Bundesliga Season predictions

Another exciting season of the best football league in the world is upon us, and it's time for the moment the world has been waiting for - the predictions.

1. Bayern Munich

And not just because the best team in the world won the season opener Friday and is already on top. Do we expect Bayern to win the league by 25 points? No?  Is it possible they could lose the league? Maybe.  But with the deepest and best squad in world football, the meisterschaft figures to be a mere formality.

2. Borussia Dortmund

Sure the beaten Champions League finalists and German Supercup champions lost Mario Goetze. And sure Bayern Munich are FC Hollywood. But Jurgen Klopp is a man who has shined after losing Nuri Sahin (who is back) and Shinji Kagawa. He doesn't sound too worried, either.

3. Bayer Leverkusen

So far, we are preserving the order of finish from last season.  This Champions League outfit added a superstar goal scorer along with the reigning top scorer in the league (who doesn't play for his national team, incidentally). The added burden of Champions League could be a hindrance, of course.

4. Borussia Monchengladbach

OK so things haven't gotten off to a good start with a shock German Cup exit before the afore-mentioned opener. However, this squad has quality if not depth and won't be bogged down by European football (or Cup football) unlike last season. Max Kruse could have a bigger impact than any transfer. Never underestimate a Lucien Favre-led team.

5. VfL Wolfsburg

If there's another team that can make a jump into European football, it's this one. No club has as many players go in and out as much as the Wolves, but Dieter Hecking should settle this squad sometime within the first two months.  We believe that Diego will be motivated after essentially being a flop the last few years and the addition of Daniel Caliguiri and Ja-Cheol Koo should boost this side after a tumult-filled 2012-13.

6. FC Schalke

Last season, the Royal Blues nearly choked away a Champions League spot before taking care of business on the last day of the season. They have a tricky Champions League play-off tie with Ukrainian outfit Kharkiv and getting through that figures to result in an up-and-down season and frankly, this won't help team morale.

7. Hoffenheim

Sure they should have been relegated last season if not for some amazing heroics. Teams that escape relegation like them seem to recover amazingly like 'Gladbach did a few years ago and 7 through 13 in the table a year ago was separated by six points so anything can happen.

8. Hamburg

This once-proud team lost Son to Leverkusen and will count on this injured Arsenal reject. Let's see how a young Cameroon star replaces the Korean.

9. Mainz

Thomas Tuchel always seems to do more with less and it wouldn't be surprising to see his side somehow sneak into Europe. Japanese striker Shinzi Okazaki should revive his career under Tuchel's pressing system.


10. Eintracht Frankfurt - Frankfurt nearly snuck into the Champions League in their entrance back to the top flight but European football figures to give them a fall back to Earth.

11. Freiburg - OK so not many players are left from last year's fifth-place finish. Still, this club made some smart buys and is one of the sharpest in the country, so they should be solid.

12. VfB Stuttgart - The Swabians didn't cover themselves in glory in Europa League qualifying. That doesn't bode well for any hopes domestically.

13. Hannover 96 - There are not many recognizable names left on Steve Cherundolo's club and a boring mid-table finish seems about right.

14. Werder Bremen - Many observers believe this club could be headed for the drop and the DfB Cup was proof of that possibility. Truth be told, there are plenty of mediocre teams in this part of the table and Bremen should survive.

15. Hertha BSC - The favorite team of this defunct blog that went out of existence when Hertha went down, only survival will do in the nation's capital. Hertha are producing top-level United States talent, and Jos Luhukay should navigate the top flight successfully.

16. Augsburg - It's hard to believe in any Bavarian club not named Bayern (see below).

17. Nurnberg - I don't know much about this club this season but this is the fifth straight season for them in the top flight so the time is ripe to go down again.

18.  Eintracht Braunschweig - Much props to this club on finally reaching the top flight but adding a Canadian 'star' doesn't seem like a good recipe for survival. Torsten Lieberknecht probably has the best name of any coach in the top flight and his club is a fascinating story.

Any comments or questions? Post them below!