As the 2025/26 Bundesliga season reaches its midpoint, it's time to assess the predictions we made before the campaign kicked off. Some calls have proven prescient, while others have left us humbled. Here's how our most ambitious forecasts have held up against reality on German football's biggest stage.
Jobe Bellingham's Rise at Borussia Dortmund
We predicted that Jobe Bellingham would quickly become an indispensable leader at Borussia Dortmund following his €30 million move from Birmingham City. The young English midfielder began his BVB tenure on the bench for a DFB-Pokal clash in Essen due to dental surgery, yet we remained convinced he would rapidly establish himself as the team's driving force. His brother Jude had done precisely that after joining the club, and we expected a similar trajectory of maturity, personality and on-pitch clarity. Six months in, Bellingham's maturity has impressed teammates and coaching staff alike, though his exact positioning remains fluid. Whether he settles as a box-to-box midfielder or deeper playmaker, his physical presence and tactical intelligence continue to develop under Niko Kovac's direction.
Eintracht Frankfurt's Unexpected Challenge
We forecasted that Eintracht Frankfurt could capitalise on chaos at rivals Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen to challenge for Champions League qualification. Despite losing Omar Marmoush in January and Hugo Ekitike departing subsequently, the Eagles retained their experienced spine. The prediction hinged on Frankfurt's ability to maintain squad continuity while stronger sides underwent transition. With Bayern distracted by transfer disputes and Leverkusen losing multiple key players, this window for the Frankfurt club to mount a serious title race remains partially open heading into the second half of the season.
Nick Woltemade's Stalled Momentum
Our boldest call concerned Nick Woltemade at VfB Stuttgart. We argued that Stuttgart's refusal to sell to Bayern Munich at €65 million would cost them dearly. With no deal struck by late summer, we predicted Woltemade's star would cool and his market value would plummet within 12 months. The Bundesliga's former prospect has indeed delivered a solid but unspectacular season, lacking the explosive form that had commanded premium fees. Our thesis: once initial hype dissipates, transfer speculation fades, and clubs recognise that the €75 million Stuttgart demanded becomes impossible to justify. This prediction continues unfolding as expected.
Bayer Leverkusen's Defensive Crisis
We identified that Bayer Leverkusen's summer departures—Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Granit Xhaka, Lukas Hradecky, Jonathan Tah and Odilon Kossounou—represented a wholesale dismantling of their title-winning spine. More damaging still: the departure of coach Xabi Alonso created a perfect storm. With six integral players gone and managerial instability, Leverkusen's ability to repeat their dominant form looked severely compromised. The club's defensive vulnerability has indeed become pronounced in recent months, validating our assessment that this represented not evolution but regression.
As the season accelerates toward its conclusion, several of our predictions remain works in progress. The transfer market's unpredictability and managerial changes continue reshaping expectations, but the core thesis around youth integration, squad stability and the cost of upheaval appears sound. The second half of the campaign will determine which calls prove prophetic and which require revision.
