The 2023-2024 Bundesliga began with a scent of the unknown hovering in the air. Could the rest of the league emerge from the 11-year shadow cast by Bayern Munich, or would the Bavarian juggernaut roll on?

Clues might be found in a glance at how the preceding season ended, as Borussia Dortmund took the champion to the wire, missing out on the Meisterschale by a whisker. If that was a shot across the Bayern bow, a warning of what might come in 23/24, few could have seen it. Especially not when England captain Harry Kane arrived, desperate for that elusive trophy and seemingly determined to rewrite the record books.

What would unfold however, was an extraordinary season of immeasurable highs, stunning upsets and an unfamiliar name etched into the silverware at the end of it all.

Neverkusen no more 

If Dortmund’s stunning capitulation was the story of 22/23, Bayer Leverkusen’s turn-around under Xabi Alonso was not far behind it. The Spaniard took over in October 2022 and guided the Werkself from second-last to Europa League qualification. A strong summer recruitment drive saw former Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka arrive, along with Alex Grimaldo and Victor Boniface.

While Bayer was considered a team to watch, many couldn’t have predicted the meteoric rise to power that would follow, as Alonso’s men produced an undefeated title-winning season for the ages.

Displaying a tactical malleability that featured elements of Gegenpress, tiki-taka, counter-attack and possession, the Spaniard’s team developed a reputation for closing out games at the death – Bayer scored 17 Bundesliga goals after the 90^th minute – as it rewrote the record books.

With favourable results in the lead-up to Matchday 29, Leverkusen’s match with Werder Bremen was the first opportunity Xabi Alonso’s side had to clinch the title. There was an air of excitement, yet nervousness entering the BayArena and the opening part of the game played out like that. However, once Boniface scored from the spot in the first half, Leverkusen clicked into top gear. 

The second half was epic. Leverkusen turned the screws and with the luxury of being able to bring on one of the hottest prospects in the game in Florian Wirtz, Die Werkself put on an attacking masterclass with four second half goals, a belter from Xhaka and a hat-trick from Wirtz. Once the fifth goal went in, the fans who had been eagerly waiting to get onto the pitch did so with jubilation and sheer joy. Fans crying in celebration, dancing with friends and fans alike.

This was a moment for the history books. Bayer Leverkusen in 119 years of existence had never won the Bundesliga, until now. The Neverkusen moniker that has followed the club for so long and was even trademarked can now be put to sleep. can retire with Neverlosen being adopted for one of the most impressive seasons we’ve ever seen.

FC Hollywood turmoil?

For Bayern Munich to lose the Bundesliga title, there would have to be a lot that needed to go wrong, as anyone from Dortmund would attest.

But if the end to last season was the warning shot, this season was the fatal blow.

Entering the campaign with the addition of one of the world’s most prolific strikers in Kane, you would’ve been forgiven for thinking that Bayern would make it 12 in a row.

Despite a fast start which included dominant victories over the likes of Darmstadt and Bochum, cracks started to appear. A 5-1 loss at Eintracht Frankfurt and elimination from the Cup by 3. Liga club Saarbrücken, were early signs this might not be Bayern’s season.

The Rückrunde – or second half of the season – was a full blown disaster by Bayern’s  lofty standards, with seven defeats, among them a demoralising reverse to the team poised to usurp it, Bayer Leverkusen. But the defining loss came at Heidenheim. Leading 0-2 away from home, it seemed like Bayern was in back form. Three second half goals propelled the home side to the upset of the season and sealed the end of Bayern’s title hopes. The era of domination had ended.

With manager Thomas Tuchel announcing he won’t continue with the club, and numerous other high-profile suitors turning down the opportunity to coach it, Bayern is left teetering on the edge of a black hole. An unimaginable thought 12 months ago.

 A missed opportunity

With Bayer Leverkusen stealing the headlines and storming to the title, whatever became of Borussia Dortmund, the team that came so close to achieving that feat just a year earlier?

A confusing campaign would unfold for the team shorn of Jude Bellingham, but confronted with him in a most unexpected way in the final match of the European season.

Drawn alongside PSG, Newcastle and AC Milan in the ‘group of death’, the Champions League was seen as perhaps secondary for a Dortmund side expected to again challenge for the Bundesliga. What transpired was quite unexpected, as Edin Terzic’s men struggled for consistency and fell away domestically, only to graft and grind their way into the Champions League final with a series of tough, resilient performances.

Dortmund fell one short of grabbing that trophy and the site of old boy Bellingham celebrating with his Real Madrid team-mates will leave a sting in the tail, but there was one bright moment for the Yellow Submarine.

With Bayern’s own title hopes fading away, Dortmund managed to break its Munich Der Klassiker Bundesliga drought for the first time in a decade.

In all, a disappointing season for Dortmund, but one in which an incredible run through Europe’s premier competition should indicate that the post-Bellingham, Marco Reus rebuild may not be such a daunting operation after all.

High achieving underdogs

Away from the title race, there were several Cinderella stories to get excited about.

The first being Stuttgart. This time last year Die Schwaben were fighting for its Bundesliga status, playing in the relegation playoffs against a desperate Hamburger SV. Stuttgart dominated the two legs and carried that momentum into 23/24. 

The emergence of Serhou Guirassy, Denis Undav and the revival of Alexander Nübel played a significant role in Stuttgart making their return to the Champions League for the first time since 2010. They were ably supported by Christian Führich and captain Waldemar Anton, who will join Undav and Nübel in representing Germany at EURO 2024. Just reward for a breakthrough season.

Sebastian Hoeneß who took over when Stuttgart looked all but certain to return to 2. Bundesliga, has led this team on a rags-to-riches journey in the space of 15 months.

In its first season in Germany’s top flight, expectations around Heidenheim were low. Instead, Der Dino have thrived in the Bundesliga and look like a side that could be here for many years to come. Frank Schmidt, the longest-tenured coach in German football, didn’t just survive, but thrived, guiding his team to an incredible eighth-placed finish and a spot in the UEFA Conference League thanks to Bayer Leverkusen’s win in the German Cup. The biggest challenge will be next season, as many teams have struggled to follow up a fairy tale season with a happy ending (just ask FC Union).

Aussies are coming back

For decades, Australians have left an indelible mark on the Bundesliga, enriching its history with their exceptional talents and performances. From the likes of Paul Agostino and Ned Zelic, to Mathew Leckie, Robbie Kruse and Mitch Langerak.

In the upcoming season, the legacy continues as two more Australians are poised to make their mark in the Bundesliga. Socceroos stars Jackson Irvine and Connor Metcalfe have steered FC St. Pauli back to the Bundesliga after a 13-year hiatus.

Their astute leadership and exceptional performances were the bedrock of St. Pauli's triumphant campaign, the club winning its first ever league title to cap a memorable promotion campaign.

Irvine and Metcalfe's contributions not only mark a significant moment in their careers but also highlight the growing influence of Australian players in European football.