Goals, fans and international class: Bundesliga kick-off after a season full of records
22 August 2024 – The Bundesliga kicks off its 62nd season on Friday evening with the season opener between Borussia Mönchengladbach and historic double winners Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Anticipation is building because, as the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga’s 2023-24 season review shows, German professional football is once again set for high-scoring matches in front of packed stands.
One thing is clear: if you want to see goals, the Bundesliga is the one to watch. In the last Bundesliga season, 985 goals were scored (3.2 per match) – a record figure since the turn of the millennium. For the sixth time in a row, the Bundesliga averaged over three goals per game. With his 44 scorer points (combined goals and assists), Harry Kane (FC Bayern München) was by far the top scorer in Europe’s top leagues.
There were also many goals to marvel at coming from the Bundesliga 2 (3.1 per game) – on average, more goals were scored per game in Germany’s second-highest division than in Ligue 1 (2.7), LaLiga or Serie A (2.6 each).
“We’re really looking forward to the start of the Bundesliga season”
In addition to many goals, the matches were also characterized by dynamism and fairness. A strong 1,326 ball actions per match were recorded in the Bundesliga. That was the highest figure in Europe’s top leagues and testament to the drama and excitement from Germany’s top-flight. The low number of fouls on opponents is also historic. With 6,559 fouls last season, the Bundesliga set a new fair play record for the lowest number since data collection began in the 1992/93 season.
“The Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 have had an outstanding season,” said DFL CEO Steffen Merkel. “The first match days of Bundesliga 2 and the thrilling Supercup have whetted our appetite for more. We are very much looking forward to the start of the Bundesliga season.”
“A strong sign of the clubs’ roots and the attractiveness of the Bundesliga”
In the past Bundesliga season, more than 12 million fans watched Bundesliga matches in the stadiums, an average of almost 40,000 spectators per match (39,510). The Bundesliga was therefore once again the best-attended league in Europe. The Bundesliga 2 was also ahead of the Spanish LaLiga and the French Ligue 1 on average (29,109).
The Bundesliga also proved its class on the international stage with Borussia Dortmund’s participation in the Champions League final and Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the Europa League.
“The record popularity of the fans is a strong sign of the clubs’ roots and the attractiveness of the Bundesliga,” said DFL CEO Marc Lenz. “Many clubs inspire fans regardless of their league affiliation, are financially stable and at the same time competitive in terms of sport. It will be another top season for the Bundesliga.”