FIL - Football Isn't Luck: Bundesliga

BUNDESLIGA

It has been a very standard start for the German top flight, with the giant that dominates imposing themselves and seeing the rest of their opponents fighting it out to get the “best of the rest” place. It’s still early days, of course, but it’s very hard to predict that anyone will challenge Bayern in their route for another title.

BAYERN MUNICH

Things remain pretty much the same since the last update for Ancelotti and his team that already has a small gap between themselves and the rest of the league. Strong in defense, deadly in attack, Bayern keeps the same foundations from the Guardiola years. You don’t want to mess with a winning formula and only Hummels has been a new face regular in the starting XI, with young wonderkid Renato Sanches still adapting to a new, more intense football. They were finally stopped by in-form Koln, but it was probably just a blip in the radar.

BORUSSIA DORTMUND

Injuries have been a thorn in Tuchel’s shoe, has the absences of Reus, Gotze, Bartra, Bender, Durm and now Guerreiro have been decisive to keep a consistent run of form going. It seemed it was coming with some demolition jobs, but the trip to Leverkusen ended in defeat and Bayern is starting to go. Dortmund is also missing the voice of Hummels to lead them in tougher games but if they fix that issue, with their offensive prowess, Dortmund can still have a word in the fight.

HERTHA BERLIN

Pal Dardai has been receiving some praise for the start of season that he was able to produce with Hertha and you can understand why. Only one defeat, a normal one in Munich at the Allianz Arena, but with results coming up their way in the next round, Hertha got themselves in between Bayern and Dortmund, a place they will defend at Dortmund in the big match of round 7.

The League

Latest results

It’s a familiar face up top, but the rest of the Bundesliga is still to unravel, as there are only 6 points difference between 2^nd and 12^th. Hertha Berlin is joined by Koln and RB Leipzig as the big surprises. RB Leipzig that is one curious case of ressurgance for the East part of Germany. Until 2009, it was a fifth-division club called SSV Markranstädt that few had heard of even in its native Saxony. Then the Austrian energy drink manufacturer Red Bull bought the club’s licence, changed its name, crest and kit, and promised a transfer budget of a rumoured €100m (£85m) (for more read the article in the Guardian - https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/sep/08/why-rb-leipzig-has-become-the-most-hated-club-in-german-football)
As a big disappointment you’ve gotta look at Schalke’s start of season and just wonder what is going on in Gelsenkirchen. They finally put their misery away in the last game but they have to run behind from the get go and Schalke might have an underwhelming season.