Even though Bayern Munich has won 10 consecutive league championships since 2012, supporters have been forced to accept the monotony at the top of the league despite how enjoyable the Bundesliga can be. The year when Bayern’s hold is eventually broken, though, maybe 2023. For the best sports betting casino sof March 2023, check out CasinoDaddy’s pages!
Bayern will face Union Berlin on Matchday 22 in a first-versus-third matchup. Borussia Dortmund, Union, and Bayern are all tied for first place on points, with the Bavarians ahead only on goal differential. In addition, there are three clubs behind the trio that is still in range and might profit from Bayern’s mistakes.
In other words, the fight for the Meisterschale hasn’t been this tight in a while. Currently, there are 13 rounds of matches left, and these are the title contenders.
Bayern Munich
The primary factor causing the championship race to be so tight is a Bayern team that has had quite a few setbacks this season. The club first needed time to adjust to the tactical adjustments head coach Julian Nagelsmann had planned for them during the summer when Bayern changed from their winger-focused style to a narrower offensive framework. At the same time, Nagelsmann battled for a while to fill the vacuum up front left by Robert Lewandowski’s departure. Sadio Mane, a new Liverpool acquisition, was put through his paces as a striker before being promptly transferred to his more comfortable spot on the left side. In the end, Bayern’s starting lineup featured 33-year-old Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, an unusual choice.
Injuries or lack of form have both caused a number of important players to suffer for extended periods of the season. Prior to the World Cup, Jamal Musiala carried a significant portion of the load in the attack for Bayern, and the teenager demonstrated on several times that he can take Bayern to victories. Yet, relying heavily on him is not a prescription for consistent success.
After a dramatic winter break during which captain Manuel Neuer fractured his right leg while skiing and chaos broke out at the training facility, Bayern’s inconsistent play continued. Nagelsmann appeared to be on the verge of losing control of a locker room full of egotistical bigots. Following the start of the season, Bayern drew three straight games before losing 3-2 to Borussia Monchengladbach last Saturday. Dayot Upamecano’s dismissal after only 10 minutes set the tone for a miserable day for Bayern.
After the resumption, nine points have been accumulated in six games, opening the door to five possible title contenders.
Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund hasn’t recently been so sure that they could defeat Bayern. There have already been a few setbacks this season, most notably Sebastien Haller’s testicular cancer diagnosis in July, which forced the striker to miss the whole month of January. Dortmund scored 44 goals in 21 league games under manager Edin Terzic despite not having a strong No. 9 as Erling Haaland in the previous two seasons.
BVB has won all eight of its competitive games since the winter break, in part because of a versatile assault and important players like Jude Bellingham, Julian Brandt, and Nico Schlotterbeck who are beginning to reach peak performance. However, Dortmund continues to be vulnerable to setbacks in the form of injuries, as was once again demonstrated during their most recent 4-1 victory over Hertha Berlin when winger Karim Adeyemi was forced to leave the field due to a torn hamstring after scoring the first goal and providing an assist.
Union Berlin
While Union Berlin’s inclusion in the title battle might be viewed as a great surprise, a ninth Bundesliga championship for Dortmund would not be entirely out of the ordinary. Some people may draw comparisons between a hypothetical Meisterschale and Leicester City’s Premier League victory in 2015–16, although Union do not have a youthful N’Golo Kante or a streaky striker like Jamie Vardy. In actuality, Union is mostly an association of more seasoned misfits who were given a chance at survival in the eastern section of the German city.
The likes of Robin Knoche, Janik Haberer, and many more have made a comeback in front of the ferocious throng gathered within the towering Alte Foersterei. The most recent instance is striker Kevin Behrens, who, at the age of 30, was recruited on a free transfer from second-division team SV Sandhausen in 2021 and has already managed to earn a berth in Union’s starting Lineup. His kind of tales gives you hope that miracles are possible.
It remains to be seen if Union will have the tenacity to play through the final matchday and if manager Urs Fischer has the tactical know-how to impose his pressing-heavy style of play on many of their remaining opponents, but making the Champions League would be a huge accomplishment for a team operating on a relatively small budget.
SC Freiburg
The same may be said of Freiburg. Even though they are well-known in Germany’s first division, their regular appearance in the top third of the standings is still an impressive accomplishment. Manager Christian Streich, whose stay as head coach is the second-longest in Europe’s major divisions, has been the driving force behind the success for more than 11 years. His high-octane style of play hasn’t altered much over the years and might serve as the model for how a modern Bundesliga team with a tight budget should appear, with the concept and dedication to it being more essential than the individual skill of each squad member.
The drawback is that Freiburg are vulnerable to devastating losses if their strategy fails to have the desired impact on opponents, as was the case in recent weeks when they suffered losses to VfL Wolfsburg and Dortmund of 6-0 and 5-1, respectively. Throughout time, Streich’s squads are able to maintain their competitiveness and defeat several Bundesliga opponents. They might not win the championship, but they have a great chance of making the Champions League the next season.
RB Leipzig
Even though club executives often respond humbly when questioned about potential title hopes, the Red Bull-funded team has been targeting a championship for some time.
The team Leipzig has this year is perhaps their most skilled since their promotion in 2016. Manager Marco Rose wants to make the most of his time with Konrad Laimer and Christopher Nkunku because they might probably leave this summer. Until losing at home to Union Berlin two weeks ago, his team had a promising second half of the season. They may trail the top three by four points, but they are good enough to bridge the gap.
But, Leipzig’s upcoming games against Eintracht Frankfurt and Dortmund might determine whether or not they remain in the championship chase. Once Domenico Tedesco was replaced as manager by Rose in September, the former FC Salzburg manager discovered a way to capitalize on the drive and vertical style of his star players, creating a club that can outrun virtually anyone and get in behind the defense to generate opportunities. Yet regardless of the manager, Leipzig’s biggest flaw has always been their inability to win games when they are up. Champions have the ability to accomplish just that.
Eintracht Frankfurt
The 2022 Europa League champions should be looking up the table rather than down at the far-off pack of pursuers, but many things would need to line together for Frankfurt to contend with Bayern and Dortmund. A team led by France striker Randal Kolo Muani and playmaker Mario Gotze, both 30 years old, has been assembled by manager Oliver Glasner that plays exciting football.
The thrill may, however, occasionally fade away if Frankfurt appears overmatched, as they did in their 3-0 loss to FC Cologne two weeks ago. The team’s greatest strength is that they seldom lose trust in themselves, and Glasner, who is a thoughtful leader who understands how to cope with the variety of personalities in his locker room, is a key factor in this. Frankfurt may not be able to celebrate their first championship since 1959, but they are laying the groundwork that might place them among the best clubs in the Bundesliga for the foreseeable future.
Such forecasts, however, are risky in this league since teams like Frankfurt, Freiburg, and Union may lose some of their finest players in the near future and may then need to locate appropriate replacements. Fans of the Bundesliga should thus just take it easy for the rest of the year. While numerous other teams are keen to replace Bayern if only temporarily, they appear to be susceptible.
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