Bundesliga review

[Bembeltown]

Dortmund is far from beeing able to win the Champions League. They simply lack the experience and depth in their squad....

They won´t win the League title either as Bayern is simply on a different level this year and I can see them go all the way to win the Champions League.

As linkes Auge (what the hell) said I would consider them on par with Barcelona and better than Real.

Real is bottling the big games and it seems like they are not really a team...you got the Pro Ronaldo faction, you got the Spaniards etc.

Bayern did everything right after last year´s disaster and added a lot more depth to their squad. They can easily compensate injuries and can rotate their players in and out every week to give them rest.

They bought Mandzukic and a lot of people considered him just a bench warmer behind Gomez, but if he stays fit Gomez won´t see a lot of playtime simply as Mandzukic is the better player and fits much better into their team.

When you play Gomez you basically play with 10 man as the only thing he can do is score if he gets proper service. Mandzukic is maybe a slightly worse striker, but he has so much more to offer than Gomez in terms of keeping the ball, passing etc.

Bayern is much more flexible this year and their whole offensive line is able to score and it´s not just "feed the donkey and he will score".

Only weak points in my opinion are Neuer (he is not yet worldclass and has shown a worrying display of brainfarts recently) and their coach.

I don´t rate Heynckes at all and I don´t think he will be able to come up with suprise tactics or clutch decisions which are needed in tough matches like e.g. against Barcelona.

But maybe its just my personal hatred against the red headed **** as he basically caused the downfall of my club when he was coaching us.

 

[bayern blade]

How do you rate your chances in the European Cup this year mate?

3rd best team behind Real and Barca, surely you can see them getting to the final?

Bayern look a class above the rest in Germany at the moment and look more determined than ever to regain the title.

If we can keep this form going I think we have as good a chance as anyone, especially considering that we have Gomez to come back, Alaba now returning and we have the likes of Martinez, Shaqiri etc now in the squad.
Dortmund simply aren't used to the Saturday/midweek/Saturday rhythm long term, it will be interesting to see how they go on if they do manage to get out of the group phase.

 

[Ruhr]

the final matches

Werder Bremen 4-0 Borussia Mönchengladbach, att 42,100
Petersen, Arnautovic, Füllkrug, Junuzovic

1.FC Nürnberg 0-0 FC Augsburg, att. 40,171

Hamburger SV 0-1 VfB Stuttgart att, 53, 121
Ibisevic

1 - Bayern München 8 matches - +24 goal difference - 24 points

2 - E. Frankfurt 8 +8 19
3 - Schalke 04 8 +9 17

4 - Bor. Dortmund 8+7 12

5 - Bay. Leverkusen 8 2 12
6 -Hannover 96 8 +3 11

7 - SC Freiburg 8 +3 11
8 - Mainz 05 8 -1 11
9 - Werder Bremen 8 +1 10
10 - Hamburger SV 8 -2 10
11 - F. Düsseldorf 8 -2 10
12 - VfB Stuttgart 8 -6 9
13 - Bor. M'gladbach 8 -7 9
14 - 1899 Hoffenheim 8 -4 8
15 - 1.FC Nürnberg 8 -7 8

16 - FC Augsburg 8 -6 6

17 - Greuther Fürth 8 -9 5
18 - VfL Wolfsburg 8 -13 5

This seems to be a very boring season. After 8 matches already only 3 teams left for the title. And so many potential title teams absolutely average. Bayer, Werder, HSV;, Stuttgart, M´gladbach. Hoffenheim´s investments all failed and Wolfsburg is even worse in the relegation zone

 

[DD]

Dortmund had a lot of key players missing yesterday and it's something they are not used to after a virtually injury free two years. The formation was changed and the team just looked a pale shadow of it's usual self. Schalke were worthy winners.

In a week where football has taken a bit of a panning, it seems to have escaped many unnoticed that there were 180 arrests at yesterday's derby. The fact that 163 of those arrested were Schalke fans is a damning statistic. I'd like to hear Ruhr's views on that.

I've just got back from a trip to Germany myself that invloved three games, Eintracht Frankfurt v Freiburg, Stuttgart II v Heidenheim and Stuttgart v Bayer Leverkusen. As ever, it was a pleasure mingling with some great people and scenes like this come as a huge shock. City don't have that many arrests all season.

 

[DD]

the final matches

Werder Bremen 4-0 Borussia Mönchengladbach, att 42,100
Petersen, Arnautovic, Füllkrug, Junuzovic

1.FC Nürnberg 0-0 FC Augsburg, att. 40,171

Hamburger SV 0-1 VfB Stuttgart att, 53, 121
Ibisevic

1 - Bayern München 8 matches - +24 goal difference - 24 points

2 - E. Frankfurt 8 +8 19
3 - Schalke 04 8 +9 17

4 - Bor. Dortmund 8+7 12

5 - Bay. Leverkusen 8 2 12
6 -Hannover 96 8 +3 11

7 - SC Freiburg 8 +3 11
8 - Mainz 05 8 -1 11
9 - Werder Bremen 8 +1 10
10 - Hamburger SV 8 -2 10
11 - F. Düsseldorf 8 -2 10
12 - VfB Stuttgart 8 -6 9
13 - Bor. M'gladbach 8 -7 9
14 - 1899 Hoffenheim 8 -4 8
15 - 1.FC Nürnberg 8 -7 8

16 - FC Augsburg 8 -6 6

17 - Greuther Fürth 8 -9 5
18 - VfL Wolfsburg 8 -13 5

This seems to be a very boring season. After 8 matches already only 3 teams left for the title. And so many potential title teams absolutely average. Bayer, Werder, HSV;, Stuttgart, M´gladbach. Hoffenheim´s investments all failed and Wolfsburg is even worse in the relegation zone

Only one team left for the title. Let's be honest. ;)

The Stuttgart fans I spoke two weeks ago were convinced that their team was heading for relegation but I've seen much worse.

Gladbach were always going to suffer after letting three of their main players ago. Bremen I fancied would have a bad season after their end to last year and Hamburg were always going to be average at best. I'm surprised Wolfsburg have been so poor though.

The way I see things panning out is that Bayern will win the league by a massive amount of points with Schalke and Dortmund 2nd and 3rd. Fourth is wide open. I fancied Hannover but who knows what can happen if Eintracht Frankfurt have another good few weeks?

Greuther Fürth are going and I think Düsseldorf's fine start will collapse soon. They just don't look like scoring. Wolfsburg, Augsburg or Nürnberg for the play-offs.

Braunchweig looking to be hitting a hot pace in the 2nd. I'd like to know the story behind that because they were nothing special last year. Cologne seem to be picking up a bit. Unbelievable comeback yesterday to win after trailing 2-0 in the 87th minute.

My boys in 3.Liga, Alemannia Aachen, are sadly every bit as hopeless as last year when they were relegated from the 2nd. I see another relegation battle looming, and if they go down to the Regionalliga, that'll be it. They'll go bust.

 

[Maldeika]

Oh, Düsseldorf had only 3 goals against them until they got into the way of Bayern yesterday. If they keep to their rules of the weeks before - and with that fantastic viewers that even celebrated their players after the 0:5 - they have pretty good chances to stay in the league.

I think it is difficult right now to predict anything about relegations - even about the teams that will go to Europe - right now.

It is so tight between 4th and the end. Win 3 matches or loose them and you will go up or fall 10 ranks...

 

[ICT-Tam]

Brings a tear to my eye watching german games. I spent many a saturday in Saturn last year watching all the games! I look out for Kaiserslautern results from time to time. Fantastic country!

 

[Ruhr]

Brings a tear to my eye watching german games. I spent many a saturday in Saturn last year watching all the games! I look out for Kaiserslautern results from time to time. Fantastic country!

Wasn´t it you living in the Saarland for some time?
Kaiserslautern currently 3rd in Bundesliga 2. Maybe on their way back to the Bundesliga

 

[Bembeltown]

Brings a tear to my eye watching german games. I spent many a saturday in Saturn last year watching all the games! I look out for Kaiserslautern results from time to time. Fantastic country!

"Wir scheißen auf Saarbrücken, wir pissen in die Saar, Scheiß Kaiserslautern, Tod und Hass dem FCK!"

May the farmer boys rot in the lowest depths of the 2nd division until the end of time. ;)

 

[eljorgo]

Bayern are so strong, that's horrible, but they don't played against a world class team till now. Schalke & Valencia are good, but not world class. They have to beat the top clubs before we select them as the new champions league winner.