Power ranking at the start of the season: FC Bayern only in 3rd place

The start of the new Bundesliga season between Borussia Mönchengladbach and FC Bayern (Friday from 7.30 p.m. live on DAZN) is imminent. Many clubs still have question marks – especially with the record champions themselves. Which teams are in good shape and where do they end up? The power ranking at the start of the season.

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Bundesliga – Power Ranking: Relegation candidates

18th place – SpVgg Greuther Fürth

• Last results in preparation: 6: 7 on pens vs. SV Babelsberg 03 (DFB-Pokal), 2: 3 vs. Fenerbahce Istanbul, 2: 2 vs. TSG Hoffenheim, 1: 1 vs. FC Ingolstadt, 0: 1 vs. Würzburger Kickers, 0: 1 vs. FC Bayern Munich II

After the somewhat surprising ascent, the shamrocks have to be content with a one-year visit to the House of Lords. A weak preparation without a win was crowned with the embarrassing cup-out against fourth division Babelsberg. With players like Adrian Fein (loan from FC Bayern) and Hans Nunoo Sarpei there are some promising players in the squad, but overall he has far too little Bundesliga experience. On top of that, Anton Stach (Mainz), David Raum (Hoffenheim), Paul Jaeckel (Union Berlin) and Sebastian Ernst (Hannover 96) left the club with four regulars from the previous season.

17th place – Mainz 05

• Last results in preparation: 8: 7 n.E. vs. SV Elversberg (DFB-Pokal), 3: 2 vs. Genoa FC, 1: 0 vs. Gaziantep FK, 0: 1 vs. Liverpool FC, 2: 1 vs. Würzburger Kickers

There is not much left of Bo Svensson’s team, who spectacularly made their way out of the relegation zone to twelfth place in the previous second half of the season (32 points, fifth place in the second half of the table). The departures of Pierre Kunde (Olympiacos Piraeus), Robin Quaison (Al-Ettifaq) and leader Danny Latza (Schalke 04) are particularly painful. With U21 European champion Anton Stach (Greuther Fürth), a promising substitute for the midfield was brought in, but so far it looks particularly thin in the offensive. There the hopes rest on the shoulders of veteran Adam Szalai and Jonathan Burkardt, which should not be enough to keep the league in view of the competition.

16th place: Arminia Bielefeld

• Last results in preparation: 6: 3 vs. SpVgg Bayreuth (DFB-Pokal), 1: 1 vs. Twente Enschede, 2: 5 vs. VfB Stuttgart, 1: 0 vs. Hannover 96, 0: 3 vs. SC Verl

It will not be easy to confirm the good performances from the previous season. Coach Frank Kramer will have to do without several important pillars in the future (Anderson Lucoqui, Andreas Voglsammer, Arne Maier). In addition, the DSC lost its top scorer, Ritsu Doan, who returned to the parent club PSV Eindhoven. Ex-Schalke Alessandro Schöpf, Sebastian Vasiliadis and Florian Krüger could close the gaps. With Byan Lasme, Arminia also got a very interesting man who, with a height of 1.92 meters, is an unusual type for a winger and comes from the talent factory of the French second division club FC Sochaux (Marcus Thuram, Ibrahima Konate or Maxence Lacroix). With the attitude and dedication from last season, it should at least be enough for the relegation.

15th place: VfL Bochum

• Last results in preparation: 2: 1 vs. Wuppertaler SV (n. V., DFB-Pokal), 0: 2 vs. FC Utrecht, 1.2 vs. Vitesse Arnheim, 1: 0 vs. FC Parma, 3: 1 vs. Borussia Dortmund, 6: 0 vs. Bonner SC, 3: 3 vs. SC Verl, 9: 0 vs. SSVg Velbert

Familiar in a new environment. In the first Bundesliga season in eleven years, VfL relies on consistency, the team has only been strengthened occasionally. Last season, the second division champions thrilled with furious offensive football and courageous, early attacks, which coach Thomas Reis knows how to adapt at the right moments – against the big players. He already showed that in the rudiments of the 3-1 win against BVB at the Cup of Traditions. The newcomers Eduard Löwen, Elvis Rexhbecaj, Takuma Asano, Christopher Antwi-Adjei also bring more speed and breadth to the team. The departure of Robert Zulj (Al Ittihad) is of course painful, but it is manageable. That’s enough, even if only barely, for the whereabouts!

Bundesliga: The first matchday at a glance

14th place: 1. FC Köln

• Last results in preparation: 4: 2 on pens vs. Carl Zeiss Jena, 1: 1 vs. Roda JC Kerkrade, 2: 1 vs. SV Elversberg, 2: 0 vs. FC Schaffhausen, 3: 2 vs. FC Bayern Munich, 1: 1 vs. MSV Duisburg, 4-0 vs. Fortuna Cologne

“In Cologne you always have high expectations. But the relegation battle is waiting for FC because they have lost important players,” Lothar Matthäus told SPOX and goal and alludes to the departures of Sebastian Bornauw, Dominick Drexler and Ismail Jakobs. Although he would “really appreciate” Steffen Baumgart, the record national player does not believe in a big increase compared to the previous season (16th place): “There are six or seven teams that don’t take much back there. Bielefeld is calm , in Fürth, in Bochum, because the expectations are not that high. ” The respectable success against Bayern Munich – without large parts of the 1st team – gives hope for a direct relegation alongside the remaining good results. In addition, with Mark Uth, a Cologne boy is returning to FC, who already impressed as a loan player in the 2019/20 season.

13th place: FC Augsburg

• Last results in preparation: 4: 2 vs. Greifswalder FC (DFB-Pokal), 3: 1 vs. Cagliari, 1: 2 vs. Paris Saint-Germain, 2: 2 vs. Qarabag, 2: 2 vs. Hamburger SV

For over a decade now, the Fuggerstadters have refuted all those who they declare to be relegation candidates before each season. Last season, returnees Markus Weinzierl saved the team on the penultimate match day. With the U21 European champions Niklas Dorsch and Arne Maier, the midfield has gained more class. A relegation would be a big surprise, the twelfth Bundesliga season in a row can be booked.