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Now that all the action from the opening weekend of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season has been wrapped up and the dust allowed to settle, Get German Football News takes a look at the winners and losers from Matchday 1.
Courtesy of an opening weekend filled with surprises, upsets, and – of course – goals across nine games, GGFN is here with our first power rankings of the season. Our power rankings are a reflection of the current form, relative strength of each team, and how they performed against opposition of varying quality. As a result, it will serve as a snapshot of each side’s form each week, as opposed to their position in the current league standings.
Bayern Munich
Last season’s champions were expected to hit the ground running but few could’ve predicted they’d do it so emphatically. Their 6-0 thrashing of RB Leipzig gets them off to a flying start with a hat-trick for Harry Kane, a brace for Michael Olise and a Bundesliga debut goal for Luis Díaz.
Next match: Augsburg (a), 30 August
Eintracht Frankfurt
After a summer of high-profile signings and sales, there were question marks over how Dino Toppmöller’s side may fare on the opening day, but a free-flowing 4-1 victory over Werder Bremen largely put those doubts to rest with youngsters Can Uzun and Jean-Mattéo Bahoya running riot.
Next match: Hoffenheim (a), 30 August
Hoffenheim
It was a perfect start for Christian Ilzer’s new-look Hoffenheim outfit, who pulled off a come-from-behind win away at Leverkusen thanks to goals from new arrivals Fisnik Asllani and Tim Lemperle providing the Austrian coach with a very positive start to proceedings.
Next match: Frankfurt (h), 30 August
Augsburg
A clinical display in a 3-1 win away at Freiburg has kept the hype surrounding new head coach Sandro Wagner alive, who took a deserved three points on his top-flight managerial debut.
Next match: Bayern (h), 30 August
FC Köln
Life back in the Bundesliga wasn’t the big step-up that Köln had perhaps expected. Under new boss Lukas Kwasniok, a 90th-minute winner off the head of new boy Marius Bülter and a clean sheet against Mainz rounded off a dream start for The Billy Goats.
Next match: Freiburg (h), 31 August
Union Berlin
A debut brace against the 2025 DFB Cup winners from new arrival Ilyas Ansah got Steffen Baumgart’s men off to a very positive start at the Alte Försterei.
Next match: Dortmund (a), 31 August
St. Pauli
Tipped as one of the season’s relegation favourites due in large part to their difficulty at scoring goals last term, St. Pauli will be boosted by the fight they showed to overturn a 3-1 deficit and claim an opening day point against stiff opposition at the Millerntor.
Next match: Hamburg (a), 29 August
Wolfsburg
A winning start to life under new boss Paul Simonis is all Wolfsburg fans could really have asked for and the Wolves certainly delivered; cruising to a 3-1 win without ever looking as if they had to get out of second gear.
Next match: Mainz (h), 31 August
Hamburg
It wasn’t exactly fireworks for HSV on their return to the Bundesliga after toiling in the second division for seven years, but Merlin Polzin’s side can be pleased with a hard-fought point away at Borussia Mönchengladbach which saw them maintain their clean sheet, courtesy of a fantastic performance from Daniel Heuer Fernandes between the sticks.
Next match: St. Pauli (h), 29 August
Borussia Dortmund
Niko Kovač’s side were in complete control for 85 minutes until a red card for young defender Filippo Mané precipitated a capitulation for the Black & Yellows. Nevertheless, Serhou Guirassy and Karim Adeyemi looked a force to be reckoned with up top.
Next match: Union (h), 31 August
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Despite a rocky start, Gerardo Seoane’s men dominated for most of the game but in Tim Kleindienst’s absence, couldn’t find the back of the net. Rocco Reitz’s midfield performance should provide Foals fans with plenty of optimism, though.
Next match: Stuttgart (a), 30 August
Mainz
It was a bit of a rollercoaster for the Carnival Club, who dominated proceedings in the first half, before they were hamstrung by a red card to Paul Nebel at the hour mark prior to coming undone by a 90th-minute winner.
Next match: Wolfsburg (a), 31 August
VfB Stuttgart
Sebastian Hoeneß no doubt would have wanted to bounce back from his side’s Supercup defeat on Matchday 1, but Union had other ideas. The Swabians nearly pulled off a comeback thanks to new signing Tiago Tomás’ deft finish but Nick Woltemade’s subsequent equaliser was chalked off for offside.
Next match: Gladbach (h), 30 August
Freiburg
A 3-1 home defeat on the opening day did not get Freiburg’s hopes of Champions League football off to a bright start. Julian Schuster’s men had no problem fashioning chances but were wasteful in front of goal, finishing with an xG of 3.04 to Augsburg’s 1.22.
Next match: Köln (a), 31 August
Bayer Leverkusen
Erik ten Hag’s overhauled Leverkusen got off to a dream start at the BayArena thanks to an early headed goal from new boy Jarell Quansah, but squandering their advantage at home to Hoffenheim in an overall flat performance will not have endeared Werkself fans to their new boss.
Next match: Bremen (a), 30 August
Werder Bremen
Defeat in the manner they were handed it was not the start to life at the Bremen helm that Horst Steffen would have wanted. Justin Njinmah’s goal against the run of play did at least give the Green-Whites fans something to cheer.
Next match: Leverkusen (h), 30 August
Heidenheim
Having narrowly avoided relegation via the play-offs last season, a point on the opening day would’ve done Heidenheim’s confidence the world of good. Instead, they were met with a convincing 3-1 home defeat to Wolfsburg.
Next match: Leipzig (a), 30 August
RB Leipzig
Bayern’s 6-0 thrashing of Leipzig was not only a statement for the Bavarians but also demonstrated how much work Ole Werner has ahead of him for Die Roten Bullen. Things can’t get much worse for his Leipzig side, though they are very much in a transitional year and so next week should offer a clean slate.
Next match: Heidenheim (h), 30 August
GGFN | Sam Carey
