As the German domestic season draws closer, so too does the premise of German clubs fighting in Europe, but with a very different look compared to past seasons.
As always, Bundesliga giant Bayern Munich will be fighting it out for the Champions League against Europe’s best, but for the first time since 2010-11, rival Borussia Dortmund will not be present in the competition.
Champions League
European ever-present Bayern Munich will be in the premier continental competition this season, with Pep Guardiola and his charges looking to rebound from their semi-final dismantling at the hands of Barcelona this past campaign.
The German champions will likely feel stronger than last season, having all but acquired Arturo Vidal from Juventus to replace the outgoing Bastian Schweinsteiger. With arguably the scariest midfield in the competition, expect a run to the very late stages of the competition, and maybe even a sixth European title for Bayern.
Bayern’s compatriots this time around are unexpected, as VfL Wolfsburg and Borussia Monchengladbach will make their long-awaited returns to the pinnacle of club football. Successful campaigns from both clubs resulted in second and third place finishes respectively and they will be looking to carry that over into this coming season as well.
The last time Wolfsburg featured in the Champions league was back in the 2009-10 season, when it failed to make it out of the group stages of the competition, instead finishing third behind Manchester United and CSKA Moscow. Le Wolfe then bowed out at the quarterfinals of the Europa League that same season, a stage they again reached in 2014-15, before they were driven out in emphatic fashion by Italian side Napoli, following a humiliating 4-1 loss at home in the first leg.
Manager Dieter Hecking will be looking for a much more improved display this season, albeit in a tougher competition, as the club looks to establish itself in the upper echelons of Europe moving forward. With their UEFA co-efficient having been effected by their time out of Europe, The Wolves will likely find themselves in Pot 4, with the potential of drawing a horror group to fight their way out of. If Hecking’s side can get a favourable draw, then the opportunity is there for it to reach the round of 16; however further progression will be a big ask.
Under the tutelage of Swiss manager Lucien Favre, Borussia Monchengladbach pushed its way into the Bundesliga top three last season and back into the Champions League football that fans had been craving. Borussia’s appearance in the Europa League last season was not as successful as it would have liked, losing to eventual champions Sevilla in the round of 32.
However with improved confidence and a strengthened squad, fans will be looking forward to European nights at Borussia Park. Squad management will be key for Favre, however, if he wants to befall the fate that many teams suffer on return to the European elite, burning out and suffering a slide in the league during the season. Like Wolfsburg, ‘Gladbach will likely suffer a tough draw at the hands of its poor co-efficient, and will need to put in above-average performances if it is to make progress past the group stage. Although it would likely not be the aim, a potential third place finish in the group and a place in the Europa League knockouts could be favourable.
Bringing up the rear of the Bundesliga’s Champions League contestants, Bayer Leverkusen sealed fourth place by a margin of 14 points, but await the progression of the qualifying fixtures before it learns its path into the competition. With fourth place given a qualifying spot, Roger Schmidt’s side will enter into the final qualifying stage, the play-off round, where it will fight for a place in the group stages.
Europa League
For a club that has flirted with the second and third divisions of German football for the majority of its existence, Augsburg has made a sensational run to find itself playing European Football for the first time. The Bavarian club qualified directly for the group stage after a fifth place league finish, beating out the likes of Borussia Dortmund and Hoffenheim to the automatic qualifications.
For a small club yet to become fully established in the top flight, European competition will always have its pitfalls. The danger of the players burning out during midweek competition and struggling on the domestic stage can be problematic with a lack of squad depth, and Markus Weinzierl will have his hands full with this. Expect a tough assignment to even get out of the group stage for Augsburg; and anything past that will be a great success.
Schalke’s failure to qualify for the Champions League for the first time since 2011-12 will have been a disappointment to most fans, however there is likely a small section of supporters happy to be avoiding Spanish giants Real Madrid this year. Schalke conceded 14 goals against Los Galacticos across the past two round of 16 stages, and will look forward to being one of the bigger sides in the second tier of European football. Klaas Jan Huntelaar will be key, as he usually is for Schalke, having put Madrid to the sword in the second leg this past season, before the side faltered in its chase.
With Roberto Di Matteo resigning after failing to make it to the Champions League, Andre Breitenreiter was appointed to lead the club through this coming season. As one of the most financially wealthy clubs in the Bundesliga, it is reasonable to expect Champions League football from S04, and although a deep run through the Europa League would be ideal, Breitenreiter’s main focus will likely be on a higher finish domestically.
Germany’s last club into European competition will have a slightly longer route, as 2013-14’s Bundesliga runner-up Borussia Dortmund managed only a seventh place finish in the league last season. Thomas Tuchel’s men will instead be dropped into the Europa League in the third qualifying round, before it attempts to fight its way into the group stage. Like Schalke, Dortmund will be one of the larger teams in the competition, and may very well fancy itself for a tilt at the title, for automatic progress into next season’s Champions League.
For all teams, the balance between domestic and European competition will be key, and finding that equilibrium will be the making of success on both stages, and also determine the fate of managers across the board.
What are your thoughts? Let us know by dropping a comment below via our Facebook comment box. Make sure you follow us on Twitter @Outside90 and like us on Facebook.
