BUNDESLIGA 2005-06: Bayern, then who?

FAVORITE. Defending champion Bayern Munich left a 12-point gap between itself and runner-up Schalke 04 last season while winning its record 19th Bundesliga title. In the last decade, Bayern has finished among the top three each season and won six titles. It's led by Germany's best player, midfielder Michael Ballack, and Dutch striker Roy Makaay, who notched 22 goals and 14 assists last season. Makaay finished two goals behind top scorer Slovakian Marek Mintal, whose 24 goals kept newly promoted Nuremberg in the top flight.

MAIN CHALLENGER: Schalke 04 is still in search of its first Bundesliga title and first national championship in 47 years. Brazilian forward Ailton (13 goals last season) has left for Turkey's Besiktas , but it welcomes Brazilian-raised German national team striker Kevin Kuranyi (13 goals) from VfB Stuttgart, Germany midfielder Fabian Ernst from Werder Bremen and Danish forward Soren Larsen from Sweden's Djurgarden. But Schalke will play the first month without Brazilian playmaker Lincoln, suspended for a spitting incident in preseason action.

FAN FEVER. Bayern debuts on Friday in its spectacular new Allianz Arena, which will host the 2006 World Cup opener and is one of 11 new or renovated stadiums the Bundesliga's 18 clubs will play in. Indeed, World Cup fever and the German national team's all-out attacking style at the Confederations Cup should help draw record crowds to the Bundesliga, whose league-wide attendance average last season of 35,183 was an all-time high and marked the fourth straight season in which attendance grew.

TO WATCH. After years of worrying that Germany wasn't producing anymore young players with world-class potential, all eyes will be on FC Cologne striker Lukas Podolski, 20, whose 24 goals led the Second Division last season. He struck three times for Germany at the Confederations Cup. Philip Lahm, 21, who returns to Bayern after a loan spell with VfB Stuttgart, is a dynamic, attack-minded left back. Bayern's Sebastian Deisler, 25, dubbed the German Beckham before injuries and bouts of depression stalled his career, comes off a decent Confederations Cup performance and hopes for a breakout season.

YANKS: Only one of the four Americans on German First Division squads is likely to see action in the early going: Borussia Monechengladbach's goalkeeper Kasey Keller, whose strong showing late last season helped the club avoid relegation. Mainz 05 striker Conor Casey is rehabbing an ACL injury. Hannover 96 defender Steve Cherundolo is also recovering from a knee injury suffered at the Gold Cup. Benny Feilhaber, who left UCLA early to sign with Hamburg SV (8th place last season), will start off on HSV's reserve team.