Bayern top tips as Bundesliga kicks off

The 2009/10 Bundesliga season kicks off on Friday night when champions VfL Wolfsburg host VfB Stuttgart, with both Armin Veh and opposite number Markus Babbel tipping big spending FC Bayern München as the team to beat.

'Best squad'
While those outside the club expect the Bavarian outfit to reign supreme, confidence is also flowing within the corridors of the Fußball Arena München. "We've spent more than ever this summer," said Franz Beckenbauer, the Bayern president, alluding to his club's near €50m outlay. "In my eyes, we have the best squad we've ever had and we want to win the title."

Title right
Bayern wasted little time in adding to their squad at the end of the last season, prising Mario Gómez away from Stuttgart for almost €35m, bringing in Anatoliy Tymoshchuk and Ivica Olić, and hiring Louis van Gaal as coach, fresh from guiding AZ Alkmaar to Eredivisie success last term. "It has to be Bayern," said Babbel of the side he served twice as a player. "They are the one club who have the right to expect the title every season, especially this year after they spent so much."

Straight talking
A strong run of form in the second half of last season propelled Wolfsburg to their maiden Bundesliga crown, a feat they are not widely expected to repeat under new coach Veh, who replaced Felix Magath after he left for FC Schalke 04. "Nobody can seriously expect us to defend the title," said Veh, who has added Obafemi Martins to last term's 54-goal strike pairing of Edin Džeko and Grafite. "Maybe so at Bayern but not at Wolfsburg – no. Setting ourselves the target of defending the title would be unrealistic and arrogant."

Contenders
UEFA Champions League hopefuls Stuttgart signalled their intentions with the signings of FC Zenit St. Petersburg forward Pavel Pogrebnyak and former favourite Aleksandr Hleb, while Werder Bremen and Hamburger SV have also spent wisely and, once again, are expected to challenge for Europe. Also hoping to gatecrash the party are last season's surprise package TSG 1899 Hoffenheim and Schalke, who have renewed confidence following Magath's exploits with Wolfsburg.

Patient Magath
"Of course we are aiming for the title," said Magath. "I don't know how long that will take; that's why I signed a four-year deal." Three teams were still in contention for the title going into the final day of the campaign last time out, and Germany coach Joachim Löw is expecting things to be just as intense this time around. "Bayern are always going to be favourites, but I still think it's going to be another exciting season," he said. "There are a few teams which have improved over the past few years so I can't see it being a one-horse race for Bayern."