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The Bayern boss feels new signing Douglas Costa has plenty of potential but will not be the world's best player, with that title belonging to a Camp Nou star
Bayern Munich boss Pep Guardiola believes that the world's best player has been at Barcelona for years.
The Bavarians have the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Arjen Robben, Mario Gotze and Franck Ribery among their ranks, while they added Douglas Costa from Shakhtar Donetsk this summer.
Though Guardiola is enthusiastic about the Brazilian's future, he feels his former club have the world's finest player.
"Douglas Costa could be one of the best. But not the best - he has been at Barcelona for years," he told reporters.
Guardiola is also keen to make history by leading Bayern to their fourth Bundesliga title in a row, a feat no club has managed before in history.
"Nobody has managed the fourth championship, so that would be a big step," said the head coach. "But we have strong competitors: not just Wolfsburg, but Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Monchengladbach, Dortmund and Schalke.
"In addition, I want to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League with this squad, then we have to see what happens from there."
Guardiola also dismissed the possibility that Kevin De Bruyne would be arriving at the club, or indeed that Mario Gotze or Thomas Muller might leave.
"Thomas remains, Mario remains, De Bruyne is not coming. I knew that a long time ago, for two weeks now," he added, before discussing the fitness and form of Franck Ribery and Xabi Alonso respectively.
"Ribery is getting better. We hope that he can come back as soon as possible. I speak here every day with him..
"In our [Champions League] semi-final against Barcelona, Xabi was our best player. He needs a midfielder who will play the ball and run at his side, then Xabi plays better.
"He's an insane professional, I have no doubt about his quality. Thiago Alcantara could play an important role when he is fit, but he needs more minutes."
Bayern kick off their Bundesliga campaign with a home clash against Hamburg on Friday.
Gotze must make a decision on his future - Rummenigge
Harry West
Aug 13, 2015 15:33:57
The Bayern chief is confident that the 23-year-old wants to stay at the club this summer despite struggling for top form last season
Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says Mario Gotze is the only one who can decide his future at the club as speculation over his future continues.
The 23-year-old endured a disappointing campaign last season, having failed to recapture the form that made the German champions spend €37m to sign him from Borussia Dortmund in 2013.
Gotze has subsequently been linked with the likes of Juventus this summer, while former Bayern star Giovane Elber has suggested the playmaker is unhappy at the club.
But Rummenigge is confident the World Cup winner wants to see out his current contract, which expires in two years.
"Mario has to make a decision," he told reporters.
"Of course there is a big competition at his position but we all know how long his contract is - he has two more years.
"He told the club that he wants to stay and wants to compete - therefore I wish him good luck."
Gotze featured for just five minutes in Bayern's Supercup loss to Wolfsburg but did start and score in their DFB-Pokal victory over Nottingen.
Bundesliga Review: Newcomers off the mark, Breitenreiter makes winning start
15 August 2015 18:25
Ingolstadt and Darmstadt made themselves at home in the Bundesliga by picking up points in their opening matches of the season.
Having been crowned second-tier champions last season, Ingolstadt were indebted to Lukas Hinterseer's 66th-minute strike in their 1-0 triumph at Mainz.
Darmstadt, also promoted last term, twice led in their match at home to Hannover, but had to settle for a 2-2 draw.
Marcel Heller netted twice for the hosts, the first -– a fine solo effort – ending Darmstadt's 33-year wait for a Bundesliga goal.
Charlison Benschop cancelled out that opener early in the second half and Heller's hopes of being the match-winner were scuppered again when his second effort was eclipsed by Aytac Sulu's own goal, with Hannover's Mevlut Erdinc having earlier missed a penalty.
There was a positive start to Andre Breitenreiter's reign as Schalke boss as they ran out 3-0 winners at Werder Bremen, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scoring for the Gelsenkirchen club after Bremen defender Theodor Gebre Selassie had put through his own goal to open the scoring.
Bayer Leverkusen came from a goal behind to beat Hoffenheim 2-1 - Julian Brandt grabbing the winner with 19 minutes to go - while Salomon Kalou's penalty saw Hertha Berlin beat Augsburg 1-0 in a match that saw both sides finish with 10 men.
Bundesliga Review: Tuchel´s Dortmund impress, newcomers fit right in
15 August 2015 20:26
Thomas Tuchel enjoyed a dream start to his Borussia Dortmund reign as he masterminded a 4-0 home victory over Borussia Monchengladbach.
The hosts made an early statement of intent in the Bundesliga, thrashing a side who finished third last season – 20 points ahead of Jurgen Klopp's Dortmund.
It took just 15 minutes for Marco Reus to score the first competitive goal of the Tuchel era, the Germany international producing an emphatic finish to break the deadlock.
Signal-Iduna Park was rocking when Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang doubled the advantage with a header six minutes later.
Henrik Mkhitaryan grabbed a goal either side of the interval and Dortmund may have had an eye on matching champions Bayern Munich's five-goal haul on Friday.
Ultimately they had to settle for four, with the result and display offering plenty of cause for optimism that this season will easily surpass Klopp's final campaign at the helm.
Ingolstadt and Darmstadt made themselves at home in the the top flight by picking up points in their opening matches of the season.
Having been crowned second-tier champions last season, Ingolstadt were indebted to Lukas Hinterseer's 66th-minute strike in their 1-0 triumph at Mainz.
Darmstadt, also promoted last term, twice led in their match at home to Hannover, but had to settle for a 2-2 draw.
Marcel Heller netted twice for the hosts, the first -– a fine solo effort – ending Darmstadt's 33-year wait for a Bundesliga goal.
Charlison Benschop cancelled out that opener early in the second half and Heller's hopes of being the match-winner were scuppered again when his second effort was eclipsed by Aytac Sulu's own goal, with Hannover's Mevlut Erdinc having earlier missed a penalty.
There was a positive start to Andre Breitenreiter's reign as Schalke boss as they ran out 3-0 winners at Werder Bremen, Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scoring for the Gelsenkirchen club after Bremen defender Theodor Gebre Selassie had put through his own goal to open the scoring.
Bayer Leverkusen came from a goal behind to beat Hoffenheim 2-1 - Julian Brandt grabbing the winner with 19 minutes to go - while Salomon Kalou's penalty saw Hertha Berlin beat Augsburg 1-0 in a match that saw both sides finish with 10 men.
Bundesliga Review: Wolfsburg make winning start, Cologne late show sinks Stuttgart
16 August 2015 19:54
Wolfsburg were made to work hard as they kicked off their Bundesliga campaign with a 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt at the Volkswagen Arena on Sunday.
All three goals came in the space of six minutes during an action-packed opening to the game, with Ivan Perisic and Bas Dost on target for last season's runners-up before Frankfurt replied almost immediately through debutant Stefan Reinartz.
Kevin De Bruyne, who has been repeatedly linked with a big-money move to Manchester City, had a relatively quiet game for Wolfsburg and was substituted with 15 minutes remaining as Dieter Hecking's men held on to claim three points.
Visiting striker Haris Seferovic had a goal ruled out for offside before Wolfsburg moved ahead in the 13th minute.
Max Kruse's ball from the left found Perisic all alone at the far post and the reported Inter target made no mistake with a header back across goal.
Frankfurt fell further behind four minutes later thanks to a close-range strike from Dost, but were given a lifeline as close-season recruit Reinartz converted a cross from fellow debutant Luc Castaignos.
However, Reinartz's goal was to prove the last of the game as Wolfsburg did enough to begin the league season with a win.
Sunday's other Bundesliga fixture also featured a flurry of goals in quick succession as Cologne won 3-1 at Stuttgart.
An eventful opening saw Cologne's Matthias Lehmann and Stuttgart duo Daniel Didavi and Christian Gentner strike the woodwork inside the first 12 minutes.
Goalkeeper Timo Horn and defender Jonas Hector produced heroics to keep Cologne on level terms before Anthony Modeste opened the scoring for the visitors from the penalty spot in the 75th minute, after being brought down by Przemyslaw Tyton.
Simon Zoller swiftly doubled the lead, but then brought down Filip Kostic for a penalty that Didavi converted to make it 2-1. However, Cologne made sure of victory when Yuya Osako rounded off a stoppage-time counter-attack.
Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel praised his predecessor Jurgen Klopp following the 4-0 thumping of Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday.
Tuchel's first Bundesliga game at Signal Iduna Park was one to savour for the Dortmund faithful, with goals from Marco Reus and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and a Henrikh Mkhitaryan brace sealing a magnificent victory.
Tuchel was quick to pay tribute to not only his players, but also the set-up that former boss Klopp, who left the club at the end of a disappointing campaign last term, passed on.
"The base that Jurgen Klopp has left for me is outstanding," said Tuchel, who has led Dortmund to four victories in his first four competitive games.
"I knew that we had to go right to our limit to beat Gladbach. But that (result) was not expected. I am very happy.
"I also want to thank the fans, it was an incredible atmosphere."
Monchengladbach, who finished third last season, were no match for the hosts throughout, and were three goals down after 33 minutes.
Mkhitaryan then added a fourth – his second of the game – just after half time, and star performer Reus insisted the result was no less than Dortmund deserved.
"The team performance was perfect from start to finish," he said. "Gladbach didn't play badly, we just performed really well."
Former Stuttgart captain Matthieu Delpierre has warned his old club they must find stability if they are to avoid another relegation scrap in 2015-16.
Stuttgart have been saved by Huub Stevens in the past two Bundesliga seasons, with the Dutch coach taking charge in the latter stages of both campaigns to lead the Baden-Wurttemberg-based club to safety.
Despite having saved Stuttgart from being relegated from the Bundesliga for only the second time in their history, Stevens was replaced by Alexander Zorniger in May.
For Delpierre - who was part of the club's last Bundesliga-winning side in 2006-07 - that decision underlines the lack of stability that has plagued Stuttgart since they won the title.
"After winning the championship, maybe the transfer business was not the best and they renovated the stadium and paid a lot of money for that," Delpierre told Omnisport on Saturday.
"It's difficult to say but a lot of change, a lot of management change and many coaches in the last five, six years [has also played a role]. So they have lacked stability in the club and that's why the last few years have been bad."
Since Stuttgart won the title under Armin Veh in 2007, the club has changed their coach nine times.
In 2014-15, Stevens was installed as coach for the last 10 matches, replacing Veh - who was in his second stint in charge - with Stuttgart bottom of the Bundesliga.
Under Stevens, Stuttgart won five of their remaining games, including the last three, to secure their Bundesliga status on the final day of the season with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Paderborn.
"It was very important because it's always difficult to go down and then come back to the first division," Delpierre said.
Last season, Delpierre claimed his first piece of silverware since his success with Stuttgart, helping Melbourne Victory to the A-League premiership and championship in his first year with the Australian club.
The French central defender reckons Stuttgart have all the ingredients to challenge for Bundesliga again someday, although he warns "they first need to be stabilised" after finishing 12th, 15th and 14th over the past three seasons.
"Stuttgart is a big city and they love football - not just Stuttgart but the entire area around Stuttgart," Delpierre said.
"They have the support from big industry… and they have a big history in the Bundesliga."
Stuttgart will start their new campaign against Cologne on Sunday.
Schalke's winning start to their Bundesliga campaign at Werder Bremen came at a cost after it was revealed that Matija Nastastic faces a lengthy lay-off with a ruptured Achilles.
The Serbia centre-back lasted just 17 minutes of the impressive 3-0 victory at the Weserstadion on Saturday before limping off and being replaced by Roman Neustadter.
Schalke later stated that Nastastic has undergone surgery, with reports suggesting he could be sidelined for six month.
The Gelsenkirchen club tweeted: "What a blow! Matija #Nastasic has ruptured his Achilles' tendon & underwent surgery this evening. Get well soon! #s04."
Nastastic, 22, joined Schalke from Manchester City on a permanent deal in June after a successful loan spell last season.
A Theodor Gebre Selassie own goal and strikes from Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Jean-Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting ensured Schalke started the Bundesliga in style.
Captain Mats Hummels claimed Borussia Dortmund have yet to "confirm that we really are back" despite starting the Bundesliga season with a 4-0 win.
After reaching the winter break last season in the relegation zone, only to recover and finish seventh, Dortmund's emphatic opening to the 2015-16 Bundesliga against Borussia Monchengladbach made fans and pundits alike sit up and take notice.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan scored a brace as Thomas Tuchel's men thumped Gladbach on Saturday but Hummels was quick to underline that consistency will be the key, if Dortmund are to avoid a similar performance to last term.
"We've got to confirm that we really are back. Last year, we had six points after three games and everything seemed to be fine," he said, according to the Bundesliga's website.
"Then we threw the game away in Mainz when we really shouldn't have and suddenly nothing was working anymore.
"We know very well that two or three good results don't mean much yet. We want to keep it up over 34 matches of the season, and preferably also in the DFB Cup and the [UEFA] Europa League.
"We're heading in the right direction but there's still a long way to go. You can soon drift away if you just drop a few per cent."
Dortmund's next match will be away to Odd in Norway in the UEFA Europa League play-off first leg, while they face a trip to Ingolstadt in the Bundesliga on Sunday.
But after tearing apart Gladbach - who finished third in the German top flight last season - Hummels agreed that Dortmund's best can trouble just about any team in the world.
"If we play to our full potential, as we did most of the game against Gladbach, then we know that we can play like this," the defender said.
"Our aim is to do that regularly. We want to dominate as many games as possible and make sure we're not reliant on luck or misfortune."
Baba Rahman has thanked Augsburg and their supporters following his move to Chelsea and says a move to the Premier League champions was too good to turn down.
Ghana full-back Rahman moved to Stamford Bridge for an undisclosed fee on Sunday, bringing an end to weeks of speculation.
Rahman is excited by the prospect of playing in England, but took time to pay tribute to his former club who he helped to an impressive fifth-placed finish in the Bundesliga last term.
"I have made this decision and it is really not easy because I felt good at Augsburg," he told the German club's official website.
"But the move to England is a very big opportunity for me to play at a top club like Chelsea, so I would like to take this step.
"I am really looking forward to playing with many great footballers.
"For me last season was absolutely amazing. I am very proud to have been a part of this fantastic team.
"I want to thank the fans for their great support and wish the entire team all the best. I hope they have another successful season."
Arjen Robben gave Pep Guardiola plenty to smile about by looking back to his fluent best during a first-half cameo in Bayern Munich's 3-1 friendly win over Dynamo Dresden.
The Netherlands international netted the opening goal on a rain-sodden Monday evening in Dresden, capping an impressive 45 minutes as he continued to build up his fitness after a muscular problem.
With his work done, Robben was replaced at the break by Arturo Vidal and the Chilean added Bayern's second, before Juan Bernat completed a comfortable victory.
Guardiola made nine changes from the side that opened the Bundesliga campaign with a 5-0 win over Hamburg, with only Robben and Philipp Lahm retaining their places in the starting XI.
That meant valuable game time for some of Bayern's squad players, but it was Robben who impressed early on with piercing runs behind the Dresden defence.
After setting Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg up for the game's first chance, Robben embarked on a personal quest to open the scoring.
His first effort thudded against a post and the second was well saved by Patrick Wiegers, but the Netherlands international made it third time lucky with a calm finish after 17 minutes.
Dresden enjoyed fleeting attacks of their own, Niklas Kreuzer forcing a reflex save out of Sven Ulreich.
With a league clash against Hoffenheim on the horizon, Guardiola withdrew Robben and Lahm at the break but introduced Vidal as one of four changes - and the move paid dividends three minutes into the second half.
The lively Hojbjerg was allowed time and space to roll a pass into the Chile international, who applied the finish - albeit with the aid of a deflection.
Substitute goalkeeper Tom Starke kept Bayern's two-goal advantage intact with a superb reaction save to keep out Tim Vayrynen's bullet header on the hour.
Bayern, who also gave David Alaba some playing time in the second half, promptly resumed control of possession and extended their advantage as Bernat converted Thomas Muller's disguised throughball with 17 minutes to play.
Pascal Testroet sent the Dresden fans home happy with a late consolation, the forward rounding Starke to score with four minutes to play, but Bayern's win was never in any doubt.
Kevin De Bruyne has shunned a move to Manchester City, revealing his intention to remain at Wolfsburg this season.
The Belgium international has been the subject of intense transfer speculation for several months after enjoying a stunning campaign in Germany last season, scoring ten goals and incredibly laying on a further 20 assists.
City have constantly been linked as a potential destination for the former Chelsea playmaker, with potential fees surpassing €40million mooted.
However, the 24-year-old appears to have finally put all doubt to rest, pledging his allegiance to Wolfsburg for another season as Dieter Hecking's men prepare for UEFA Champions League football and a potential Bundesliga title challenge.
When prompted to pledge his future to his current employers by Sport Bild Awards host Alexander Bommes on Monday, De Bruyne duly repeated: "This season I will definitely be playing for Wolfsburg."
De Bruyne, who left Chelsea for a reported figure of €20m in January 2014, has four years left to run on his contract at Wolfsburg.
De Bruyne agent ´furious´ with questions on future
18 August 2015 00:10
Kevin De Bruyne's agent has indicated his client was ambushed at the Sport Bild Awards on Monday, and refuted the player's insistence he was bound to remain at Wolfsburg.
The Manchester City target was interviewed by MC Alexander Bommes, who asked De Bruyne for a clear answer on his future - to which the 24-year-old replied: "I will definitely be playing for Wolfsburg".
But agent Patrick de Koster refused to accept the Belgium international's words, slamming the treatment of the attacking midfielder - and claimed his future was not yet certain to be in Germany.
"I am furious by what has happened tonight. Kevin wanted to show respect by attending this event," De Koster told Sky Sports.
"No decision has been made on Kevin's future in this transfer window. We have yet to find out if Wolfsburg has reached any agreement with a club.
"Kevin remains a Wolfsburg player, and is focused on his job at the club. He also remains happy at Wolfsburg."
Borussia Monchengladbach fortified their left-back position on Tuesday, signing Nico Schulz from Hertha Berlin and extending Oscar Wendt's contract.
Schulz signed a four-year deal with Gladbach, ending his period with Hertha with 92 league appearances across five years, while Wendt agreed to stay at the club until the end of the 2017-18 Bundesliga season.
The duo will battle it out for the left-back position in Lucien Favre's side.
Gladbach sporting director Max Eberl was thrilled to bring Schulz - a player with his best years ahead of him - to Borussia Park.
"We have been closely following Nico Schulz's development in the last few years and we are very happy that we have been able to sign him now," he said.
"Nico can play in attack or defence on the left side and is a perfect fit to our squad."
Wendt started at left-back in Gladbach's Bundesliga-opening defeat to Borussia Dortmund.
The Swede has played 80 league games for Gladbach since signing from FC Copenhagen before the 2011-12 season.
Wolfsburg hope rest will enable Kevin De Bruyne to get back his best after a disappointing performance against Eintracht Frankfurt.
The Belgium international has been subject to intense speculation during the close-season after a stunning 2014-15 season in the Bundesliga, with Manchester City said to be leading the way for his signature.
De Bruyne - who pledged his future to Wolfsburg during the Sport Bild awards on Monday - struggled during the club's 2-1 win over Frankfurt last weekend, and was substituted with 15 minutes to play by coach Dieter Hecking.
He was also given time off from training on Wednesday, something Hecking insists was for his own good after showing signs of tiredness this week.
"Kevin is a bit tired at the moment because so much activity is there," Hecking is quoted as saying by Bild.
"It is a problem that it still affects him, and we are trying to bring him into the best condition."
Hoffenheim v Bayern Munich: Robben demands strong away showing
20 August 2015 20:57
Arjen Robben has demanded another dominant performance from Bayern Munich in their Bundesliga clash at Hoffenheim on Saturday.
Bayern, in the hunt for a record fourth consecutive league title, began their Bundesliga campaign with a 5-0 demolition of Hamburg last Friday.
Thomas Muller's double, combined with goals from Medhi Benatia, Robert Lewandowski and debutant Douglas Costa sealed the rout, but Robben asserted that Hoffenheim will provide a sterner opposition, although they have yet to beat Bayern in 14 attempts.
"We must try to immediately lay down a marker," said the winger.
"[Hoffenheim] are a team that can sit and defend, but they also make good forward pressure.
"Therefore, the goal is to show them immediately that we are in control, and show positive body language and passion."
Robben, now in his seventh season with the Bavaria giants, scored 19 goals in all competitions in 2014-15, only for his campaign to be cut short by a series of niggling injuries.
But the Dutchman, who went close to netting on several occasions against Hamburg, is now back to full fitness and is aiming to recapture his best form in the coming weeks as Bayern target yet another Bundesliga record.
"I am delighted to attack again this season and to get back on the pitch," he added.
"All I want to do is simply be an important part of the team once again.
"To win a fourth title would be something special, because you're part of a story that lasts forever."
Hoffenheim coach Markus Gisdol, meanwhile, has had to revamp his squad after a number of high-profile departures in the close-season, including Roberto Firmino's switch to Liverpool.
One player that has remained at the Rhein-Neckar Arena is Kevin Volland and the forward insisted that Hoffenheim must aim to attack the Bundesliga champions if they are to stand a chance of beating Pep Guardiola's team.
"We cannot just defend, because then it will only be a matter of time until they score," he said.
"We have to be courageous, we have to attack and be aggressive.
"Obviously, this is a risky strategy but in my view the only way to have a chance against them."
Robert Lewandowski's late strike ensured 10-man Bayern Munich secured a deserved 2-1 victory over Hoffenheim after Kevin Volland had scored the joint-fastest goal in Bundesliga history.
Hoffenheim headed into Saturday's clash at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena looking for their first victory over Bayern in 15 attempts and they could not have wished for a better start as Volland netted after only nine seconds - equalling the record set by Bayer Leverkusen's Karim Bellarabi a year ago on Sunday.
Volland took advantage of a stray pass from David Alaba to lash home and stun the champions, but Pep Guardiola's side responded and Thomas Muller equalised with his knee before half-time.
Muller hit the woodwork twice and Arturo Vidal struck the crossbar as Bayern dominated, but the visitors were reduced to 10 men when Jerome Boateng was shown a second yellow card for handball 17 minutes from time - also giving away a penalty.
Eugen Polanski hit the post with resulting spot-kick and substitute Lewandowski added insult to injury by scoring the winner a minute from time to make it two Bundesliga wins out of two for Bayern and deny the hosts their first point.
There was also a dramatic finale at the Imtech Arena, where Johan Djourou's first goal for Hamburg snatched a 3-2 victory over 10-man Stuttgart.
Hamburg were hammered 5-0 by Bayern in their Bundesliga opener and looked set for another defeat when Daniel Ginczek struck twice in the first half either side of Ivo Ilicevic's equaliser.
Stuttgart were rocked by Florian Klien's dismissal for a second bookable offence eight minutes into the second half, but they remained in front until Pierre-Michel Lasogga levelled six minutes from time.
And Djourou completed the turnaround in the 89th minute to stun the visitors, who have lost both of their opening two matches.
Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking refused to lay the blame for his side's 1-1 draw at Cologne on talk of Kevin De Bruyne moving to Manchester City.
City are reportedly closing in on the Belgium international, who played the full 90 minutes on Saturday, but Hecking stressed that was not the reason for a below-par display after Nicklas Bendtner rescued a point six minutes from the end.
"I don't see how that is affecting us. You cannot blame a bad game only on one player. So I do not see a correlation," he said.
Hakan Calhanoglu scored the only goal of the game as Bayer Leverkusen made it two wins out of two by seeing off Hannover, while Schalke were held to a disappointing 1-1 home draw by Darmstadt.
Marco Russ' late goal salvaged a 1-1 draw for Eintracht Frankfurt at home to Augsburg.
Borussia Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel insists the club are not looking to sign a right-back, despite their injury problems at the position.
Lukasz Piszczek is out with a hip injury and Erik Durm is also on the sidelines ahead of Sunday's Bundesliga game at Ingolstadt.
However, Tuchel is refusing to rush into the transfer market to remedy the problem.
"I didn't say that we will sign a right-back because that's definitely not the plan," Tuchel said.
"We rely on the speedy recovery of Piszczek and Durm. Therefore there is no need at the moment. But it change very quickly at any position, we hope not."
Dortmund hammered Borussia Monchengladbach 4-0 in their opening league game last weekend before coming from 3-0 down to beat Odd 4-3 in the UEFA Europa League play-off round first leg on Thursday.
Ingolstadt made a promising start to life in the top flight by claiming a 1-0 success at Mainz and Tuchel is not underestimating Ralph Hasenhuttl's men
Tuchel added: "The team have scored many goals and therefore they deserved the promotion.
"In the first game they have won in Mainz. This is a very difficult and complicated game. They played with the same team that has played even in the second division. This shows that they have confidence in their team and that there is great confidence between the coach and the team.
"I expect a very strong opponent and a very intense match."
Hoffenheim have completed the signing of Napoli striker Eduardo Vargas on a four-year deal.
The Chile international failed to make an impact at Napoli after joining the Serie A club in 2011 and had loan spells at Gremio, Valencia and QPR.
However, Vargas was the joint-leading scorer in the Copa America as Chile were crowned champions on home soil last month and his performances caught the attention of Hoffenheim.
"I look forward not only to the fans, the stadiums and the atmosphere in Germany, but mainly to the possibility of being able to show my aggressive and offensive game in one of the top leagues in the world," Vargas told the club's official website.
Hoffenheim were beaten 2-1 by Bayern Munich on Saturday after losing their first game of the Bundesliga season by the same scoreline at Bayer Leverkusen.
Philipp Lahm says Bayern Munich team-mate Thomas Muller is priceless to the Bundesliga champions following further speculation of interest from Manchester United.
The forward renewed his Bayern deal until 2019 at the same time as Lahm last year but, following continued rumours of a move from United, reports in Germany recently suggested a potential price tag of €100m had been mooted.
Muller was quick to brush off the fees suggested as "crazy" while a host of Bayern bosses have also dismissed the prospect of selling the 25-year-old.
"Thomas is one of those role models you can't just attach a price tag to," Lahm told Munchner Merkur.
"He lives and breathes Bayern Munich. He is a very, very important player for us."
Lahm also denied suggestions Bayern were losing their identity following the departure of Bastian Schweinsteiger to United - an allegation thrown at coach Pep Guardiola recently.
"Nobody has to fear that we at FC Bayern lose our identity. Just look at this team," he added.
"We have Thomas Muller, Holger Badstuber, David Alaba and me, we all came through the ranks. We also have Manuel Neuer, Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben.
"They have been here for so long that their hearts beat red."
