre-season Bundesliga 2023 betting odds reckon it will be Bayern’s title to lose, yet again, and BVB and Red Bull will be the teams in pursuit; and it will be fascinating to see how the champions evolve with a full year of Tuchel in charge. Let’s take a closer look at the challenges and the competition Bayern will face, now and next season.
The Challenges:
Find a Striker
Bayern’s biggest problem last term was their failure to replace the departed Robert Lewandowski after the Bundesliga legend moved to Barcelona. And the signing of Sadio Mane from Liverpool did little or nothing the plug the gap. The Senegalese hitman arrived in a deal worth £27m but he had a nightmare, made worse by the recent news that he won the vote on ‘Which outfield player was the biggest disappointment of the season?’ made by 250 Bundesliga players at the end of season awards.
Mane won over 40 per cent of the votes but his poor campaign was not all his own fault, in fact he had some terrible luck, picking up a fibula injury in November which kept him out of the World Cup. But he didn’t help himself when he had a dressing room fight with team-mate Leroy Sane in the aftermath of Bayern’s Champions League defeat to Manchester City.
So if Mane isn’t the answer, who is?
Possibly Harry Kane, who has appeared on the Bayern radar recently and he would be a superb replacement for Lewi. The England captain has just one season left on his contract and Tottenham Hotspur might be ready to cash in. Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is notoriously hard to deal with but Bayern will try to push this deal closer if they believe Kane can help them win in Germany and in the Champions League.
Keep up with Europe’s Elite
For many years Die Bayern have been one of the powerhouses of European football, but the likes of Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Barcelona are raising the bar in the Champions League. It is obvious that Bayern need to spend heavily to keep up with these, and new entrants such as Newcastle United. New CEO Jan Christian Dreeson insists the club is in sound financial shape, and is capable of managing the rigours of the transfer market.
While Lucas Hernandez looks to be nearing the exit, Bayern are close to securing a deal for Napoli’s highly-rated defender Kim Min-Jae; and Tuchel is watching the situation of Chelsea’s 24-year-old star Mason Mount who is a target for Manchester United. The Bavarians could hijack that deal if the former Blues boss is keen to reunite with the midfielder.
The Competition:
Borussia Dortmund
After coming so close to winning a first league, title in over a decade Die Schwarzgelben will be desperate to challenge again, and a hurting BVB could be dangerous. Edin Terzic transformed Dortmund from an easy-on-the-eye if underachieving football team to a group of ruthless winners, until they reached the final hurdle.
Dortmund will regroup but they will have to do so without Jude Bellingham and, here at SBOTOP we reported the signing of Raphael Guerreiro which has strengthened Die Bayern while weakening Die Schwarzgelben. But if any team can unearth more talent, BVB have proved time and again that it’s them.
Red Bull Leipzig
DFB Cup winners Leipzig will be a threat again after they came within five points of the top two following an impressive late run of Bundesliga 2023 results. Head coach Marco Rose took over in September and led them to wins over both FC Bayern and BVB.
Leipzig will lose some of their best players this summer with striker Christopher Nkunku seeming heading for Chelsea and defender Josko Gvardiol apparently keen on a move to Premier League champions Manchester City. But they have some serious talent at the club with striker Ben Sesko and midfielder Nicolas Seiwald set to play a big role in 2023.
Red Bull are a serious threat and could be the first new champions of the Bundesliga since Wolfsburg broke the Klassiker dominance in 2009.
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