Forget the Premier League! Cast aside Serie A! Adios La Liga! The Bundesliga is where it’s at. Cemented as the hipster’s favourite, Germany’s top flight has evolved into arguably the most thrilling in Europe. With wonderkids aplenty, goals galore and some of the finest forwards the world has to offer, expect exciting times over the next nine months. It’s going to be wunderbar!

Just two weeks in, Bayern are stuttering, Leverkusen are electrifying and newcomers Paderborn and Koln sit in the top four. Already, the Bundesliga is back to its unpredictable best.

But, for those of you still drawn to the Premier League like Luis Suarez to human flesh, perhaps you need some persuading. For the Bundesliga deserves your attention. And here’s why.

Wunderkinds

You might have noticed that Germany are quite good at football. As the Nationalmannschaft roared in jubilation upon the hallowed Maracanã turf, they heralded the culmination of a nation’s blood, sweat and tears. Stemming long before their group stage pummelling of Portugal. Long before Jürgen Klinsmann recaptured the nation’s hearts in 2006. More than a dozen years in the making, Germany’s 7-1 hammering of hosts Brazil acted as the perfect illustration of their remarkable revitalisation.

The catalyst? Euro 2000. Germany’s Year Zero. Bottom of their group (heck, even England beat them!), the DFB (Germany’s FA equivalent) launched the Extended Talent Promotion Programme. It’s impact would cause ripples throughout world football. Ripples that became waves, a tsunami of German glory. A nation reborn.

Valuing brains over brawn, pliability over pragmatism. Contrasting the physical, cynical Germany that won tournaments but lost friends, the aging squad that flopped so spectacularly fourteen years ago was discarded. A case of ripping up the blueprint and starting again from scratch.

Unlike England, where the percentage of home-grown talents continues to drop as overseas arrivals dominate, the Bundesliga and national team work side by side. Whereas our FA tiptoe around the issue with half-baked schemes and false promises, the DFB’s forceful approach reaped spectacular rewards. In Germany, clubs must obtain a licence to play professional football. In order to retain these authorisations, each team was required to construct centres of excellence and nurture young talent. It appears simple, painfully so, but while Germany continue to mass produce precocious talents at an alarming rate, Belgian international Dedryck Boyata counts as a home-grown player.

Today, the Bundesliga is overflowing with exciting, domestic stars tipped to take the world by storm. Marco Reus spearheads Borussia Dortmund’s title challenge while Schalke’s hopes and dreams rest upon the prodigious talents of Max Meyer, Leon Goretzka and the remarkably still present Julian Draxler. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Timo Werner shone in a struggling Stuttgart last season while Wolfsburg’s net bulging playmaker Maxi Arnold is expected to break into Joachim Low’s side sooner rather than later. Not to mention Hoffenheim livewire Kevin Volland or Dortmund’s versatile new boy Matthias Ginter. The list, truly, goes on.

For a glimpse into the future, tune in to the Bundesliga. Where diamonds are polished, abilities are honed, stars are born. Who would have thought the humiliation of Euro 2000 would become the catalyst for a new dawn? A necessary evil, if you will. With an average age of just over 26, Germany’s World Cup champions are reaping the rewards of the DFB’s courage and commitment to the cause. With Euro 2016 on the horizon, expect today’s new breed of illustrious alumni to maintain their nation’s unrelenting drive for glory.

And that’s the beauty of the Bundesliga. Just when you think you’ve got it all figured out, some young whippersnapper, fleet of foot and fresh of face, reminds you that German football has its priorities in the right order.

Competitiveness

Just for one second, cast Bayern’s complete domination of the last two years out of your mind. Though “FC Hollywood” romped to the title in record time last season, with Dortmund 19 points adrift, the Bundesliga’s ultra competitive nature cannot be underestimated. In contrast to the England’s London vs Manchester mêlée and the prolonged duopoly of La Liga, the Bundesliga boasts five different champions between 2003 and 2011. While sustained success may be harder to achieve, the topsy-turvy nature of Germany’s top flight makes for thrilling viewing.

Though the title race may not possess the same volatility and curiosity as it once did, the battle for Europe remains as unpredictable as ever. Last season, Schalke’s stunning post-Christmas form propelled them into third while the rapidly imploding Bayer Leverkusen needed Sacha Lewandowski to swoop down and save their season, finishing a point and a place above Borussia Monchengladbach. Meanwhile, Mainz made jesters of pundits, defying expectation to clinch a Europa League berth. Down in the doldrums, Werder Bremen and Stuttgart, champions in 2004 and 2007, survived an almighty scare while “the dinosaur” of Hamburg staved off extinction via the relegation play off.

Predicting the Bundesliga is like interviewing Louis Van Gaal. Be careful what you say. You could look a fool. Dortmund, piloted by madcap mastermind Jurgen Klopp, are aiming sky-high after a 2013/14 season that crashed and burned horrifically. Blighted by injuries, Die Schwarzgelben were denied a sustained a challenge, but with a fully fit roster, including goal machine Marco Reus, playmaking extraordinaire Henrik Mkhitaryan and the peerless partnership of Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic, Dortmund possess a fearsome squad capable of demolishing Bayern’s fortress.

Over in Bavaria, the Champions may have nabbed Robert Lewandowski but the questioning of King Pep’s reign is growing. A revolt is rising. His lack of a plan B or tactical flexibility was ruthlessly exposed by Klopp’s gegenpressing in the Supercup. Tika-taka may be pretty on the eye but, following their hammering at the hands of Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals, there’s a feeling Guardiola’s dominance is ending. A stuttering start to the new campaign as only increased the murmurs of discontent behind the scenes at the Allianz Arena. Franz Beckenbauer and Karl Heinz Rummenigge are sharpening their knives.

With guaranteed goalscorers in Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Stephan Kiessling supplemented by astute signings, Schalke and Bayer Leverkusen lead the “best of the rest” brigade. However, Jens Keller is under pressure at the Veltins Arena after a dismal start to the campaign. In stark contrast, Roger Schmidt’s swashbuckling style is winning plaudits aplenty at Leverkusen. Currently top, summer signings Josip Drmic and Hakan Calhanoglu could transform the Bay Arena outfit into surprise contenders. A warning against complacency; Lucian Favre’s Monchengladbach and Dieter Hecking’s Wolfsburg will keep them on their toes.

Elsewhere, no one is truly safe from the spectre of relegation. Mirko Slomka and Armin Veh have enough experience and tactical nous to revitalise vulnerable Hamburg and stalling Stuttgart but shocking starts have many reaching for the panic button. Mainz, after losing talismanic coach Thomas Tuchel, may be sucked into an unexpected survival battle.

You can’t help but love the Bundesliga. Every weekend a rollercoaster ride. In stark contrast to the more illustrious, oligarch funded leagues, the Bundesliga’s erratic nature make it Europe’s most enthralling. As neutrals, who are we to complain?

Goals, goals and more goals

For all the superstar teens, commendable club ownership and unrivalled unpredictability, there’s one aspect that simply characterises the Bundesliga. Goals. And lots of them. The German top flight embodies everything we adore, as purveyors of this beautiful game. Parking the bus? Never heard of it.

We fans love a good stat. And here’s one to whet your appetite. The Bundesliga’s remarkable 3.16 goals per game average dwarfs that of its major European rivals. In contrast, La Liga boasts a comparatively meagre return of 2.75. And that’s despite have the rather useful advantage of possessing a certain Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

In fairness, it doesn’t take a genius to understand why the Bundesliga and goals go hand in hand. Top class strikers plus undeniably weak defences is only going to equal one thing. Robert Lewandowski versus Johan Djourou? No contest. Plus, the league’s vast array of aforementioned wunderkinds results in an enthusiastic, often cavalier approach. And with the majority of teams coached by offensive, progressive coaches, a fast paced, high pressing approach dominates. Thus, chances are carved and goals are scored. Simple.

Oh, lest we forget. The Bundesliga is home to some of European football’s most dead eyed hitmen. Bayern Munich may have plundered 94 league goals last season but even that didn’t halt their gluttonous accumulation of world-class talent. Robert Lewandowski, top scorer in 2013/14, arrives to supplement an already fearsome forward line.

Meanwhile, Dortmund reacted to their talisman’s treachery by swooping for Torino’s Ciro Immobile (Serie A’s most prolific marksman last season) and Colombia hot-shot Adrian Ramos, who netted 16 goals for Hertha Berlin. And that’s without mentioning the pliable Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who is expected to improve on last season’s impressive tally of 19.

In truth, most clubs possess at least one top level forward, capable of scoring at will. The consistently clinical Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Schalke), Swiss international Josip Drmic (Leverkusen), the lethal Pierre-Michel Lassogga (Hamburg) and the evergreen Ivica Olic (Wolfsburg) represent a mere fraction of the merciless forwards who ply their trade in the Bundesliga.

As ever, expect goals galore this season. For you neutrals out there, there’s only one team to watch. Hoffenheim. 72 goals scored. 70 conceded. That sums it up nicely.

James Rodriquez? Alexis Sanchez? So what? Money may be no object across the continent, but there’s still that inescapable hollow feeling. A cold, calculating corporate world, diluting the romance, the beauty of our game. In a word where ticket prices are extortionate, our on pitch “idols” are nothing more than moneyed mercenaries, the Bundesliga returns football to the basics. To the fans. A true sense of belonging, of morals, of hope. Hope that our beloved game can be redeemed. Sold out stadiums, vociferous support, and goals by the bucketload, if you only watch one league this season make it the Bundesliga. Come on, you know it makes sense.

Written by Daniel Owen

Twitter: @danny8195