After a very long time, FC Bayern are (felt) again autumn champions of the Bundesliga. It’s as deserved as it is surprising. Also because the two strongest pursuers have unexpectedly big problems. The sensation of the season takes place in Berlin.
1. FC Bayern is a real surprise
Is it actually a surprise that FC Bayern are again autumn champions of the Bundesliga for the first time since 2017? Yes? No? Yes and no! Because despite world footballer Robert Lewandowski, despite world goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and despite Hansi Flick, the world trainer of hearts, the record champions have plenty of problems with them. In addition to a bright red flashing battery with many regular players, which makes the successfully practiced power football no longer so robust against any form of resistance, there is also the serious defensive weakness this season. The stable and unshakable foundation of the triple season is more of a botched construction this season. Neither David Alaba, presumably the world’s best defense chief of 2020, nor the resurrected Jérôme Boateng and not even Niklas Süle get stability in their game. Not to mention the ailing right-back Benjamin Pavard. And fighter Lucas Hernández is not yet the glamorous defensive gladiator.
But well, goals conceded are not only created because the men mess up at the back. Goals conceded also arise when things are not entirely correct. And here, too, the football fan exposes some deficits. Leroy Sané, for example, is strangling (despite a clear upward trend) with the system of coach Hansi Flick, Serge Gnabry has his first difficult time in Munich and if Joshua Kimmich is absent, that’s a huge problem. A problem that also reveals another: the absence of Thiago. The Spaniard, who now plays for Liverpool and has not yet found great luck there, would do the Munich team incredibly well in this phase. With his feeling for the team, with his ability to replace power football with a more energy-saving ball possession game. But it was above all the many goals by Lewandowski (21), the many assists by Müller (13, both historical records), the numerous parades by Neuer (the ntv.de editors do not have any numbers) and finally two more Aluminum luck, which prevented more damage than just two defeats (with the exception of the cup embarrassment against Holstein Kiel) and three draws. That is also an amazing quality. And then somehow earned.
This is mainly due to Robert Lewandowski: The world football player from FC Bayern has already scored 22 goals in this first half of the season, which is a new record. So far Gerd Müller has held it with 20 goals – maybe the Pole will crack his fabulous 40-goal season record from 1971/72? At least Lewandowski apparently has a strong desire to continue garbage even without a stadium audience. And that will probably also make him the second most successful striker in Bundesliga history: The 32-year-old is only 11 goals missing before Klaus Fischer’s mark, while Müller-Gerd seems too far away with his 365 goals. But what is out of reach for Lewandowski?
2. Oh dear, oh dear, BVB
What a wonderful team BVB has. Erling Haaland, for example. And Jadon Sancho. And Gio Reyna. And of course Marco Reus, Axel Witsel and Mats Hummels too. And all the other gifted people. Whether young or not that young anymore. It’s actually a pretty perfect mix that the Dortmunders entertain with a lot of money. But somehow that doesn’t work with perfection. It’s a pretty desperate search that was no longer guided by Lucien Favre as of early December. And that is far from complete even under his successor Edin Terzic.
It’s a very desperate search for the right balance between defensive stability and the spectacle that Haaland, Sancho and the like can put on with their insane talent. And they don’t like to pick up the key to the successful end of this search in Dortmund. It makes you shudder. Because every contact with him stimulates the soul of the black and yellow footballer, grabs them in their work ethos. The key is namely “mentality”. And this time it is actually not a media horror campaign, but an urgency that Terzic absolutely wants to have clarified. And have to. Because ten points behind FC Bayern and six on RB Leipzig, that hurts every Borussia very, very much. On the field and in the stands (unfortunately only the bosses sit there at the moment).
3. And what about the other hunters?
Well, Leipzig has to be angry. However, in completely different dimensions than Borussia. Because at RB it is not bizarre fluctuations in performance and mentality debates that decide whether to win or lose points, but rather a sometimes outrageous weakness in the end. Which, by the way, cannot be explained by the fact that Timo Werner no longer plays for the Saxons. Although he was the outstanding executor of Julian Nagelsmann’s team, the quality in the center is extremely high even without the troubled Chelsea striker – actually! But neither the newcomers Justin Kluivert and Alexander Sörloth, nor the eternal Yussuf Poulsen get stability in their senior class.
And Bayer Leverkusen? Well, what can you reproach them for? That they are once again unable to keep the pressure on FC Bayern high? That wouldn’t be fair. Because although coach Peter Bosz’s team has played fantastic football at times, they still have to cope with the departures of Germany’s probably greatest talent, Kai Havertz, and striker Kevin Volland. That the compensation was so outstanding until before Christmas, a great story. But one that wasn’t to be expected. And that Bayer was able to get intoxicated by a 17-year-old, Florian Wirtz, is also great. But a 17-year-old remains a 17-year-old to be watched out for. Despite all the qualities.
4. It is possible that Schalke is not all shit
Nobody should really be surprised at Schalke. Presumably every person close to the club knows that. Because after a second half of the 2019/20 season, which was sporty, well, shit and was also shaped by numerous, well, shitty decisions at the level of the officials, a first half followed, which was, well, sporty shit (with a 0 : 8 started in Munich) and at the level of the officials, well, was shaped by shitty decisions. With one tiny objection, because this bizarre royal blue horror film may somehow end well. Schalke may have made a few smart decisions for a few weeks. One could actually be the employment of Christian Gross (this persona previously surprised almost all of Germany), who replaced Manuel Baum, who was obviously overwhelmed by the situation in Gelsenkirchen. Who had previously replaced the badly overwhelmed David Wagner.
At least there are now very, very delicate signs that the almost embarrassingly tasmanized ensemble can be trained and brought together, although, especially after the shock against 1. FC Köln, it has not been conclusively clarified whether Schalke and football are not but there are two opposing poles. Meanwhile, the decision to bring back Sead Kolasniac (for emotional madness) and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (for goals) could be very smart. Could! But now, you shouldn’t be surprised about anything at Schalke.
Not even if the relegation succeeds despite eight points behind the relegation rank and already ten points behind the first safe place to stay in the league.
4.a horror trips are also available elsewhere
One should be a little careful with the term “horror trip”. Because for a “bad trip” you need something like a loss of control or an irrational fear. And yes, look over there, Ms. Stachelbär, there was a lot of noise in the fear chamber of the Bundesliga. The royal blue ailment has already been exhaustively told, but what should the Mainz say, who are also afraid of the league with only a measly seven points. Bizarrely, she had her probably most fearless appearance in the 2: 5 against FC Bayern. The “Effzeh” footballers are also on a very official trip, but they still somehow save their Markus Gisdol when the trainer Grim Reaper is sneaking through Müngersdorf. Gisdol even survived a horror winless series of 18 games between March 11 and November 28, 2020. Things went really badly for Sebastian Hoeneß, the young trainer of TSG Hoffenheim. He messed up FC Bayern with his troop early in the season, but then had a terrible hangover after the intoxication. But also because his team was hit by Corona like no other. Almost two weeks ago, however, Hoeneß trembled brutally about his job when his personal horror film on Schalke was garnished with a cracking 0-4 clap. More trip is probably not possible. But two games and four points later, the situation is pretty much free of shock again.
5. Union, old Swiss!
It is probably extremely impolite to begin a tribute to Union Berlin with a detour to the West. Because there, just a few kilometers away, something amazing is happening. Some in Berlin even find it ridiculous. Others dramatically. In fact, Hertha BSC is bungling with a talented squad and a lot of money towards relegation battle. In contrast, Union was much more likely to be expected. Because of the difficulty of the second season and all. And despite newcomer Max Kruse. But everything is very different. The Iron are the sensation of the season. With physical play, with footballers who were misunderstood elsewhere (including goalkeeper Andreas Luthe or striker Taiwo Awoniyi) and with a Swiss coach (Urs Fischer, his name), whose fondness for orderliness has created an extremely rebellious team that even FC Bayern was annoying (1: 1) and both Borussia Dortmund (2: 1) and Bayer Leverkusen (1: 0) wore them down. All of this without her attacking anchor Kruse, who has been injured for weeks, but was one of the biggest attractions of the season with six goals and five assists until matchday 10.
6. Hach, Christian Streich …
If we had the choice of which person in current Bundesliga events could stay forever, then we would choose Christian Streich. Even more impressive than the eternally successful development work of a Freiburg team is his gift of always appearing with a clear and convincing attitude, even outside of the ball-related events. Warning, but balanced. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s about refugees, Trump, AfD, the consequences of the corona crisis or the hot topic “footballer’s hairstyles”. You not only like to see the Freiburgers playing, you also like to listen to Christian Streich again and again.
7. The home advantage has passed
The players had to get used to cheering in front of empty stands. Spectators were only allowed into the stadium for 29 games – before the league had to come to terms with ghost games again from matchday 6 due to the pandemic. And that also affects the teams. The teams could only win 53 home games, just as many bankruptcies were in their own arenas. A look at the statistics also shows that there have never been so few home wins as in this first half of the season. The previous low point was reached in the series of the 2009/10 season with only 58 home game wins. Home advantage, it was once upon a time.
– .
