Leverkusen starts with trepidation: are they the new Bayern hunters?

Leverkusen starts with trepidation: are they the new Bayern hunters?

The world of football is all about passion, team spirit and the never-ending pursuit of titles. This is also the case in the Bundesliga, where the excitement for the new 2025/26 season is hard to beat. Today, August 25, 2025, the focus turns to the latest developments in the league as teams prepare for the challenges of the coming matchdays.

After the Leverkusen football team recently won the championship in 2024 and the runner-up in 2025, it now faces a groundbreaking challenge: How will the changes in the team affect its chances? The Wettbasis reports that the team is falling apart, and the question remains whether Leverkusen can again emerge as Bayern Munich's main rival next season, or whether other teams such as Dortmund, Frankfurt and Leipzig will become stronger.

First matchday and unbeaten series

Last weekend matchday, Leverkusen hosted TSG Hoffenheim at the BayArena. Despite the four-year winning run against Hoffenheim, which was maintained in the last five Bundesliga games, Leverkusen suffered a bitter defeat and lost the game 1-2. The fact is that Hoffenheim only accumulated 32 points last season and this is considered their weakest figure in twelve years.

However, Leverkusen have an impressive record of 34 unbeaten away games in the Bundesliga, which will keep them cheering hard every time they meet. At the same time, they have already secured second place last season. It will be exciting to see whether Xabi Alonso and Jonathan Tah, who will ultimately say goodbye to Leverkusen, get a dignified farewell.

A look at the competition

But the rest of the Bundesliga puzzle also shows interesting developments. Mainz are now unbeaten in 13 Bundesliga home games and most recently recorded a 0-1 win against 1. FC Köln, further fueling their aspirations to qualify for the 2025/26 European competition. Their coach Bo Henriksen has made a significant improvement in performance and Mainz's 51 points puts them on a level with Leipzig, who are just one point behind.

The impressions of the first few days of the game are so wide-ranging. SC Freiburg and VfB Stuttgart are also interesting points to watch, as is Frankfurt's unbeaten streak in six competitive home games against Werder Bremen since 2018. Werder, on the other hand, hasn't won a game on the first Bundesliga matchday since 2013 - that's quite a feat.

Another traditional duel that excites fans is the clash between Borussia Mönchengladbach and Hamburger SV, which is absolutely in focus. The AI ​​predictions in particular indicate a high probability of many goals. Of course, it shouldn't be forgotten that Bayern opened their season on Friday evening against RB Leipzig and did so impressively with a 6-0 win.

All these exciting games make the Bundesliga a true spectacle. The matches on the coming match days not only promise exciting football games until the last minute, but also numerous annoying surprises. The question remains: Who will be the new Bayern hunter for the 2025/26 season? Stay tuned and enjoy the football festival!