Catching Up With the Bundesliga, Gameweeks 1-7

In the Bundesliga, there is an inevitable end, and it is dressed in red and blue — Bayern Munich will win the league. This does not make the league any less exciting though, and as we take a breather for the Euro 2016 qualifiers, it is a perfect time to assess where we have been and where we are going in Germany.

Last year, Bayern not only won the league, but also did so with a record seven matches to spare. Bayern will almost certainly be walking away as champions once again, but there is some cause for concern at the top. It starts in the midfield. Bayern made some very smart additions during this past transfer window, but they also made one very notable subtraction: Toni Kroos is now holding down the midfield spot in Madrid. The German is one of the most dynamic midfielders in the sport, and Bayern simply does not have an immediate replacement for him.

Compounding this issue further is the absence of Bayern talisman Bastian Schweinsteiger due to a patellar tendon issue. It seems increasingly likely that Basti will not see the field until 2015, and that is the best-case scenario. He was Bayern’s best hope for filling in for Kroos, but it now seems that Bayern will have to find another solution. And therein lies the rub for the rest of the Bundesliga. Bayern has a litany of options here. There is of course, Thomas Muller, upon whose shoulders the weight of leading the midfield will fall upon. Anyone who has seen Muller play can testify that he is more than capable of doing this. In addition, Bayern have veteran leadership from newly acquired Xabi Alonso. Finally, while their midfield may have digressed ever so slightly, they have improved at the attack with the addition of Robert Lewandowski and the continued ascendance of Mario Gotze as well as adding defenders Juan Bernat, Sebastian Rode and Medhi Benatia to shore up their protection in front of Manuel Neuer. All things considered, Bayern will be losing very few matches and very little sleep this year.

There will, however, be many sleepless nights across the rest of Germany. Over the past few years, it has been Borussia Dortmund that has given Bayern the best run for its money. This year is a different story for Jurgen Klopp’s men as they currently sit at 13th and have shown none of the pluck and aggressiveness that made them one of the most exciting clubs in Europe as of late. Dortmund has been the most creative side in Germany and, arguably, all of Europe under Klopp’s reign. Now it looks like Klopp may be out of ideas. Dortmund is playing lethargic and uninspired football, and that is a recipe for continued failure.

Dortmund is not the only traditional German power facing unexpected challenges. Schalke 04 sits only two spots above them and just sacked manager Jans Keller, replacing him with former Chelsea boss Roberto Di Matteo. Outside of a satisfying, if not impressive, draw with powerful Bayern, there has been little cause for celebration thus far at the Veltins-Arena. Schalke is far from being in full disaster mode, however. They have played well in Europe and seem to be suffering from a simple case of expected early season struggles. This makes the decision to change managers somewhat odd. The change to Di Matteo could be the spark that the men in blue need, but it could just as easily cause a downward spiral as the team is forced to adjust to a new manager’s style. Schalke is still a very talented team. For the most part, they resemble last year’s team that finished third. Only time will tell if the Di Matteo appointment was the smart move, but at least for now the outlook remains at least mostly rosy for Schalke.

While Schalke and Dortmund face unsure futures, traditional Bundesliga stalwarts are still excelling. Bayer Leverkusen has looked like the most accomplished side outside of Munich thus far. They currently sit fourth in the table, but they are second in the league with thirteen goals. They appear to be a club on the cusp of great things, just ask Benfica. Leverkusen looked dominant as they picked apart the Portuguese side with ease.

Sitting directly underneath Bayern, with thirteen points and a plus five goal difference each, are 1899 Hoffenheim and Borussia Mönchengladbach. Hoffenheim, undefeated thus far, most recently handed Schalke a 2-1 defeat, which spelled the aforementioned end of Jans Keller’s managerial reign. They also drew with Mainz. Hoffenheim looks to be the Bundesliga’s most improved side this year, and with Schalke and Dortmund facing potential off years, there is great opportunity for a club like Hoffenheim to take advantage of that and steal an UEFA Champions League berth or at least get into the Europa League.

Mönchengladbach, meanwhile, have also looked excellent this year, but the question with them is how well they’ll do when the schedule gets tougher. They drew with Mainz (sixth in the table) and defeated newly promoted SC Paderborn 07 (ninth), but otherwise their matches have all been against teams in the bottom half of the table. They did defeat Schalke, but of course we all know that is not the accomplishment it has been in years past.

We are now seven matches into the 2014-2015 Bundesliga season and one thing is certain: Bayern. Outside of that, however, the only thing that is certain is that every matchday will bring a new set of storylines: Are Schalke and Dortmund’s struggles abberations or will they persist? Can Leverkusen keep battering opponents into submission? Are teams like Mainz, Hoffenheim and Mönchengladbach for real? So while things may be business as usual at the top of the table, there is intrigue and excitement abound everywhere else.

If you think the Bundesliga begins and ends in Munich, the upcoming weeks and months will only serve to prove you wrong.