You’ve seen the odd glimpse of them training on their own and they’ve been annoying you with their dancing on TikTok but now, after a delay equalling nine game weeks, the players in the Bundesliga are getting back to what they know best, or at least something close to it.
Yes – finally, one of Europe’s top leagues is back in action following the work of the German authorities to counter the pandemic that has engulfed the world and wreaked havoc with the sporting calendar.
The majority of Bundesliga 1 and 2 clubs WILL play this weekend, albeit in stadiums stripped of the usual passion and colour you’ve come to associate with German supporter culture, but at least they’re playing.
But whilst the gates will remain closed to the fans for some time to come, we like to think FotMob can help at least to fill the gap and for those watching outside Germany, provide vital information and background to the league.
THE TOP 4
Bayern München: Reigning 7 time-champions and 4 points clear at the top going in to the weekend’s opening games, you’d think it had been another typical season of dominance for the Munich giants. In fact, despite their free scoring Bayern only took over at the top of the table in Gameweek 20 and they’ve even had a change of manager. Croatian, Nico Kovač left in November, replaced by assistant Hans-Dieter Flick initially on an interim basis. Flick was later confirmed in the role and the side’s form both domestically, and in the Champions League continued to improve.
Opening Fixture: Bayern travel to Union Berlin on Sunday, for the side’s first ever top flight meeting at Union’s fan-built stadium in the forest.
Borussia Dortmund: Lucien Favre head’s up the challenge of Germany’s second biggest club, blending a squad of experienced pros such as Mats Hummels and Marco Reus with teen prodigies like Erling Haaland and Gio Reyna PLUS Jadon Sancho to produce a brilliant brand of attacking football.
Opening Fixture: THE BIG ONE! Dortmund host arch-rivals, Schalke 04 in the Revierderby. Yep, the restart of the league begins with one of Germany’s fiercest rivalries, albeit behind closed doors.
RB Leipzig: Despite being one of the most unpopular teams in the league, at least to fans of other clubs – Leipzig, seen by some as the marketing arm of energy drink giants, Red Bull are once again letting their football do the talking. They’re another team packed full of young talent, and led by a coach who, by all accounts will be the next manager to join one of the world’s elite clubs – 32-year-old Julian Nagelsmann.
Opening Fixture: Leipzig take on Freiburg, who sit 8th tomorrow afternoon.
Borussia Mönchengladbach: Die Fohlen are enjoying their best season for decades after being early season pacesetters, alongside Leipzig. Giants of the 1970s and ’80s, the current generation are giving hope to a support starved of success for so long. And they sound determined to enjoy it – despite some of the biggest clubs in Europe sniffing around star players like Alassane Pleá and Marcus Thuram.
Opening Fixture: Gladbach go to Eintracht Frankfurt in tomorrow’s late kick-off.
THE ONES TO WATCH
Robert Lewandowski: Ignore him at your peril as the Polish striker once again leads the scoring charts (he has 25 in total) and when fit – he’s banged in a goal at a rate of more that once a game.
Erling Haaland: Naturally our favourite teen sensation in world football (we’re Norwegian after all!). Despite only arriving at Dormund in January, he’s settled in pretty well – scoring a 20 minute hat-trick on his debut and going on to rattle in 9 goals in his first 8 Bundesliga games!
Timo Werner: Germany’s best striking talent is 24 now and been touted as the next big mover in the transfer market – albeit, he has rocked the biggest buyers in the league by publicly shunning Bayern in favour of a move overseas. He’s scored 21 in 25 for Leipzig so far this season.
Jadon Sancho: Leaving England to play at Dortmund, where so many young players have broken through in recent years was the best decision Sancho has ever made. Just check out his stats, via the video below. ?
Thiago: Bayern’s midfield maestro might just be enjoying his best campaign for the club, pulling the strings in the centre of the park and bossing a number of the key stats for the league – including successful dribbles.
Alphonso Davies: Perhaps Canada’s greatest young talent…ever? And with a back story that is well worth reading up on, the left-back has come to the fore as part of Bayern’s renaissance this season.
Marcus Thuram: It can be hard to step out of your father’s shadow, especially when they’re a World Cup winner, but Thuram’s first move outside of French football has seen the forward thrive, his form at Gladbach setting himself up for a future on the world stage.
Kai Havertz: Sensational in midfield for Bayer Leverkusen up until the stoppage and another young player surely on the move soon – should his current club’s Champions League ambitions not pay off.
THE BEST OF THE REST
Bayer Leverkusen currently sit in 5th, just 2 points behind a top 4 who themselves are only separated by 6 points. Leverkusen have been shaking things up this season and they’ve beaten both Bayern and Dortmund but inconsistency has cost them – losing to sides like Frankfurt and Hertha, both currently residing in the bottom half of the table.
10 points then divide Leverkusen and Schalke 04, who look to be leading the way in the race for the Bundesliga’s last slot in Europe, whenever continental competition can resume next season.
WHO TO SUPPORT?
If you haven’t already got a team in German football, it’s worth looking further than the usual suspects as there’s a lot to love about almost every club up and down the league system. For everyone else, Schalke put up a pretty strong case for supporting them on twitter this week…
Freiburg: Led by Christian Streich since 2011, the longest serving manager in the division has overseen Freiburg’s best ever start to a season in the top flight. The modest club sit 8th, continuing a run of years in which they’ve been seen as overachieving. Streich has something of a cult appeal thanks to his social conscience and riding his bike, rather than driving a high powered car to work!
Union Berlin: From the former East side of Berlin, Union are making the most of their first ever season in the top flight – with a fanbase determined to enjoy themselves. After all, they’ve earned it with over 2000 of them literally re-building the stadium 20 years ago when financial turmoil, rather on the field success was the hallmark of the club.
FC Köln: Something of a yo-yo club, but one that always finds a way to entertain and reflect their home city of Cologne, famous for it’s carnival spirit. And where else will you get 50,000 fans turning up to a pre-season concert where the club’s latest mascot (a goat) is unveiled?
WE’VE GOT YOU!
If you want to keep up with the Bundesliga, head over to the league’s profile page in the app and get your alerts set up for the re-start of the season. The title race is open, the fight for European qualification is on and there’s another battle brewing at the bottom of the table to avoid relegation.
And we’ll have all the in-game notifications, individual player ratings and live stats from every fixture that you’d expect from any of the top leagues. ?
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