Another season of domestic dominance that saw Bayern Munchen lift a record fourth successful Bundesliga title was followed by more disappointment in Europe in what proved to be coach Josep Guardiola's final season in charge of the club. Having re-established their stature as the dominant force in German football by lifting three straight Bundesliga titles, Bayern were now looking to improve on their record in Europe that had seen them bow of the Champions League in the semifinal stage in the last two seasons. Bayern were strengthened in the summer by the arrivals of Douglas Costa and Kingsley Coman who provided pacey alternatives to Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery on the flanks, with the duo experiencing another injury hit campaign, while Arturo Vidal and Joshua Kimmich boosted an already formidable midfield. Bayern were off to their customary blinding start to the new campaign, racking up 13 wins and a draw from their opening 14 games and, while it would have been enough to open up a big lead at the top in previous seasons, it proved to be different this campaign as Bayern were dogged all the way by Borussia Dortmund who were energized by change at the top with Thomas Tuchel having taken over from Jurgen Klopp at the start of the season. Bayern though kept on winning at crucial junctures of the campaign and were able to maintain a decent gap over Dortmund. Their form in Europe though continued to be a suspect with Bayern suffering a shock defeat to Arsenal in the group stages while they needed victories at home in order to see off Juventus and Benfica in the knockout stages. With regards to performances, Costa and Coman both settled down quickly to emerge as key components of the lineup and, while Bayern were rocked by injuries in the defense, Kimmich displayed his versatility by putting in an impressive shift as a center back for large portions of the season. However it was Robert Lewandowski who shrugged off early season speculation over his future to become the first player in nearly four decades to score 30 goals in a Bundesliga season. The second half of the season was characterized by the news that Guardiola would be leaving the club at the end of the campaign and Bayern did experience a slight dip in form, dropping points against Mainz and Bayer Leverkusen and, though a stalemate away to Dortmund ensured that Bayern maintained a tight grip on the top spot, there was some more disappointment in Europe as Bayern were once again knocked out in the semifinals of the Champions League, this time to Atletico Madrid who managed to grab a crucial away goal despite losing at Allianz Arena. However Bayern recovered in time and a strong finish to the season helped them lift the league title while they also managed to secure the DFB Cup after beating Dortmund on penalties. With Guardiola gone, Bayern have quickly confirmed Carlo Ancelotti's arrival as the new coach and the German champions have been busy during the off-season, confirming the signings of Mats Hummels and Renato Sanches in mega money moves while Pierre Emil Hojbjerg is also back following his loan spell at Schalke. While there are question marks over Lewandowski's future, with Real Madrid reported to be interested in the striker, Bayern will be favorites to maintain their domestic dominance under Ancelotti, though it will be in Europe that the new coach's ability will be gauged once again.
