After 14 matches played, Borussia Mönchengladbach are leading the Bundesliga title race. The table is incredibly tight with just seven points separating the top seven. Bayern Munich, except for the 4-0 thrashing of Borussia Dortmund a month ago, do not look like their usual, dominating best. Could this finally be the year that the Meisterschalle does not end up at the Allianz Arena? Let’s take a look at the title hopes of the top four plus Bayern.
The Bundesliga Title Race: Is This the Year Bayern are Dethroned?
1. Borussia Mönchengladbach (31 Points)
Die Fohlen are exceeding all expectations under new manager Marco Rose, having dropped just ten points so far. Although star forward Thorgan Hazard left for Borussia Dortmund this past summer, newly acquired Marcus Thuram has been an excellent replacement. The 22-year-old son of French legend Lilian Thuram has already scored six and assisted five. Gladbach’s offence also boasts the likes of Alassane Pléa, Patrick Herrman, and Breel Embolo. On the defensive side, Rose’s men have conceded just 16 goals in 14 league matches.
Bayern visited Borussia-Park this past weekend and left empty-handed. The title credentials of Gladbach were put to the test, and the former German powerhouse did not disappoint. While winning the league still seems like a long shot, Rose’s men are genuine candidates to finish in the top four. Last year, Gladbach were on course to finish third, but fell off in the final two months of the campaign, finishing fifth. Qualifying for the Champions League is a realistic finish for the Fohles.
2. RB Leipzig (30 Points)
The Saxony-based club are in just their fourth top-flight campaign, and this might be the year where RB Leipzig win their first Meisterschalle. Under Germany’s young prodigy Julian Nagelsmann, Leipzig look like a side that could break the Bayern monopoly. Timo Werner has already bagged 15 goals, while newcomer Christopher Nkunku from Paris Saint-Germain has six assists to his name. RB Leipzig’s firepower has lead them to a league-best +23 goal difference.
The controversial Red Bull club are genuine title contenders and, as of now, are the only side consistent enough to give Bayern a run for their money. The two clubs drew back in September, but the second half of the season is where things will become more clear. So far, Leipzig have dropped a measly nine points. With Emil Forsberg getting back to his best after a lacklustre and injury-riddled 2018/19 campaign, the attacking threat posed by Nagelsmann’s men might be too much for even mighty Bayern.
3. Borussia Dortmund (26 Points)
Many pundits predicted that Dortmund would win this season’s title after last season’s surprise race for the Meisterschale. Lucien Favre made some great signings in the summer transfer window, bringing in Thorgan Hazard from Gladbach, Julian Brandt from Leverkusen, and made Paco Alcácer’s loan move permanent. On the defensive end, Mats Hummels returned to Dortmund after three seasons at Bayern. On paper, the new signings alongside Marco Reus, Jadon Sancho, and Achraf Hakimi made many believe that Favre’s men were title favourites.
While Dortmund are horribly inconsistent, they sit just five points off of the top. If Alcácer can stay fit and return to last season’s form, Dortmund will not continue to drop points against lower and mid-table opposition at the rate they have been. In draws against both Paderborn and Werder Bremen, the Spanish striker was not at his best. While the Dortmund squad is strong, no one offers the same goal-scoring threat as Alcácer. Dortmund have the squad to challenge for the title, but the side must shake off its inconsistencies if it wants to compete with the likes of Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig.
4. Schalke 04 (25 Points)
After last season’s 14th place finish, Schalke’s worst Bundesliga campaign for 36 years, no one expected such a good start this campaign. David Wagner’s men have amassed 25 points from 14 matches. Amine Harit is in the form of his life after struggling to consistently perform during his first two seasons with Die Königsblauen. The Moroccan has bagged six goals, scoring the winning goal at both Augsburg and Mainz. Newly acquired Suat Serdar from Mainz 05 is also in sparkling form, having netted the winner against Union Berlin two weeks ago.
Schalke’s biggest problem last season was the lack of goals, finishing the season with a -18 goal difference. This has been remedied, but the midfield and defence have also improved greatly. Summer signing Jonjoe Kenny from Everton has been solid at right-back, while central defender Salif Sané has been an absolute rock. Such a turn around by David Wagner shows the former Huddersfield Town manager’s class but, just like Gladbach, a serious title challenge is incredibly unlikely. Schalke fans can be hopeful of a top-six finish, a goal that was nothing more than a dream eight months ago.
7. FC Bayern München (24 Points)
No matter what, Bayern will always be the favourites to win the Bundesliga. It does not matter if the manager is sacked early in the season, if Robert Lewandowski is the only true goal scorer in the side, or if Die Roten trail the league leaders by 15 points in December. Last season was a prime example of this. After 12 match days, Bayern were nine points behind Dortmund, but come May, that deficit had been turned into a surplus. That is why they are in this article, even though they have lost two in row and are behind the likes of fifth-placed SC Freiburg and sixth-placed Bayer Leverkusen.
Bayern’s main problem this campaign will be dealing with the season ending injury of Niklas Süle. The defence is the squad’s weakest aspect. Jérôme Boateng is far past his best. The centre-back partnership employed by Hans-Dieter Flick during Bayern’s last four outings, Javi Martinez and David Alaba, seems makeshift at best. Alphonso Davies has taken up the left back position, raising even more questions. However, no matter what crisis Bayern are currently in, they still boast the best squad in Germany. With the likes of Lewandowski, Serge Gnabry, Joshua Kimmich, and the ability of Bayern to win when it really matters come the second half of the season, there is only one true favourite in this race.
Don’t Get Your Hopes Up That This Bundesliga Title Race Will Be Different
The Bundesliga title race might be interesting right now, but this is not a new story in Germany. Bayern have often not looked at their best in the fall and winter, but come May, the story is always the same. The main question right now is whether this Bayern side are actually not that good, or whether Die Roten will go on their usual winning run after the new year. Last season, Bayern trailed Dortmund by six points at the season’s midpoint and went on to drop just six points for the rest of the campaign, claiming their seventh consecutive title. Hopefully, the Bundesliga title race will remain close but a betting man would be foolish to put his money on anyone other than Germany’s record champions.
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