The first game of the 2025/26 Bundesliga campaign, slated for August 22, is inching closer, and the excitement in the air is palpable.
The German top-flight delivers some of the most entertaining spectacles in football, and fans are buzzing for what should be 34 exhilarating matchdays.
Ahead of the blockbuster curtain-raiser between Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig, we analyse the biggest games of the 2025/26 Bundesliga season.
Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund – Der Klassiker ignites a heated rivalry
The biggest game in Germany pits Bayern Munich against arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund. Bayern trade blows with BVB next term on October 18 (matchday 7) at the Allianz Arena, and it will likely be a banger.
It is the perfect chance for the reigning champions to put some distance between themselves and the chasing pack. Easier said than done!
They clash again, February 26, aiming to garner momentum for the run-in in front of the famous Yellow Wall.
Towards the end of last season, BVB showed remarkable form, jumping from mid-table to claim a UEFA Champions League slot, giving fans hope that they can challenge Bayern for the title under Niko Kovac.
Dortmund spent the past few seasons waffling in mediocrity, and fans are desperate to see them recapture the Bundesliga title for the first time since 2012.
However, Bayern are still the Alphas of the Bundesliga. They will take some stopping, and Dortmund have not shown the sort of ambition in the transfer market required to hunt their arch-nemesis down.
Purchase Bayern Munich tickets from the secondary marketplace Seatsnet.com to watch Die Rekordmeister as they bid to stave off a challenge from BVB and retain their crown.
Bayern vs Bayer Leverkusen – The previous two champions go toe to toe
The next biggest clash in the Bundesliga is likely Bayern vs Bayer Leverkusen, which has taken on even more relevance over the past two seasons.
Leverkusen ended the Bayern dominance two seasons ago and pushed them to the brink last term. But Die Werkself must rebuild after losing key players and tactical mastermind Xabi Alonso.
They face off on November 1 in Bavaria, with Bayern determined to stamp their authority in this fixture before the return leg at the BayArena on March 14.
Leverkusen have been a breath of fresh air in the Bundesliga, but there are doubts about whether new gaffer Erik ten Hag can keep them competitive in the upper echelon.
Those fears were justified after Leverkusen lost 5-1 to Flamengo’s Under-20s in a pre-season friendly.
Bayern will be licking their lips at the prospect of tearing this Leverkusen side apart. They were inseparable last term, but the six-time Champions League winners could take advantage of any slump to punish them.
Borussia Dortmund vs RB Leipzig – Challengers turn on each other
German football fans have been rooting for Dortmund and Leipzig to snatch the title from Bayern, but the pair have transferred the aggression to themselves.
Borussia Dortmund ended RB Leipzig’s undefeated streak last term in November, and from then on, everything went downhill for Die Roten Bullen.
A 2-0 revenge win for Leipzig in March could not assuage the disappointment as Germany’s most hated club failed to clinch a European spot. Leipzig will be eager to bounce back this term.
Dortmund host Leipzig on October 4 and know a win against the Saxony club is the massive booster they need for the long haul. BVB then travel to Leipzig on February 21 to lock horns at the Red Bull Arena.
This brewing rivalry always delivers fireworks. They have remarkably never played a goalless game. The last time a match between the pair ended with only one goal was back in January 2019.
Buy Borussia Dortmund tickets from Seatsnet.com to watch BVB attempt to swat Leipzig aside while challenging Bayern for the title next season.
Bayern vs Borussia Monchengladbach – The original Klassiker remains a firecracker
Long-time Bundesliga followers know the original heavyweight rivalry was between Bayern Munich and Borussia Monchengladbach.
They dominated the domestic scene, carving out a rivalry as bitter as it was brilliant.
First contested in October 1965 after both clubs earned promotion to the top flight, this fixture defined an era when the Bundesliga was still finding its identity.
Even though the Gladbach title-winning days ended after their third consecutive crown in 1977, they have never faded entirely.
They remain one of Bayern’s most awkward opponents, with the Foals famously going six games unbeaten against the champions recently.
Bayern pounded Gladbach across two legs last term, but Die Foalen will be desperate to make life difficult again in their meetings on October 25 at Borussia Park and March 7 at the Allianz Arena.
Separated by nearly 400 miles but bound by decades of shared history, the Original Klassiker remains a Bundesliga highlight. It is still a fixture that demands attention and respect.
Hamburg SV vs Werder Bremen – The Nordderby returns with a vengeance
Few fixtures in German football stir the soul like the Nordderby between Hamburg SV and Werder Bremen. This fierce northern rivalry is finally back in the top flight for the 2025/26 season.
The first clash comes on December 6, 2025, at the Volksparkstadion, with the return leg in Bremen on April 18, 2026, in a potentially decisive late-season showdown.
This derby is soaked in tradition. Hamburg and Bremen have faced off 130 times in competitive fixtures, with the Bundesliga era alone accounting for 108 of those meetings. It is one of the most played games in Germany.
Historically, it has been a tight affair, though Werder edge the head-to-head with 39 wins to 34 victories for Hamburg.
Around 72 miles separate the two clubs, but the emotional gulf is far greater. It is a clash of cultures, cities, and footballing philosophies.
The rivalry was at an all-time high in 2009 when the sides met four times in 18 days, including two gripping UEFA Cup semi-final legs, where Bremen dramatically advanced on away goals.
The rivalry went quiet after Hamburg suffered relegation to Bundesliga II in 2018, but the fire never went out. The HSV return ensures that one of the most passionate derbies gets the platform it deserves.
