Will the league race be exciting? Gündogan expects Bayern to run away with the title | OneFootball

FC Bayern heads into the new Bundesliga season as the clear favorite. Ilkay Gündogan, too, has no doubt that the Munich team will once again be a step ahead of its domestic rivals—and even believes the record champions are capable of going all the way in the Champions League.

It will still be a few weeks before FC Bayern kicks off the new Bundesliga season with its opener against VfB Stuttgart at the end of August. However, preseason training is already in full swing, and expectations surrounding the German record champions are once again sky-high.

Following their dominant performance last season, the Munich side is once again considered the top contender for the German championship in 2026/27. For many experts, there’s no getting around Vincent Kompany’s team in the title race. Ilkay Gündogan is among them.

Gündogan sees Bayern as the clear favorite

In an interview with Sky, the former national team player spoke candidly about the balance of power in the Bundesliga. “Bayern won’t let anything slip and will march through the league again this season. FC Bayern is the ultimate in Germany,” explained the current Galatasaray player.

Gündogan believes there are currently many reasons to expect that the Munich team will continue to expand its domestic dominance. Above all, he says, the stability within the club is a decisive factor.

“To be honest, given this mix of coach, players, and officials, I don’t see any potential for anything to go completely wrong at Bayern right now—something that Borussia Dortmund, for example, could capitalize on,” the 35-year-old continued.

Gündogan takes his assessment even a step further. In addition to the league title, the former midfielder also counts FC Bayern among the top favorites in the Champions League. “I see Bayern as a very, very serious contender to win the Champions League,” he emphasized.

In fact, the Munich club has once again underscored its ambitions on the European stage with the signings of Nathaniel Brown and Ismael Saibari. Both new signings are expected to further strengthen the squad’s quality and increase competition for playing time.

Winning the league title remains a must

Photo: Getty Images

Within the club, too, the objectives are clearly defined. For the record champions, the league title is considered the minimum goal, while winning the Champions League is seen as the next major step.

Nevertheless, no one in Munich is likely to make the mistake of underestimating the Bundesliga. Although Bayern once again emerged as champions last season, Borussia Dortmund kept the title race open at times and remained within striking distance for a long time despite fluctuations in their form.

Looking ahead to the new season, that’s unlikely to change much. The competition will try to put pressure on the record champions once again.

Gündogan’s comments, however, show just how much confidence there is in the current Bayern squad, even outside of Munich. In his view, the club currently has the right mix of quality, stability, and experience to compete at the very top both domestically and internationally.

Whether Bayern will live up to this role as favorites remains to be seen in the coming months. In any case, expectations are already extremely high even before the season’s first competitive match.