By Rune Gjerulff@runegjerulff

EXCLUSIVE: Roy Makaay names Bayern as favourites to reach Champions League final

Former Bayern Munich striker Roy Makaay considers the Bavarians favourites to reach the Champions League final this season.

Photo by Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty Images

The league phase of the 2026/27 Champions League is set to get underway next week, with the four German representatives – Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, VfB Stuttgart and RB Leipzig – all in action between Tuesday and Thursday.

German double winners Bayern Munich went deep into the tournament last season before ultimately being knocked out by eventual winners Paris Saint-Germain, who prevailed 6-5 on aggregate in the semi-finals.

With that defeat now behind them, Vincent Kompany's men will be aiming to go all the way in Europe's premier club competition this season – and former Bayern Munich forward Roy Makaay believes they have a genuine chance of doing so.

“They’re favourites to reach the Champions League final,” Makaay said in an exclusive interview with Bulinews.com.

Makaay, who now works as the head coach of FC Bayern’s World Squad – a global project aimed at scouting and developing young talent from around the world – believes the Bavarians have an even stronger squad than they did last season.

Raphael Guerreiro, Leon Goretzka and Nicolas Jackson were among Bayern's most notable departures, with the former two leaving on free transfers and Jackson returning to Chelsea after his loan spell came to an end.

On the arrivals front, Bayern brought in Nathaniel Brown and Ismael Saibari from Eintracht Frankfurt and PSV respectively, while also making the loan move of young prospect Bara Sapoko Ndiaye from Gambinos Stars permanent.

“They've made these signings to make the squad even better this year,” Makaay said.

A different mentality

Having scored 103 goals in 183 appearances for Bayern between 2003 and 2007, Makaay knows better than most just how high the expectations are once you enter the club's headquarters on Säbener Straße.

“You feel the atmosphere at Säbener Straße: ‘We expect you to be champions.’ That’s a different mentality. That’s why some players do really well at one club, and when they come to Bayern, they can’t cope with the pressure,” Makaay said.

For Makaay, that mentality is one of the key factors that sets Bayern apart from their domestic rivals – a mindset that has helped the Bavarians win the Bundesliga in 13 of the last 14 seasons.

“I hope that the Bundesliga stays exciting until the last moment, because I think that’s very important for the league and German football. But generally, Bayern don’t make that many mistakes. You need to take advantage of just the smallest ones," Makaay said.

“They have a good squad. The whole team knows they have to be champions, win a cup and, if possible, reach the Champions League final. And that's a different mentality.”