Yes Bayern Munich are on top but the Bundesliga season thus far has been far from boring though. This campaign has seen the rise of teams like Frankfurt, Hoffenheim, Koln and notably RB Leipzig. At the same time we’ve also seen the fall of Wolfsburg, Schalke and Monchengladbach.

Minnows Lead The Way in Bundesliga

Few would have expected the likes of Hoffenheim and Koln to be flying high as the winter break drew to a close. Hoffenheim have had a few brushes with relegation in recent years while Koln have largely been a mid-table team. Amazingly, the top 10 in the league table comprises of Koln, Hertha, Frankfurt, Mainz, Freiburg and Hoffenheim. apart from the regular heavyweights and RB Leipzig.

This has been a breath of fresh air for a league that has been criticized for being boring and one-sided. The revolution is a result of the increasing wealth of football clubs. At the same time, it is also a testament to the emphasis smaller clubs give to youth development. It will be interesting to see if these clubs can consolidate a place in the top-10, and possibly play in the Champions League and Europa League next season.

Bayern and Dortmund Have Problems of Their Own

The league table is rather deceptive with Bayern are on top. The Bavarians may have lofty ambitions of winning the Champions League but their domestic performances have been not as convincing as one would expect. Carlo Ancelotti’s methods haven’t been fully implemented yet and this means that Bayern haven’t hit the form they maintain year after year. The winter break is a good opportunity for Bayern to build team chemistry and spirit, and return rejuvenated to defend their League Championship.

Borussia Dortmund were the talk of the transfer window with a huge influx of players. It’s also worth noting that the ages and profiles of players brought in depict Borussia’s penchant for youth development. Unfortunately a few of these signings have not yet settled in Germany. Dortmund also seem unbalanced and far too attack minded. This is definitely something Tuchel needs to fix at the earliest so that a strong defense can complement a charismatic attack.

Schalke, Wolfsburg and Gladbach’s misery

Team’s you’d normally expect to qualify for European competitions with ease have found it hard going. Schalke after a series of managerial changes started poorly under Marcus Weinzierl but have slowly found their feet. The Royal Blues also need to integrate new players into the team.

VFL Wolfsburg are another team that have been poor this term. The Wolves are languishing in 13th place and need coach Valerien Ismael to steady the ship at the earliest. The winter signings of Riechedly Bazoer and Paul Georges Ntep may go some way in doing so.

Gladbach have appointed ex-Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking after Andre Schubert was sacked. ‘Die Fohlen’ are just below Wolfsburg in 13th place and need an exceptional second half performance to clinch a respectable position.

Relegation Worries

Ingolstadt and Darmstadt seem consigned to relegation. Darmstadt sit on 8 points and need a miracle from new head coach Torsten Frings to escape relegation. Ingolstadt are on 12 points just one below Hamburger SV and should look to get results against other bottom half teams to have any chance of survival. Hamburger SV are in the relegation play-off spot which is far from surprising. It would be interesting to see if Germany’s ‘Dinosaur’ pull off another escape.

With the Hinrunde drawing to a close, the Bundesliga returns on 21st January with a host of teams with a lot to prove. The second half of the season will definitely be full of surprises and hopefully as exciting as the first.

Picture Courtesy: Tinthethao247.com

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