The long wait is almost over, and after last weekend’s DFL-Supercup teaser, domestic German football gets back into full swing with the DFB-Pokal first round. It promises to be a thrilling season with several key issues to be decided.
Can Bayern end their trophy drought? Can Dortmund win a third successive Bundesliga? Can Schalke gatecrash the traditional top two and seal their first national title for over five decades? Will last season’s surprise package, Borussia Monchengladbach, retain their place in the top four?
Nobody loves a prediction more than Goal.com, and with the new season just around the corner, we have polled our writers on who they think will be taking all the big prizes next year.
We asked them to name their predictions for the following:
1. The top six at the end of the 2012-13 Bundesliga season
2. The three teams that will be relegated at the end of the season
3. DFB-Pokal winners
4. Player of the Year
5. Young Player of the Year (Under-21)
6. Top scorer
7. Coach of the season
8. Best signing of the season
9. Worst signing of the season
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Falko Bloding
Relegation DFB-Pokal winner Player of the Year Young Player of the Year Top Scorer Coach of the season Best signing Worst signing |
John C. Brandi
Relegation DFB-Pokal winner Player of the Year Young Player of the Year Top Scorer Coach of the season Best signing Worst signing |
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Daniel Buse
Relegation DFB-Pokal winner Player of the Year Young Player of the Year Top Scorer Coach of the season Best signing Worst signing |
Chris Ehrhardt
Relegation DFB-Pokal winner Player of the Year Young Player of the Year Top Scorer Coach of the season Best signing Worst signing |
Enis Koylu
Relegation DFB-Pokal winner Player of the Year Young Player of the Year Golden Boot Coach of the season Best signing Worst Signing |
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Claas Philipp
Top Six
1. Borussia Dortmund 2. Bayern Munich 3. Schalke 4. Bayer Leverkusen 5. Hannover 6. Werder Bremen Relegation DFB-Pokal winner Player of the Year Young Player of the Year Top Scorer Coach of the season Signing of the season |
Top Four Relegation DFB-Pokal winner Player of the Year Young Player of the Year Top scorer Coach of the season Signing of the season Worst signing of the season |
Keeghann Sinanan
Relegation DFB-Pokal winner Player of the Year Young Player of the Year Top Scorer Coach of the season Signing of the season Worst Signing |
IN NUMBERS
6 members of the team also feel that Bayern Munich will win the Bundesliga for the first time since 2009-10
However, only 1 writer is backing Jupp Heynckes to bag the coach of the year award, with 4 members tipping Lucien Favre to be saluted.
1 of our panel believes that Borussia Monchengladbach‘s progress will be rewarded with a DFB-Pokal win in May.
6 writers believe Augsburg are destined for a bottom-three finish, despite surviving in their first season in the top flight.
3 experts believe that Klaas-Jan Huntelaar will retain his status as the league’s top marksman ahead of Mario Gomez, who is also being tipped by 3.
6 writers think Werder Bremen will force their way back into the top six, but just 2 think they will regain their Champions League status.
Just 1 person is backing Freiburg to be relegated, with 2 predicting that Chrstian Streich will be named the best trainer in the division.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Let us know which writer you think is on the money – and who will be left red-faced next May.
You can also add your own predictions in the comment box below…