Season preview: Bayern's dominance overshadows Bundesliga on Klopp's return as Germany coach

BERLIN (AP) — When Jürgen Klopp surveys the Bundesliga upon his return as Germany coach, he could be forgiven for sneaking a look elsewhere for excitement.

A new season of Germany’s top division starts Friday, but little will have changed from before with Bayern Munich expected to saunter to another league title with minimal opposition. It would be Bayern’s third in a row and 14th in 15 seasons.

The Bavarian powerhouse’s dominance overshadows the league with Bayern treating the competition as a warmup for the Champions League.

“The battle for starting spots at FC Bayern is more exciting than the race for the German championship,” former West Germany great Lothar Matthäus wrote in a column for Sky, where he predicted Vincent Kompany’s team would again win the Bundesliga by more than 10 points.

Bayer Leverkusen’s league and cup double while remaining unbeaten in 2024 is the only blot on Bayern’s record since Klopp led Borussia Dortmund to back-to-back titles in 2012.

This season, Klopp’s former club is rebuilding after a summer of change, as is Leverkusen for the second year after its unprecedented success under Xabi Alonso.

Stuttgart is the most settled of Bayern’s rivals in what will be its fourth full season under coach Sebastian Hoeneß, but the gulf in class and resources between the sides is again likely to be too much.

Bayern routed Stuttgart 3-0 in the German Cup final in May with Harry Kane hitting a hat trick to take his season tally to 61 goals.

Kane will be keen to get off the mark again when Stuttgart visits Munich for the season opener on Friday.

Bayern is expected to be even stronger in Kompany’s third season as coach.

Morocco forward Ismael Saibari has arrived from PSV Eindhoven to boost an already fearsome attack including Kane, Michael Olise and Luis Díaz.

Germany defender Nathaniel Brown has arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt and has already filled in in midfield with Saibari still nursing an injury from the World Cup.

Bayern also finalized the transfer of Senegal teenager Bara Sapoko Ndiaye from Gambia All Stars. The promising 18-year-old midfielder is expected to feature more following the departure of Leon Goretzka.

Jamal Musiala is back after missing much of last season with a broken leg, though it remains to be seen how he and the club deal with the neurological issue that caused him to collapse during two warmup games after a change in medication.

Dortmund’s rebuilding started long before the summer with new sporting director Ole Book arriving from Elversberg in March to replace Sebastian Kehl, who departed after reported disputes with managing director Lars Ricken. Carsten Cramer took over from Hans-Joachim Watzke as CEO in October.

Book inherited a squad in drastic need of change and has had a busy summer, bringing in attack-minded midfielders Konstantinos Karetsas, Joey Vermaan and Giannis Konstantelias from Genk, PSV and PAOK, respectively, to replace Karim Adeyemi (Barcelona) and Julian Brandt (Ajax).

Young defenders Joane Gadou and Kaua Prates arrived from Salzburg and Cruzeiro, respectively, while Ecuadorian midfielder Justin Lerma and Japanese teenager Takato Yamamoto will also have opportunities to shine under coach Niko Kovač.

A proposed move for Said El Mala broke down over Cologne’s demands for the teenage star.

Brand was among several players including Salih Özcan and Niklas Süle whose contracts expired. Julien Duranville and Cole Campbell also departed, while Brazilian defender Yan Couto was allowed join Como on loan.

More transfers are expected before Sept. 1.

After enjoying so much success under Xabi Alonso in 2024, Leverkusen has turned to another Spanish coach, Carles Martínez, who led Toulouse to mid-table finishes over three seasons in the French league.

Leverkusen’s first season without Alonso was rocky and disappointing. Erik ten Hag had a brief and turbulent spell in charge, then Kasper Hjulmand could only lead the team to sixth.

Martínez will be charged with a top-four finish for Champions League qualification.

Eintracht Frankfurt, Leipzig and Stuttgart are also expected to challenge for the financially lucrative top-four places.

Adi Hütter is back as Frankfurt coach to calm the waters after Albert Riera’s volatile tenure last season. Riera fell out with players, team officials and fans, then blasted the club after he was fired and said he would not take any Frankfurt players for future projects. Riera led Frankfurt to eighth, just outside the European qualification places.

Leipzig fired its coach after finishing third last season, so the pressure is on Martin Demichelis to do better. He’ll have to do it without Yan Diomande, who joined Real Madrid in a big money move. Christopher Nkunku has returned to help fill in.

Schalke is back in the Bundesliga after three seasons away, meaning more work for local police with the Ruhr derby back on against Dortmund.

Miron Muslić’s team will aim to last longer than the solitary season that Schalke managed upon promotion in 2022, though there are fears of an over-reliance on veteran forward Edin Džeko, who’s staying on for another year.

Paderborn and Elversberg are the other promoted sides. Both will be -- like Schalke -- fighting for survival in the 64th Bundesliga season. While Paderborn was promoted before, in 2014 and 2019, it’s the first time for Saarland-based Elversberg, which was playing at the fourth-tier level in 2021-22.

Even if the Bundesliga title race feels predictable, the battle for survival and European qualification will be anything but.

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Dortmund's Fabio Silva celebrates scoring his side's first goal during the Franz Beckenbauer German Supercup soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. (Bernd Thissen/dpa via AP)

Dortmund's Ramy Bensebaini takes the ball after scoring a goal that was disallowed for offside during the Franz Beckenbauer German Supercup soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Bayern's Harry Kane, left, and Michael Olise celebrates after winning the Franz Beckenbauer German Supercup soccer match against Borussia Dortmund in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Germany's new head coach Juergen Klopp, center, attends the Franz Beckenbauer German Supercup soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Bayern's Harry Kane holds the trophy after winning the Franz Beckenbauer German Supercup soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)

Manchester City signed highly rated teenage midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi from Lille on Wednesday, getting a rising star seen as the Premier League giant's long-term replacement for Rodri.

City confirmed the transfer in a statement on its website, saying the 18-year-old Morocco international has signed a five-year-contract. No financial details were given but French sports daily L'Equipe estimated the transfer to be 100 million euros ($117 million).

Bouaddi's arrival follows the departure of 2024 men's Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, who recently joined Barcelona after helping Spain win the World Cup.

“This is a very special day for me and my family,” Bouaddi said. “I’ve watched City for many years, and I love their style of play. City always try and play quality football. And they have shown they are winners, this club feels like it’s built to win.”

The fee makes Bouaddi the most expense player sold from the French league, surpassing the 90 million euros Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal paid to get Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.

It is a statement signing from new City manager Enzo Maresca, who has a big void to fill after replacing coaching great Pep Guardiola.

Guardiola left at the end of last season following a trophy-laden, 10-year spell in which he established City as a force in Europe and changed the face of English soccer.

Maresca joined on a three-year deal in June, following the Italian coach's messy departure from Chelsea.

City beat Bournemouth 2-1 in its season opener on Sunday thanks to a pair of late goals.

Although Bouaddi impressed at the World Cup with his assured touch, tactical understanding and maturity, he had already caught the eye two years ago.

At the start of his career he was being touted as Lille’s best midfielder since Eden Hazard, who left to become a Premier League star with Chelsea.

Bouaddi joined Lille’s academy in 2021 and, just three days after his 16th birthday, became the youngest player to appear in a European game in a Europa Conference League match last October against KI Klaksvík.

He is widely seen as a complete midfielder except in one area: goals. He did not score in 96 games for Lille and has yet to find the net in eight games for Morocco.

“I am only 18. I am happy with the progress I have made so far, but I also know I can improve so much,” he said. “This is undoubtedly the best place for me to do that.”

Lille has earned a reputation as one of best sellers of talented players in European soccer.

The northern club sold Ivory Coast forward Nicolas Pépé to Arsenal in 2019 for 80 million euros and Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen went to Napoli the following year for a similar amount.

Manchester United paid 62 million euros for central defender Leny Yoro two years ago.

See AP’s full soccer coverage here

Manchester City's head coach Enzo Maresca reacts during the English Premier League soccer match between Manchester City and Bournemouth in Manchester, England, Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson)

FILE - Morocco's Ayyoub Bouaddi vies for the ball during the World Cup quarterfinal soccer match between France and Morocco in Foxborough, Mass., near Boston, Thursday, July 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Steven Senne, file)