How To Pick A Bundesliga Team

No offense to the Belarus Premier League or Korea’s K-League, but real world class soccer is finally back in the form of the German Bundesliga. 

After a 10 week hiatus, the league is returning to valiantly save us from the current vacuum of live sports. Part of a shortlist of top German exports from Mercedes-Benz to bratwurst, the league is among the world’s best in terms of athletic performance, financial clout, and cultural appeal. 

If you are like the rest of us and need to stracth that sports betting itch but have no idea what you are doing when it comes to betting German soccer you can check out the Bundesliga picks from our friends over at AccuScore. They have some of the best Bundesliga predictions and simulations and you always know you are betting on a winner when you follow their advice.

About The Bundesliga

The Bundesliga, or “Federal League”, has been in existence since 1963 and consists of 18 clubs. At the culmination of each season, the 17th and 18th ranked teams are relegated, while the 16th place team plays a two-game playoff versus the third-place team from the second Bundesliga.  

It is the second-best supported sports league in the world with an average match attendance of roughly 43,000 fans, trailing only the NFL. Bundesliga stadiums are known for their modern designs, passionate chants, colorful banners, and top quality entertainment on the pitch. 

When league play returns on May 16th, Bundesliga clubs are hoping to grow their global reputation and gain new fans like you!  

If you are unfamiliar with the league, now is the perfect time to jump in and get involved!

Here is a guide to selecting the right Bundesliga club for you.

FC Köln

FC Köln or Cologne has bounced between the top two tiers of German football for the better part of 20 years. Their recent history has given fans whiplash. After finishing fifth in 2016-17, they were relegated in 2017-18, then promptly won promotion and returned to the Bundesliga for the 2019-20 season. 

You Should Support Them If:

You like goats (their nickname is The Billy Goats and their mascot Hennes, a real live goat, attends every match) or medieval Gothic architecture. The Cologne Cathedral is an 800-year-old UNESCO World Heritage Site. Also, Cologne is famous for its local beer style, called Koelsch, which is gaining traction in craft beer circles.

1889 Hoffenheim

Largely irrelevant for the first 60 years of their existence, Hoffenheim has surged to power over the past decade due to the financial backing of owner Dietmar Hopp. While rarely a title contender, they have battled for Champions League and Europa League qualification the past few years. Recently abandoned by their prodigious young manager Julian Nagelsmann (now patrolling the touchline for RB Leipzig), it is hard to say just what the future holds for “Hoffe”. 

You Should Support Them If:

You are a firm believer in potential OR an admirer of moose, which is the Hoffenheim mascot.  

Bayer 04 Leverkusen

Although Leverkusen has never won a Bundesliga title, they are consistent contenders for European football. They have enjoyed 40 consecutive seasons of Bundesliga play and finished in fourth and fifth place in the past two seasons. “Die Werkself” (The Company‘s Eleven) have had some top players over the years, such as Germany legend Michael Ballack, Mexican striker Chicharito, and USA legend Landon Donovan, who was signed by the club as a teenager. 

You Should Support Them If:

You are prone to headaches. Leverkusen is owned by Bayer AG, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical firms.

Bayern Munich

Without a doubt, Bayern is the Bundesliga’s most successful club. They are the fourth most valuable club in the world and have won seven Bundesliga titles in a row. Hailing from the birthplace of Oktoberfest, the club’s fans are well accustomed to celebrating an end of the season trophy with gigantic mugs of beer. Throughout their lauded history, Bayern has won 29 Bundesliga titles and eight European trophies. Canadian teenager Alphonso Davies has risen to stardom and made the left back position his own this season.

You Should Support Them If:

You like winning and don’t mind being labeled a bandwagon fan. Or you like Paulaner beer, Bayern’s official beer sponsor.  

Borussia Dortmund

Dortmund is one of Germany’s top clubs and has been the only legitimate rival to Bayern Munich’s dominance over the past decade, winning the Bundesliga title in. Their stadium, Signal Iduna Park, boasts a capacity of 81,000 fans and has the highest average attendance of any soccer team in the world. The “Yellow Wall” section behind one of the goals holds nearly 40,000 devoted fans, larger than some entire stadiums! They have an extremely talented roster and recently featured in a documentary series on Amazon Prime. Hershey native Christan Pulisic recently left the team but has been replaced by 17-year-old wonderkid Gio Reyna, son of USA legend Claudio.

You Should Support Them If:

You like winning but don’t want to be the 100% favorite.

Borussia Mönchengladbach

The club with the Bundesliga’s (possibly all of world football’s) most enjoyable pronunciation are more than just a nearly illegible name. Gladbach are one of Germany’s most storied clubs and dominated the 1970s, winning five Bundesliga titles and two UEFA Cups. However, their success has gone the way of bell bottoms and disco music and remains a distant memory. In the past 20 years, Gladbach have bounced back to be quite competitive and typically finish in the top half of the Bundesliga standings. American midfielder Fabian Johnson has played for Gladbach for nearly a decade.

You Should Support Them If: 

You appreciate the classics. Once a powerhouse, now formidable but middling, no history book about German soccer can be written without the green, black, and white of Gladbach.

Eintracht Frankfurt

Frankfurt, the financial center of Europe and home of the beloved Eintracht. They are enjoying one of their most successful periods in modern times and enjoyed a Cinderella run to win the German Pokal (Germany’s knockout tournament for all professional clubs) in 2018. In Bundesliga circles, the club is known as “The Lazy Diva” for its ability to get great results against good teams but fail to perform against weaker sides. They have spent most of their history in the Bundesliga, with only a few short dips into the 2nd division, and faced Real Madrid in the 1960 European Cup final, only to lose 7-3. At the heart of the Frankfurt defense is Timothy Chandler, who represented the US in the 2014 World Cup.

You Should Support Them If: 

You want to support a passionate brotherhood of supporters. While not considered a particularly “big” club, Eintracht Frankfurt boasts an average attendance that ranks in the top 25 of all European teams. 

FC Augsburg

Augsburg can be counted among the Bundesliga’s smaller clubs but they are currently enjoying the high point of the club’s existence. Accustomed to playing in regional competitions for the bulk of its 50 years, the club won promotion in 2011 and have managed to survive thus far. They usually finish in the bottom half of the table but enjoy enthusiastic local support nonetheless.  

You Should Support Them If:

You are a puppet enthusiast. Since 2009, the club has partnered with the local puppet theater and a performance is given at the stadium before every home game. 

Fortuna Düsseldorf

Fortuna is an honest club with a very checkered history. They have only spent three seasons in the German top flight during the 2000s but were a Bundesliga mainstay in the 70s and 80s. American players Alfredo Morales and Zack Steffen (on loan from Manchester City) both don the red and white for Fortuna. 

You Should Support Them If: 

You have a punk rock side to you. During a financial rough patch in the early 2000s, the club was sponsored by famous German punk band “Die Toten Hosen”, who even wrote a song about a famous Fortuna victory over Bayern Munich in 2013.

Hertha Berlin

Although Hertha call the Olympic Stadium home, their historical performance has not garnered any medals since 1931. They are certainly one of the Bundesliga’s larger clubs and have some recognizable names on the roster, but their fans have not had much to celebrate in recent times. From the perspective of other Bundesliga clubs, Hertha has become a bit of a meme and always seem to be in a rebuilding phase.

You Should Support Them If: 

You want to kindle divine favor. The name “Hertha” is a reference to the fertility goddess Nerthus of Germanic mythology. So, there ya go.  

Mainz 05

Another of the Bundesliga’s lovable underdogs, Mainz is most closely associated with its gregarious former player and coach Jurgen Klopp, current manager of Liverpool FC. Klopp led Mainz to their first Bundesliga appearance in 2005 and the club are currently celebrating their tenth consecutive Bundesliga campaign. Mainz have made a few European appearances but have not been able to punch their way out of the group stage.

You Should Support Them If: 

You love a good party. The city has a reputation as one of Germany’s foremost “Carnival” cities and Mainz fans celebrate each goal with a joyous carnival song.  

Paderborn

The Bundesliga’s most diminutive club by far, Paderborn’s home park boasts (or perhaps whispers) a modest 15,000 seats- far less than half the league’s average attendance. The club popped into the Bundesliga for the first time in 2015 but were then relegated two years in a row and plummeted to the third division. Fortunately for Paderborn fans, the team rebounded and are currently enjoying the bright lights of the Bundesliga again.  

You Should Support Them If:

You are a fan of the 2nd Bundesliga, because there is a very good chance that’s where Paderborn will be playing next season. Or, if you are a romantic for honorable defeats.   

RB Leipzig

Mention Red Bull or, technically “RasenBall” (Grass Ball) Leipzig to any German soccer fan and you will surely get a passionate response. The club is widely derided for being a soulless soccer corporation due to the Red Bull company’s calculated takeover of the Bundesliga landscape. Love them or hate them, you can’t argue with the results. Although technically only 11 years old, Leipzig have rocketed up the German soccer pyramid. Originating in the 5th tier “Nordostdeutscher Fußballverband Oberliga Süd” (which is precisely as obscure as it sounds), they are now one of the Bundesliga’s largest clubs and will be one of the league’s title contenders for the foreseeable future. Former New York Red Bull player Tyler Adams has emerged in the first team this season.

You Should Support Them If:

You want to have wiiiiings but don’t mind ruffling feathers. Leipzig is destined for a league title sooner rather than later- but prepare yourself to be regarded as Soccer Enemy Number One in Germany.

Schalke 04

Although self-recognized as a working class club, Schalke is the 3rd most valuable club in Germany and boasts a proud history of relevance at the highest level of German soccer. The “Royal Blues” finished 14th last season, their worst showing in 30 years, but finished second the previous year. The Veltins Arena is always packed with fans, roughly 61,000 on average, and the club enjoys a fierce rivalry with Borussia Dortmund. Known for producing top talent such as Mesut Ozil and Manuel Neuer, Texas native Weston McKinnie is one of their current stars. 

You Should Support Them If:

You value noble suffering: Schalke supporters are proud of their humble roots and strong tradition. However, they identify with pain and will readily admit that while they consider themselves a big club, they haven’t won a Bundesliga title since 1958. 

Sport-Club Freiburg

Freiburg is a respectable club from a medieval town in the Black Forest region that boasts one of Germany’s oldest universities. They have spent the past two decades bouncing between the first and second divisions, but they did clinch a Europa League spot in 2016-17, finishing seventh in their first season after promotion. Known for being a factory for youth talent, the club has often been forced to sell its most promising prospects. Current German national team manager Jogi Low is the club’s all-time leading scorer. 

You Should Support Them If: 

You are conscious of being “green”. Freiburg’s “Schwarzwald” stadium became Germany’s first solar powered stadium  when it added solar panels on the roof of each stand. 

SV Werder Bremen

Hailing from a city known for its “Town Musicians”, Bremen fans will be quick to admit that their recent history reads a bit like a Brothers Grimm tale. However, many Bundesliga fans would be happy to trade places as Bremen have spent a total of 54 years in the German top flight, making them the all-time leader in Bundesliga seasons (one more than Bayern). They did the Double in 2004 but have typically finished mid table for the past decade. St. Louis native Josh Sargent has been getting minutes this season and is one of the USA’s strikers of the future. 

You Should Support Them If:

You love the song “I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)” by The Proclaimers- Werder’s goal celebration song. Bremen fans don’t get to jubilantly dance to it as often they’d like, however.

Union Berlin

This season marks Union’s first ever in the Bundesliga in its 54 year history. Underdogs to say the least, “The Iron Ones” enjoy ardent support from their local fan base and are the first club from the former East Berlin to ever play in the Bundesliga. Not afraid to think outside the box, the club invited fans to bring their sofas to the stadium for World Cup watch parties in 2014. 

You Should Support Them If:

You believe in arriving fashionably late- Union has waited quite a while to join the Bundesliga dance party, but they are a true underdog with edge and personality.

VFL Wolfsburg

Wolfsburg is a club that is tough to put a finger on. They show strength from time to time but you never really know what you’re going to get. They were Bundesliga champions of the 2008-09 season, the only club other than Bayern or Dortmund to win the title in the last 12 years, and won the German Pokal in 2014-15. Fans will cling to that success, but  reaching the knockout rounds of European competition has been the high point of recent years. 

You Should Support Them If: 

You drive a Volkswagen (the club’s owner and shirt sponsor).

Now That You Picked Your Team...

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