If that headline seems dismissive of the other 17 clubs in German top flight, this SBOTOP author intends no respect.
After all, it’s only two years since Borussia Dortmund suffered last-day heartbreak when the Bundesliga title was within their grasp and they knew victory at home to Mainz would mean a first Bundesliga title in 11 years.
Furthermore, it’s only 12 months since Bayer Leverkusen produced a season to go down in history and, domestically, were invincible.
The campaign when Xabi Alonso and his record-breaking side clinched a league and cup double, swatting Bayern Munich aside in a way few had managed previously, and were also beaten finalists in the Europa League.
That unbeaten record encompassed a period of 462 days and 35 games, stretching back to the final day of the 2022-23 season.
Of course, what happened afterwards was predictable as Bayern Munich bought big last summer, including players from Leverkusen and Stuttgart who had pipped them to the runners-up spot, and duly delivered Bundesliga 2025 highlights to bounce back emphatically.
Don’t get me wrong. The Bavarians were thoroughly deserving of the title, were in first place ever since just the third week of the campaign and chalked up 25 wins from 34 matches – only losing twice – and scoring a league-high 99 goals.
But that kind of proves my point.
As good as Leverkusen were during their title defence, losing only three out of 34 matches, they could simply not compete and finished 13 points off the pace.
Looking at our Bundesliga 2025 betting odds, no-one is expecting any rivals to go close to matching Bayern next term either.
While Bayern are priced @ 1.18 to retain the crown, Leverkusen are adrift @ 8.00, Dortmund @ 9.50 and RB Leipzig @ 19.50. The next closest outfit are Eintracht Frankfurt @ 41.00.
Last season’s runners-up have already lost three of their main men, two to England and Liverpool, with playmaker Florian Wirtz the latest to depart for a huge fee around the £100 million mark.
If new manager Erik ten Hag is allowed to use those funds, he will surely strengthen wisely, but he begins from a very disadvantaged position and it’s highly unlikely he will be able to strengthen at the same level as a Bayern side who are already firming up their own position, while weakening their rivals.
Jonathan Tah’s move to Munich after a decade at Leverkusen was a case in point, while Tom Bischof has also been snapped up from Hoffenheim.
Both players were set to officially join on July 1, once their contract at their respective clubs had lapsed, but Bayern negotiated terms with all parties to bring forward the transfers by three weeks, allowing both to be registered in time for the Club World Cup, currently taking place in America.
They may be saying farewell to the timeless Thomas Muller next month but they are well stocked with talent oozing from virtually every position, including England captain Harry Kane.
His importance to the cause was underlined by figures which saw him recently named Bundesliga player of the season as a series of stellar performances helped propel them to title number 34, the first major club trophy of his career.
As well as 26 league goals, he contributed eight assists and, when in Bayern’s starting line-up, the Bavarians won 22 times, drawn six and never lost. Without him, there were three wins, one draw and three defeats. Case closed.
In Jamal Musiala, they have a talent fresh off the back of the best goalscoring season of his career, with 18 goals in all competitions.
Then there’s Frenchman Michael Olise who notched 12 goals in his maiden Bundesliga campaign, and was also the league’s top playmaker with 15 assists (the highest tally across the entire division) as he was named rookie of the season.
Even if Vincent Kompany’s side have a slow start after competing in the World Club Championship, Dortmund are in the same boat and Leverkusen have been significantly weakened before a ball is kicked.
Dortmund were 25 points off the top last term, third place Eintracht Frankfurt were 22 points adrift. The gap, quite frankly, is huge both on and off the pitch and, even in mid-June, it would take a brave man or woman to expect anything other than a Bayern romp to the title next season.
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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