Bundesliga - Eröffnungswochenende!

The Bundesliga is the first of the three big European leagues to open this weekend - the English and Spanish leagues open the following weekend.

This season, the interest is fully on the domestic and European champions, Bayern Munich, now coached by former Barcelona coach, Pep Guardiola.

For Guardiola's sake, Bayern's historic treble in 2012/13 was probably a bad thing for him - it just meant that the expectations for Guardiola are already at ridiculous levels.

After all, the only thing better than a treble is possibly being unbeaten for one whole season whilst winning the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal, UEFA Champions League along with the add-ons from last season, i.e. World Club Cup and Supercup.

Being unbeaten in any league is an impossible task in itself - although Juventus did achieve it recently. Especially with the Bundesliga traditionally a very close and competitive league - until the recent domination of Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, Stuttgart, Wolfsburg, Werder Bermen have also been champions in the last 10 years, with Schalke, Hamburg, Hertha Berlin, Borussia Moenchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen all making credible pushes for the title.

Berlin once again has a football team in the top division

Indeed, Hertha Berlin, who could just missed out on the title in 2008/09 were relegated the season after, and after a second return to the 2.Bundesliga, are making their return to the Bundesliga this season.

It just shows you that without Bayern and Dortmund, the Bundesliga is a very competitive league. And this year, with an extra Champions League and more revenue than ever before, there is extra incentive for teams to raise their game and push for European football and more revenue for their clubs.

And for Kiwi fans, the Bundesliga will be of some interest - on Sommet Sports - with young Kiwi whizz, Marco Rojas set to make his debut for Werder Bremen at some stage in the season.

So what about Bayern and Dortmund?

Expect traditional Ruhr valley rivals, Dortmund and Schalke to be up there

Firstly, Dortmund, who have somehow managed to hold on to their manager and most of their top players despite reaching the European Cup Final at Wembley last season and all the speculation that a clearout of their team was nigh. While Mario Goetze might have buggered off to big rivals, Bayern, Jurgen Klopp along with top striker Robert Lewandowski and playmaker, Marco Reus are still there, as well as key players like Kevin Grosskeutz, Matt Hummels and Jakub Blaszcyskowski.

Expect Dortmund to be more motivated this season after finishing well behind Heyneckes' Bayern last season and to be Bayern's closest challengers.

Mario Goetze will have plenty of expectation on his shoulders

Finally, Bayern. Easily the best team in Germany on paper right now. Quite possibly the team to beat in Europe. The signing of Mario Goetze perhaps is a sign of what Guardiola wants to achieve at Bayern - I can see him in the same role that Andres Iniesta has at Barcelona, with Schweinsteiger possibly playing the Xavi role.

As it is, the European champions have always had a superb team. Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery will continue to provide danger down the flanks and even if Mario Gomez has gone to Lazio, they still have Mario Mandzukic and Thomas Mueller.

So bring on the new Bundesliga season!

A repeat of this, this season?

My tips -
Champions - Bayern Munich. Guardiola would be disappointed not to win the league first up.
Runners up - Borussia Dortmund. Will run Bayern close but might not quite have enough to win the league.
Champions League spots - Schalke, Hamburg.
Relegation/Promotion playoff - FSV Mainz 05
Relegated - Eintracht Braunschweig, FC Augsburg

The others - Bayer Leverkusen, Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Moenchengladbach, Werder Bremen, VfB Stuttgart, Wolfsburg, FC Nurnberg, TSV Hoffenheim, Hannover, Hertha Berlin, SC Freiburg

Former German champions, Braunschweig, might find it hard in their first season back in the top flight in years

Player to Watch - Mario Goetze is an obvious choice given his big transfer from Dortmund to Munich but Marco Reus is my outside pick. Brought over after taking Borussia Moenchengladbach back into the Champions League, Reus now has to fill the role left by Goetze - and Man United's Shinji Kagawa before him - and become playmaker at Dortmund. Reus was a star out on the wings last season in the Champions League and given Klopp's success rate, I wouldn't be surprised if Reus joins that ever packed list of German playmakers which is still topped by Real Madrid's Mesut Ozil.