The Bundesliga is back in action this weekend after Bayern Munich outpaced RB Leipzig to a 5-3 DFL Super Cup win last weekend.
The summer transfer window featured the loss of two of the league’s biggest stars in Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland, but the top flight of German football remains one of the most entertaining leagues around and gained the likes of Matthijs de Ligt, Sadio Mané, Ryan Gravenberch, and Karim Adeyemi.
Will Bayern win their eleventh league title on the bounce, or will one of Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, or another potential dark horse win the race to the Meisterschale this season? Time will tell. For now, here are 101′s predictions and betting tips for match day one in the Bundesliga.
Eintracht Frankfurt - Bayern Munich
Form: N/A
Key personnel missing:
Frankfurt - Jérôme Onguéné, Sebastian Rode (doubt)
Bayern - Leon Goretzka, Kingsley Coman (red card), Eric Choupo-Moting (doubt)
Match-up preview: Bayern comes into the 2022-23 Bundesliga campaign on a high after dispatching potential title-challengers RB Leipzig last weekend in a 5-3 DFL Super Cup win despite the departure of Robert Lewandowski to Barcelona. Expected to top the table again, an away day in Frankfurt could present a tricky season-opener after Eintracht has split the series against the Bavarians for the last two seasons. Given the large squad turnover in Frankfurt, they may not be fully prepared for Bayern early on.
Prediction: 3-1 Bayern
Recommended bet:
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Bayern to win 3-1 (10/1)
Bayern Munich come into match day 1 on a high after their DFL Super Cup win and should start the season strong against Eintracht Frankfurt
Bet £10 at 10/1 and get £100 back!
Eintracht Frankfurt - Bayern Munich
August 04, 2022
7:30 pm GMT+1
Union Berlin - Hertha BSC
Form: N/A
Key personnel missing:
Union - Timo Baumgartl
Hertha - Marco Richter, Jessic Ngankam, Lee Dong-Jun, Lucas Tousart (red card), Omar Alderete (fitness)
Match-up preview: Union Berlin will be looking to get one over on capital rival Hertha BSC to kick-start their season and come into the new campaign after finishing fifth last season while Hertha escaped embarrassment via the relegation playoff. With Union boasting the fifth-best home record last season, they should be good for a three-point haul out of the blocks, with multiple squad concerns hamstringing Hertha further.
Prediction: 1-0 Union
Recommended bet:
Union Berlin to win 1-0 (11/2)
Union Berlin look to continue their ascendency in the Bundesliga with a capital derby win over struggling Hertha BSC
Bet £10 at 11/2 and get £55 back!
Union Berlin vs Hertha BSC
August 05, 2022
2:30 pm GMT+1
Borussia Mönchengladbach - TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
Form: N/A
Key personnel missing:
Gladbach - Lars Stindl, Marvin Friedrich, Yann Sommer (doubt), Hannes Wolf (doubt), Manu Koné (doubt), Jordan Beyer (doubt)
Hoffenheim - Benjamin Hübner, Ilhas Bebou (doubt), Ermin Bicakcic (doubt), Dennis Geiger (doubt)
Match-up preview: Both Borussia Mönchengladbach and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim underachieved massively last season, finishing tenth and ninth respectively, and going into 2022-23 it is hard to gauge whether either side will have done enough to right the many wrongs their fans bore witness to. The pair have split recent outings down the middle (2-2-2), and a draw could be on the cards as both are missing vital pieces in their respective senior squads.
Prediction: 1-1 Draw
Recommended bet:
A draw after both halves (13/2)
Both Borussia Mönchengladbach and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim had disappointing campaigns last season and could cancel each other out given recent meetings
Bet £10 on a draw after both halves and get £65 back!
Gladbach vs Hoffenheim
August 05, 2022
2:30 pm GMT+1
VfL Wolfsburg - SV Werder Bremen
Form: N/A
Key personnel missing:
Wolfsburg - Yannick Gerhardt, Max Arnold (doubt)
Werder - Jean-Manuel Mbom, Dikeni Salifou, Benjamin Goller, Eren Dinkçi (doubt)
Match-up preview: Werder Bremen can once again call the Bundesliga home after finishing runner-up in 2.Bundesliga last season and could fancy their chances against a Wolfsburg outfit that placed in the bottom-half last term in a very disappointing campaign, but who will be under pressure to start the season with a bang against a promoted outfit. The expected forward line of Lukas Nmecha and Luca Waldschmidt could make the difference for Die Wölfe.
Prediction: 2-1 Wolfsburg
Recommended bet:
Wolfsburg to win 2-1 (7/1)
Werder Bremen is back in the Bundesliga against struggling Wolfsburg who have much to prove this season, with a home win a must to start the campaign
Bet £10 on Wolfsburg to win 2-1 and get £70 back!
VfL Wolfsburg vs Werder Bremen
August 05, 2022
2:30 pm GMT+1
VfL Bochum - 1. FSV Mainz 05
Form: N/A
Key personnel missing:
Bochum - Jacek Góralski, Tim Oermann, Jannes Horn (doubt), Danilo Soares (doubt)
Mainz - Danny da Costa, Anthony Caci (fitness)
Match-up preview: Both Bochum and Mainz can hold their heads high after the 2021-22 Bundesliga campaign, with Mainz pushing until the final weeks of the season for a place in Europe while Bochum secured a number of shock wins while finishing comfortably above the bottom three. Mainz lost some key assets in the back line this summer, but they could still squeak a narrow result here against a stubborn and well-drilled Ruhr valley side that still struggled for goals last term.
Prediction: 1-0 Mainz
Recommended bet:
Mainz to win without both teams scoring (3/1)
Mainz go into a tricky away day at Bochum this Saturday but could narrowly come away with a win on the back of some scintillating football in 2021-22
Bet £10 on Mainz to win without both teams scoring and get £30 back!
VfL Bochum vs 1.FSV Mainz 05
August 05, 2022
2:30 pm GMT+1
FC Augsburg - SC Freiburg
Form: N/A
Key personnel missing:
Augsburg - Noah Sarenren Bazee, Niklas Dorsch, Tobias Strobl, Rubén Vargas (doubt), Reece Oxford (doubt)
Freiburg - Lucas Höler, Kevin Schade (doubt), Lukas Kübler (doubt)
Match-up preview: All neutral eyes will no doubt once again be on Freiburg this season after the Black Forest outfit nearly ended with a shock top four finish under iconic manager Christian Streich. Augsburg does have a considerable amount of assets possibly failing to be deployed at the weekend, and Freiburg is good enough to take advantage of that fact with key creator Vincenzo Grifo fit and ready for the new season.
Prediction: 2-1 Freiburg
Recommended bet:
Freiburg winning 2-0 at halftime (10/1)
Freiburg look to once again push for fourth in 2022-23 after an incredible campaign last season with struggling Augsburg ripe for the plucking
Bet £10 on Freiburg winning 2-0 at halftime and get £100 back!
FC Augsburg vs SC Freiburg
August 05, 2022
2:30 pm GMT+1
Borussia Dortmund - Bayer Leverkusen
Form: N/A
Key personnel missing:
Dortmund - Sébastien Haller (out indefinitely), Niklas Süle, Felix Passlack
Leverkusen - Florian Wirtz, Karim Bellarabi (doubt), Amine Adli (doubt), Timothy Fosu-Mensah (doubt)
Match-up preview: Borussia Dortmund will be keen to prove that they are still best-placed to challenge Bayern Munich this season but will be pushed right out of the gate by Bayer Leverkusen who only finished five points adrift of Die Schwarzgelben in 2021-22. The loss of Erling Haaland to Man City, and the heartbreaking diagnosis of summer signing Sébastien Haller are hurdles to negotiate, but Dortmund could still come out on top at the Westfalenstadion in what should be another goal-fest between these two sides.
Prediction: 3-2 Dortmund
Recommended bet:
Moussa Diaby to score anytime (3/1)
French international winger Moussa Diaby was one of the stars of the Bundesliga last season and could open his account early on in a key showdown
Bet £10 on Moussa Diaby to score anytime and get £30 back!
Borussia Dortmund vs Bayer Leverkusen
August 05, 2022
5:30 pm GMT+1
VfB Stuttgart - RB Leipzig
Form: N/A
Key personnel missing:
Stuttgart - Saša Kalajdžić (doubt), Borna Sosa (doubt), Nikolas Nartey (doubt), Atakan Karazor (doubt), Alou Kuol (red card)
Leipzig - Yussuf Poulsen
Match-up preview: Despite their loss in the DFL Super Cup to Bayern Munich last weekend, RB Leipzig still remains one of the top sides in the Bundesliga and should be starting the season strong away from home against a Stuttgart outfit that narrowly avoided relegation last season due to goal difference. With a number of possible key absentees for the home side and RBL stripped of just Yussuf Poulsen, Domenico Tedesco’s men should jump to a three-point haul with little trouble if they intend to push the elite clubs in the country.
Prediction: 3-0 Leipzig
Recommended bet:
Christopher Nkunku to score the first goal (11/2)
Christopher Nkunku was last season's top scorer for RB Leipzig and could find joy against a defensively weak Stuttgart outfit
Bet £10 on Nkunku to score first and get £55 back!
VfB Stuttgart vs RB Leipzig
August 06, 2022
4:30 pm GMT+1
1. FC Köln - FC Schalke 04
Form: N/A
Key personnel missing:
Köln - Dimitrios Limnios
Schalke - Simon Terodde (doubt), Danny Latza (doubt)
Match-up preview: Much like Freiburg, FC Köln was in the thick of the fight for a top-five finish last season if not for a late dip in form, but will be confident going into proceedings against a Schalke outfit that is back in the Bundesliga after a heartbreaking relegation campaign two seasons ago. With vibrant home support at their back and the dangerous Anthony Modeste upfront, Köln should really be looking to get started on the right foot on Sunday even if they do not win comfortably.
Prediction: 1-0 Köln
Recommended bet:
Köln to win 1-0 (9/1)
Köln come into 2022-23 with hopes of another credible campaign after a top-seven finish and will lean on Anthony Modeste against returning Schalke 04
Bet £10 on Köln to win 1-0 and get £90 back!
1.FC Köln vs FC Schalke 04
August 06, 2022
4:30 pm GMT+1
