For Bundesliga coaches, it will be business as usual when the new season starts this week – beating Bayern Munich is the aim again.

A vast majority of the 18 coaches believe Bayern are the overwhelming favourites for the title – as it is most seasons.

But despite being Germany’s richest club and able to outspend the rest of the field by far, Bayern doesn’t always win the championship. The team has won five of the last 10 titles but they have roughly come every second year or so.

Borussia Dortmund dominated last season, clinching the title with three rounds to spare as Bayern went through a turbulent time with the firing of coach Louis van Gaal.

Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp, like most of his colleagues, puts Bayern in front of his own club as favourites.

“We are probably the first champions in the history of football that go into the next season as challengers,” said Klopp, one of 16 of 18 coaches to pick Bayern in a poll as the title favourites. “What we did last season will be very hard to repeat, let alone top.”

Bayern didn’t even come second last season, finishing third behind Bayer Leverkusen.

Leverkusen’s former coach, the veteran Jupp Heynckes, is back at Bayern for a third stint and hoping to steer the club into calmer waters. The big goal is to reach the final of the Champions League, which will be played at its stadium.

Heynckes may be the Bundesliga’s third-highest scorer in history but he believes in a solid defence.

Bayern conceded 44 goals last season, about 15 too many, according to Heynckes.

“The attack wins games, the defence championships. We have to be more stable in defence,” Heynckes said.

The club has spent lavishly on defenders, dishing out an estimated €44 million to bolster its back line.

The biggest signing was Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer from Schalke, who is expected to be replicate former ‘keeper Oliver Kahn’s dominance and be the No. 1 for the next decade.

Bayern also signed Brazilian defender Rafinha from Genoa and Germany defender Jerome Boateng from Manchester City. Both have previously played in the Bundesliga and know German football well.

The club also brought in striker Nils Petersen from the second division and Japanese striker Takashi Usami on loan. Usami has shown plenty of promise in warm-up matches.

Bayern have released striker Miroslav Klose, who signed for Lazio, and will rely on Mario Gomez. The Germany striker topped the Bundesliga with 28 goals last season. He is set to be partnered in attack by Ivica Olic, who returns from a knee injury.

But Bayern’s hopes are mostly pinned on their wingers, Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery.

Both are prone to injuries, with Ribery especially having just had a season to forget, and they both injured an ankle in warm-up matches and may not be ready when Bayern host Borussia Moenchengladbach in their opener tomorrow.

Heynckes’ first match in charge was a 3-0 victory over second-division club Eintracht Braunschweig in the first round of the German Cup.

Bayern were solid but not spectacular – and that may be the the team’s style this season, although Leverkusen played entertaining football in the two seasons under Heynckes.

Heynckes believes Dortmund arestrong as a unit “while I am new in Munich.” Bayern president Uli Hoeness agrees, saying Dortmund “very clearly will be our biggest challengers.”

Creative midfielder Nuri Sahin has left Dortmund for Real Madrid but Klopp has signed 20-year-old Ilkay Guendogan, another player with Turkish roots who may become a German international.

Japan attacking midfielder Shinji Kagawa is back from injury and has shown some good form in friendlies. Dortmund won the title with the youngest side in the league that has now gained valuable experience.

Most experts think Leverkusen are the only other team with an outside chance of upsetting Bayern or Dortmund. But new coach Robin Dutt’s team lost in the first round of the German Cup to second-division club Dynamo Dresden,

The team has lost midfielder Arturo Vidal to Juventus but added Germany striker Andre Schuerrle.

Goalkeeper Rene Adler is recovering from knee surgery and won’t be available early in the season. Veteran Michael Ballack could again be used mostly as a substitute.