German Bundesliga 2020/2021 season preview Football
Bayern Munich claim treble
Bayern Munich wrapped up a historic treble last term by adding the UEFA Champions League trophy to their Bundesliga and Cup crowns after Kingsley Coman gave the Germans a 1-0 victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final, played behind closed doors in Lisbon, Portugal. Bayern became the first team to lift the Champions League with a 100% record. They are also the first in Champions League history to win 11 games in a row in the competition.
The victory at the Estadio da Luz secured a second treble for the Germans, the Bundesliga and German Cup winners, and completed a remarkable first season for coach Hansi Flick. Flick took over a struggling side in November, after a 5-1 hammering by Eintracht Frankfurt led to the sacking of Niko Kovac with the club fourth in the Bundesliga. Handed the reins, initially on a temporary basis, he steered Bayern back to the top of the table within three months.
- Champions and Cup winners: Bayern Munich (Champions League group stage)
- Runners-up: Dortmund (Champions League group stage)
- Third place: RB Leipzig (Champions League group stage)
- Fourth place: Borussia Monchengladbach (Champions League group stage)
- Fifth place: Bayer Leverkusen (Europe League group stage)
- Sixth place: Hoffenheim (Europe League group stage)
- Seventh place: Wolfsburg (Europe League QR2)
- Relegated: Fortuna Dusseldorf, Paderborn
- Promoted: Arminia Bielefeld, Stuttgart.
| Team | Titles | 15/16 | 16/17 | 17/18 | 18/19 | 19/20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayern | 30 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| B. Dortmund | 8 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 2 |
| Schalke | 7 | 5 | 10 | 2 | 14 | 12 |
| Borussia M. | 5 | 4 | 9 | 9 | 5 | 4 |
| Stuttgart | 5 | 17 | - | 7 | 16 | - |
| Werder | 4 | 13 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 16 |
| Koln | 3 | 9 | 5 | 18 | - | 14 |
| Hertha Berlin | 2 | 7 | 6 | 10 | 11 | 10 |
| Wolfsburg | 1 | 8 | 16 | 16 | 6 | 7 |
| Frankfurt | 1 | 16 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 9 |
| Union Berlin | 1 | - | - | - | - | 11 |
| Bayer L. | - | 3 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
| Mainz | - | 6 | 15 | 14 | 12 | 13 |
| Hoffenheim | - | 15 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 6 |
| Augsburg | - | 12 | 13 | 12 | 15 | 15 |
| Freiburg | - | - | 7 | 15 | 13 | 8 |
| RB Leipzig | - | - | 2 | 6 | 3 | 3 |
| Arminia Bielefeld | - | - | - | - | - | - |
The overall number of titles since 1903 for each club in German 1. Bundesliga and their league standings in the last five seasons.
Bundesliga fans in stadiums
Germany's 16 federal states have reached an agreement that will allow a limited number of fans return to football stadiums across the country. Last season's schedule was completed with teams playing behind closed doors due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the number of fans present is to be limited to a maximum of 20% of any given stadium's capacity. Under Germany's federal system, local health authorities will have the final say on just how many, if any fans are allowed into any particular stadium, depending on the level of coronavirus infections in the region.
This page is introduction to the 2020/2021 German Bundesliga season. Latest news, statistics, results and predictions you can find on our main Euro Football > Germany page.
Hoeness becomes new Hoffenheim coach
Sebastian Hoeness, reserve-team coach at Bayern Munich where his uncle Uli is honorary president, will take charge of Hoffenheim this season. Hoffenheim said the 38-year-old, who is also the son of former Hertha Berlin boss Dieter, has signed until June 2023. Sebastian Hoeness led Bayern's reserves to an unexpected third division title last season. Hoeness succeeds Dutchman Alfred Schreuder, who was sacked in June after a series of poor performances for the club owned by billionaire Dietmar Hopp. Under a six-man interim coaching staff, Hoffenheim won their last three games to grab sixth place and a place in the Europa League.
| Team | Pts | GD | W-D-L | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bayern | 82 | 68 | 26-4-4 |
| 2 | Dortmund | 69 | 43 | 21-6-7 |
| 3 | RB Leipzig | 66 | 44 | 18-12-4 |
| 4 | Borussia | 65 | 26 | 20-5-9 |
| 5 | Bayer L. | 63 | 17 | 19-6-9 |
| 6 | Hoffenheim | 52 | 0 | 15-7-12 |
| 7 | Wolfsburg | 49 | 2 | 13-10-11 |
| 8 | Freiburg | 48 | 1 | 13-9-12 |
| 9 | Frankfurt | 45 | -1 | 13-6-15 |
| 10 | Hertha | 41 | -11 | 11-8-15 |
| 11 | Union | 41 | -17 | 12-5-17 |
| 12 | Schalke | 39 | -20 | 9-12-13 |
| 13 | Mainz | 37 | -21 | 11-4-19 |
| 14 | Koln | 36 | -18 | 10-6-18 |
| 15 | Augsburg | 36 | -18 | 9-9-16 |
| 16 | Werder | 31 | -27 | 8-7-19 |
| 17 | Fortuna | 30 | -31 | 6-12-16 |
| 18 | Paderborn | 20 | -37 | 4-8-22 |
The German 1. Bundesliga standings for season 2019/2020.
Bayern expected to win title again
Bayern Munich are clear favorites once again as they aim for a ninth straight Bundesliga title, especially after recruiting Leroy Sane. And, as usual, Borussia Dortmund look best set up to push them, especially if they do indeed retain the services of Jadon Sancho. The Red Bull-backed Leipzig are highly ambitious and are coming off the back of a season in which they achieved two major firsts: they were top of the league at Christmas and went on to make a debut appearance in the Champions League semifinals. So, Dortmund and RB Leipzig are good enough to push Bayern some of the ways, but it is unlikely that either will be able to keep pace with German soccer's giants for the entirety of the 34-game campaign. Newly promoted Arminia Bielefeld are the current favorites to finish at the bottom of the Bundesliga table and be relegated.
| Team | Odds | Team | Odds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bayern Munich | 1.14 | Schalke | 501 |
| Borussia Dortmund | 7 | Freiburg | 501 |
| RB Leipzig | 17 | Werder Bremen | 751 |
| Bayer Leverkusen | 51 | Union Berlin | 751 |
| Borussia M'gladbach | 51 | Koln | 1001 |
| Wolfsburg | 151 | Stuttgart | 1001 |
| Eintracht Frankfurt | 201 | Mainz | 1001 |
| Hertha Berlin | 201 | Augsburg | 1501 |
| Hoffenheim | 251 | Bielefeld | 2001 |
The preseason odds for the outright winner of the 2020/21 German football league.
German Cup (DFB-Pokal) finals in last five years
2020 Bayern Munich - Bayer Leverkusen 4:2
2019 Bayern Munich - RB Leipzig 3:0
2018 Eintracht Frankfurt - Bayern Munich 3:1
2017 Borussia Dortmund - Eintracht Frankfurt 2:1
2016 Bayern Munich - Borussia Dortmund 4:3 (on penalties)
Key players
(transfer market value in m€)
Arminia Bielefeld
Goalkeeper Stefan Ortega Moreno (1.5); Defense: Mike van der Hoorn (2.8), Amos Pieper (2.5), Joakim Nilsson (2), Cedric Brunner (1.5); Midfield: Ritsu Doan (6.3), Marcel Hartel (2.5), Manuel Prietl (1), Reinhold Yabo (1); Forward: Andreas Voglsammer (2.5), Sergio Cordova (1.6).
Augsburg
Goalkeeper Tomas Koubek (3.5); Defense: Felix Uduokhai (10), Jeffrey Gouweleeuw (9.5), Iago (4); Midfield: Ruben Vargas (9), Rani Khedira (8), Marco Richter (8), Eduard Lowen (5.5); Forward: Florian Niederlechner (10), Michael Gregoritsch (4.5), Alfred Finnbogason (4).
Bayer Leverkusen
Goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky (8); Defense: Jonathan Tah (24), Edmond Tapsoba (22), Wendell (10); Midfield: Moussa Diaby (32), Leon Bailey (29.5), Kerem Demirbay (24), Exequiel Palacios (18), Nadiem Amiri (16); Forward: Patrik Schick (25), Lucas Alario (13.5).
Bayern Munich
Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (18); Defense: Alphonso Davies (80), David Alaba (65), Niklas Sule (48), Lucas Hernandez (45), Benjamin Pavard (45); Midfield: Serge Gnabry (90), Joshua Kimmich (85), Leroy Sane (70), Leon Goretzka (60); Forward: Robert Lewandowski (60).
Borussia Dortmund
Goalkeeper Roman Burki (11); Defense: Dan-Axel Zagadou (31.5), Thomas Meunier (24), Mats Hummels (20); Midfield: Jadon Sancho (117), Julian Brandt (40), Raphael Guerreiro (35), Thorgan Hazard (32), Emre Can (26), Marco Reus (25); Forward: Erling Haaland (80).
Borussia Monchengladbach
Goalkeeper Yann Sommer (9.5); Defense: Matthias Ginter (32), Nico Elvedi (30), Ramy Bensebaini (15), Stefan Lainer (14.5); Midfield: Denis Zakaria (40), Marcus Thuram (32), Florian Neuhaus (23), Valentino Lazaro (15); Forward: Alassane Plea (30), Breel Embolo (16).
Eintracht Frankfurt
Goalkeeper Kevin Trapp (8); Defense: Evan N'Dicka (22.5), Martin Hinteregger (18), Danny da Costa (7), Almamy Toure (6.5); Midfield: Filip Kostic (32), Daichi Kamada (12), Djibril Sow (9.5), Dominik Kohr (6.8); Forward: Andre Silva (24), Bas Dost (5.5).
Freiburg
Goalkeeper Florian Muller (4); Defense: Philipp Lienhart (12), Christian Gunter (9), Dominique Heintz (8), Jonathan Schmid (4); Midfield: Guus Til (8.5), Janik Haberer (8), Vincenzo Grifo (6.5); Forward: Nils Petersen (5), Ermedin Demirovic (4), Lucas Holer (4).
Hertha Berlin
Goalkeeper Rune Jarstein (0.8); Defense: Jordan Torunarigha (13), Niklas Stark (10), Dedryck Boyata (10); Midfield: Lucas Tousart (20), Dodi Lukebakio (19), Javairo Dilrosun (14.5), Arne Maier (13.5); Forward: Matheus Cunha (22), Krzysztof Piatek (21.5), Jhon Cordoba (12).
Hoffenheim
Goalkeeper Oliver Baumann (5.5); Defense: Stefan Posch (11), Pavel Kaderabek (10), Kevin Vogt (6); Midfield: Florian Grillitsch (20), Robert Skov (14), Diadie Samassekou (12), Christoph Baumgartner (12), Dennis Geiger (11); Forward: Andrej Kramaric (27), Munas Dabbur (8).
Koln
Goalkeeper Timo Horn (4); Defense: Sebastiaan Bornauw (13), Noah Katterbach (7), Jorge Mere (4), Kingsley Ehizibue (2.5); Midfield: Ellyes Skhiri (6.8), Jonas Hector (6), Ismail Jakobs (5), Elvis Rexhbecaj (4), Florian Kainz (4); Forward: Anthony Modeste (2.8).
Mainz
Goalkeeper Robin Zentner (3.2); Defense: Moussa Niakhate (11), Jeremiah St. Juste (7), Aaron Martin (7), Ridle Baku (7); Midfield: Pierre Kunde Malong (8), Edimilson Fernandes (5.5), Jean-Paul Boetius (4.8), Leandro Barreiro (4); Forward: Jean-Philippe Mateta (15), Robin Quaison (10.5).
RB Leipzig
Goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi (11); Defense: Dayot Upamecano (60), Ibrahima Konate (40.5), Lukas Klostermann (38), Nordi Mukiele (23); Midfield: Marcel Sabitzer (35), Christopher Nkunku (33), Dani Olmo (31.5), Konrad Laimer (30); Forward: Yussuf Poulsen (25), Hee-chan Hwang (15).
Schalke
Goalkeeper Markus Schubert (1.8); Defense: Ozan Kabak (29), Matija Nastasic (10), Salif Sane (9.5), Benjamin Stambouli (8); Midfield: Suat Serdar (20), Amine Harit (20), Omar Mascarell (10), Benito Raman (8); Forward: Goncalo Paciencia (10), Mark Uth (7.5).
Stuttgart
Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel (5.5); Defense: Waldemar Anton (5.5), Marc Oliver Kempf (4), Konstantinos Mavropanos (2.4), Pascal Stenzel (2.4); Midfield: Nicolas Gonzalez (12), Orel Mangala (11), Silas Wamangituka (6.3), Erik Thommy (6), Wataru Endo (2.5); Forward: Sasa Kalajdzic (2).
Union Berlin
Goalkeeper Andreas Luthe (0.4); Defense: Robin Knoche (5.5), Nico Schlotterbeck (4), Marvin Friedrich (2.8), Niko Giesselmann (2.5); Midfield: Robert Andrich (4), Grischa Promel (3), Marius Bulter (3), Keita Endo (1.3); Forward: Max Kruse (6.5), Anthony Ujah (1.2).
Werder Bremen
Goalkeeper Jiri Pavlenka (6.5); Defense: Ludwig Augustinsson (8), Milos Veljkovic (5.2), Marco Friedl (3.2), Omer Toprak (3); Midfield: Milot Rashica (22), Maximilian Eggestein (13), Davy Klaassen (12), Tahith Chong (6.3); Forward: Josh Sargent (7), Davie Selke (5).
Wolfsburg
Goalkeeper Koen Casteels (10.5); Defense: John Anthony Brooks (10), Marin Pongracic (10), Jerome Roussillon (10), William (10); Midfield: Xaver Schlager (17), Maximilian Arnold (17), Josip Brekalo (13.5), Josuha Guilavogui (11); Forward: Wout Weghorst (30), Daniel Ginczek (7).