Return of the Bundesliga brings title race and relegation fight
Angela Merkel can hang up her boots from the playmaker role she occupied in the debate over the return of the Bundesliga during the coronavirus pandemic.
From May 16, after two months without football in Germany, action can resume with teams quickly needing to adapt their mindset for the sporting contest ahead.
THE CHAMPIONSHIP Leaders Bayern Munich have a four-point advantage over Borussia Dortmund with RB Leipzig one point further adrift. The record champions are chasing an eighth successive title and hit form under coach Hansi Flick before play was suspended. But trips to Dortmund (May 26/27) and then Bayer Leverkusen, followed by a home match against fourth-placed Borussia Moenchengladbach, could yet throw a spanner in the Munich works.
THE RACE FOR EUROPE Leverkusen, in fifth, would seem the only threat to the current top four and their grip on the Champions League places. They trail Gladbach by just two points while holding a 10-point gap over Schalke in sixth. Wolfsburg, Freiburg and Hoffenheim complete the top half of the table and have realistic European hopes – especially if Bayern complete another double meaning seventh in the Bundesliga enters the Europa League.
THE RELEGATION FIGHT Promoted Paderborn have only 16 points and sitting bottom are six shy of Fortuna Dusseldorf in the relegation play-off place, with the sides meeting right away on May 16. Crisis club Werder Bremen are second last with just four wins from 24 matches having played a game less than their relegation rivals. Mainz, Augsburg and Hertha Berlin also have survival worries while neither Eintracht Frankfurt or Union Berlin are yet completely safe.
TOP SCORING CROWN The duel between Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski (25 goals) and Leipzig’s Timo Werner (21) will resume. The Germany international Werner has reportedly decided against a move to Munich to add spice to the battle while Poland’s Lewandowski is chasing a fifth scoring honour and third in succession. Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho is third on the list but with only 14 goals is essentially out of contention.
NEW COACHES Hertha Berlin used the enforced coronavirus break to appoint a fourth coach of the campaign – the experienced Bruno Labbadia will be expected to (finally) bring positive headlines back to the capital. The Berliners endured a disastrous spell under Juergen Klinsmann and forward Salomon Kalou added to the sense of farce this season by publishing a Facebook video showing players ignoring new hygiene rules. Augsburg’s Heiko Herrlich was appointed before the season suspension but has yet to be on the bench for the club.
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GERMAN CUP The national federation DFB has expressed surprise that the restart of the German Cup wasn’t approved along with that for the Bundesliga by the political authorities. The competition was halted at the semi-final stage, with holders Bayern Munich to welcome Eintracht Frankfurt and fourth-tier Saarbruecken to host Leverkusen to decide the Berlin finalists. However, a solution is expected to be found eventually. (dpa)
