We Have a Title Race in the Bundesliga

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A look back at recent seasons in the German Bundesliga shows only one winner. Bayern Munich have won the German title in each of the last ten seasons, taking their total to 31 Bundesliga titles.

Borussia Dortmund and Borussia Monchengladbach are in joint second place but they have only 5 Bundesliga titles to their name, which underlines the dominance of Bayern Munich. Could the 2022/23 season be the one where Bayern Munich’s dominance comes to an end?

Last season, Bayern Munich won the German title by 8 points from Borussia Dortmund. The previous campaign there were 13 points between Bayern Munich and second place RB Leipzig. In 2019/20, Bayern Munich were 13 points clear at the end of the campaign and in 2018/19, they won the league by 2 points.

If we continue to go back from the 2018/19 season to the 2015/16 season, Bayern Munich won the league by 21 points, 15 points, and 10 points. So, only once in the past 8 seasons, has there been less than 8 points between Bayern Munich and the rest of the league.

Each season, Bayern Munich begin the campaign as the overwhelming favourites to win the Bundesliga with the bookies but they may not have things all their own way in 2022/23. We currently have five teams who are close enough to challenge for the German title this season.

Having each played 22 fixtures of the 34 game season, 6 points separates Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Union Berlin, RB Leipzig and Freiburg. Both Union Berlin and Freiburg have been the big surprises in the Bundesliga season and it remains to be seen if they can last the pace and push Bayern Munich all the way.

Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig both have what it takes to stay with Bayern Munich until the end of the season. Questions have been raised regarding the difference in performance levels of Bayern Munich in the Champions League and Bundesliga.

Manager Julian Nagelsmann was recently questioned about the discrepancy in performances and he spoke about the motivation to win the Bundesliga with a team that has done it so regularly compared to the Champions League.

Bayern Munich have won each of their 7 Champions League matches this season, beating Inter Milan and Barcelona home and away plus Paris Saint-Germain away in the first leg of the round of 16.

However, ahead of the game against Union Berlin, Bayern Munich won only 2 of their last 6 Bundesliga fixtures and there is a clear difference between the two competitions. For example, having beat PSG 1-0 away in the Champions League, Bayern Munich lost 3-2 at Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga, a team currently in 10th place.

If Bayern Munich are focussing on the Champions League at the expense of the Bundesliga, it opens the door to the challengers. Borussia Dortmund are in great form in the Bundesliga right now having won each of their last 7 matches and RB Leipzig are capable of going on a long unbeaten run, as they did before the World Cup.

This could be the season where the German title goes to the wire and we have new champions.