The Bundes-leaders

            Saturday’s Bundesliga slate closed the books on this year’s regular season. Werder Bremen kept their survival hopes intact on Saturday afternoon with a commanding 6-1 thrashing of Cologne to lift them out of the automatic relegation zone and into the 16^th place play-off spot. Whilst prior predictions were finally laid to rest, the final weekend of the season also sparked new theories for the campaign ahead. Borussia Monchengladbach eased past Hertha Berlin at home to secure 4^th place and Champions League football for 2020/21, pipping Bayer Leverkusen to the post by just two-points and causing further doubts over youngster Kai Havertz’s future at the BayArena. In an action-packed final round of fixtures, it was eight goals that separated 6^th (an automatic Europa League spot) from 7^th (a qualification berth for the competition). Hoffenheim’s shock 4-0 victory at Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion (courtesy of four Andrej Kramaric strikes) lifted them above their Europa League competitors Wolfsburg, who became the latest victims of Hansi Flick’s merciless Munich. Robert Lewandowski’s 34^th league goal of the season confirmed his third Torjagerkanone (given to the Bundesliga’s leading scorer) in a row, as Bayern crushed 10-men Wolfsburg 4-0. At the foot of the division, the always spirited Paderborn side fell to a 3-2 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt in what will be their final Bundesliga appearance for at least another year. With Werder’s magnificent win over Cologne, Fortuna Dusseldorf needed to better Bremen’s result to ensure safety. However, in a frustrating afternoon in the nation’s capital, Dusseldorf were condemned to the second tier following a 3-0 defeat at Bundesliga debutants Union Berlin.

            Most neutrals were engrossed on Hansi Flick’s side on Saturday afternoon, understandably so after their recent performances, but with the title in the bag and Wolfsburg already guaranteed European football of some sort, Bremen was the place to be (or watch given the closed doors policy at this troubling time). Werder hold the record for the most seasons in the Bundesliga and are currently in their 39^th consecutive season in Germany’s topflight. Safety isn’t guaranteed yet however, a home and away play-off with Bundesliga Zwei side FC Heidenheim will determine whether they shall maintain their Bundesliga status for another year. Heidenheim themselves are pursuing their first ever taste of Bundesliga football. This season’s close encounter with relegation is quite the contrast on last season’s 8^th place finish. The departure of Max Kruse proved a critical loss to the Bremen squad which even managed to reach the semi-finals of the DFB-Pokal in 2018/19. In the climactic run-in Werder Bremen clawed back at their shoddy goal difference with a 5-1 win at Paderborn two weeks ago, along with Saturday’s impressive 6-1 victory. At the beginning of the Bundesliga’s resumption (back in mid-May) Werder had a five-point deficit to make up on Dusseldorf in 16^th place. Bremen endured a rather erratic end to the campaign but Fortuna Dusseldorf’s one win in nine following the restart helped Florian Kohfeldt’s men stay afloat near the bottom. Werder Bremen’s squad ranks 3^rd oldest in the Bundesliga’s average ages. Whilst this could concern supporters regarding the long-term future, Bremen’s experience should steer them through the relegation play-off tie with Heidenheim. Werder’s primary concern should be focused on their loanees and whether they will return to the side next season. Defensive midfielder Kevin Vogt has been a mainstay in the starting line-up since he was drafted in on-loan from Hoffenheim. Fellow loanee Leonardo Bittencourt also joined Kohfeldt from Hoffenheim until the season’s end. Bundesliga fans might recall Bittencourt’s long-range screamer at Schalke to snatch all three-points, looking back, a vital strike in Bremen’s season. Michael Lang (from Monchengladbach) and Omer Toprak (Dortmund) are two more defenders due to depart this Bremen group following their relegation fight. Football lovers with prior Bundesliga knowledge were crying out for a Werder/Hamburg showdown in the relegation play-off, known as the Nordderby, this fixture is one of German football’s fiercest rivalries. Unfortunately for the neutrals Hamburg blew their slim hopes of a play-off spot in an embarrassing 5-1 home defeat to mid-table Sandhausen on the final day. Bremen’s players, coaches and staff all roared a sigh of relief upon Saturday’s final whistle. Although the job isn’t quite complete, momentum is fully with the Bundesliga side heading into Thursday’s first leg.

            Wedged between the Bremen/Heidenheim double header is the small matter of the DFB-Pokal final. Munich are on a sixteen-game win streak across all competitions and look to add the domestic cup to their trophy cabinet before attempting to complete a potential treble when the Champions League continues six weeks from now. Facing-off against Hansi Flick and co in Berlin this Saturday is Peter Bosz and his disheartened Leverkusen side. Die Werkself (the works eleven) head back to the Olympiastadion a fortnight after a 2-0 defeat to Hertha Berlin at the same venue thwarted their Champions League chase. Hertha were unable to replicate their heroics of last weekend as they fell to a 2-1 defeat at Monchengladbach. A two-horse race for the final Champions League spot was fittingly secured by the Foals (Die Fohlen) within the final two-weeks of the campaign. Hertha Berlin were the perpetrators in the death of Leverkusen’s season, snatching all three points in the penultimate game before serving them on a platter to their rivals Gladbach just one week later. The jury is still out on whether or not Peter Bosz is the long term answer for this Leverkusen group, his remarkable turnaround from 9^th place (when he took over in Dec 18’) to 4^th and a Champions League place in his first season has certainly bought him some time. Victory in Berlin on Saturday would silence Leverkusen’s disparaging supporters, at least until they take to the field in early August when the Europa League returns. Having comfortably despatched of Rangers (3-1) in Glasgow back before football’s unanticipated hiatus, Leverkusen have one foot in the Europa League Quarter Finals. Tough competition stands between Leverkusen and successive Champions League appearances. Manchester United, Inter Milan, Roma, Sevilla, fellow Germans Eintracht Frankfurt and Wolfsburg are all still in the hat for the final 8. If Leverkusen can fend off the scores of vultures breathing down their necks for Kai Havertz, they stand a chance of adding their second Uefa Cup/Europa League to the honours list. The promise of Champions League football feels like the final thread holding Havertz and Leverkusen together.

            Despite Kevin Volland’s 2^nd minute winner on Saturday, Leverkusen players left the field with their heads bowed down in dismay at their failure to deliver Champions League football to the BayArena. Reactions around the Leverkusen stadium spoke volumes of the club’s frustrated feelings of underachievement. Whilst Leverkusen mourned over their Europa League Group Stage qualification, just over 50 miles down the road in Dortmund social distancing was tossed out like an old rag as Hoffenheim’s players and management embraced over their 6^th placed finish. By annihilating Lucien Favre’s Dortmund 4-0, and with a small favour from Munich’s routine victory at the Volkswagen Arena, Hoffenheim slipped past Wolfsburg to steal 6^th place and automatically qualify for the Group Stages of the 2020/21 Europa League, leaving their rivals Wolfsburg to escort themselves through the qualification rounds. Andrej Kramaric, a misfit during his brief spell in the English Premiership, stole the show and the match ball in a bizarre afternoon in North Rhine-Westphalia. Saturday’s performance was the latest chapter in another conflicting Dortmund season. Off the back of a statement 2-0 win at Leipzig where an Erling Haaland double exerted their superiority over the RotenBullen, Kramaric took advantage over Dortmund’s lackadaisical defence. No complaints over the Croatian’s opening strike, a beautifully curled effort beyond Burki from just outside the area but the former Leicester City striker was gifted a brace on the half hour mark. Unmarked in the six-yard box, Kramaric steered home a wayward Robert Skov strike to double his side’s advantage. Some highly uncharacteristic defending from Dortmund set the tone for the remainder of the afternoon. The hat-trick came just after the restart when the uncontested Kramaric was allowed time in the box before nutmegging Burki. A Mats Hummels barge on Munas Dabbur gave Andrej Kramaric the chance to bag his 4^th of the day and 12^th on the year. Kramaric made no mistakes, knocking in a no-look penalty to end the days scoring and ensure he ended the campaign as Hoffenheim’s top scorer. Defensive woes were the decisive factor in Saturday’s shock defeat but the elephant in the room remains Dortmund’s struggles in the centre of the pitch. Until Dortmund can match Bayern’s depth in centre midfield, they will forever be in the Bavarians’ shadow. Emre Can’s loan deal from Juventus was made permanent just after the January transfer window, a crucial move as the most technically gifted of the group. With Mario Gotze now a free agent, Dortmund’s central midfield consists only of Can, Thomas Delaney, young Mahmoud Dahoud and veteran Axel Witsel. Everyone knows the potential Dortmund’s youthful strike force brings. Erling Haaland completed the 2019/20 Bundesliga season on 13 goals (more than Gnabry, Kramaric or Havertz) despite only joining midway. Unlike Peter Bosz, who is being given the benefit of the doubt, it grows more and more evident by the week that Lucien Favre is not the desired figure to lead this auspicious Dortmund side. As Timo Werner swaps the red and white of Leipzig for the famous royal blue of Chelsea, the gap between Dortmund and their new Champions League competitors RB Leipzig looks larger than when the young German was banging in goals for fun. However, just as Dortmund appear to distance themselves from the pack so too do their fierce rivals in the South. Hours after Bayern Munich confirmed the signing of goalkeeper Alex Nubel from Schalke 04, it was revealed the 30-times league winners agreed a £55 million deal for another Schalke academy graduate Leroy Sane from Manchester City. The German international boosts an already A-list front-line that are on the hunt for ten-in-a-row.

            The timing of the Bundesliga’s resumption was perfect in different aspects. For the football lovers like myself at home, having football back (and such a high standard at that) not only offered a comforting distraction but gave us a glimpse away from the Premiership’s money-orientated traditions and into the Germans different ideology. The Bundesliga thrives on what happens on the pitch as opposed to what happens off it. Football isn’t a business for tycoons to manipulate, it’s for the fans. Unfortunately, due to restrictions our view of the German top tier was delivered without the presence of those wild football mad German’s, but the action on the field more than made amends. Squads stocked with young homegrown talent and reasonably paid middle-to-lower end sides was a breath of fresh air from what the Premier League has become. Away from the viewership, the German footballing body (DFB) set the standard for other leagues to follow regarding limited attendees (300 people including players, coaches and referees), regular testing and to begin with careful social distancing (between substitutes, celebrations etc). With the Bundesliga returning to our tv sets long before the English, Italian or Spanish followed suit, German football was in the limelight whilst all of us Brits were still confined to our homes. As German covid-19 cases dropped, the DFB reinstated the Bundesliga at the perfect time.

            As we say Auf Wiedersehen to the Bundesliga for the time being, it’s worth thanking the league for the fantastic distraction during a difficult period in society. Millions of fans have been brainwashed into believing the Premier League is second to none when it comes to the most entertaining football divisions. With Lionel Messi running riot in Spain’s LA Liga and Cristiano Ronaldo still defying physics over in Italy’s Serie A, the Bundesliga doesn’t get the recognition it deserves as one of the world’s most entertaining leagues. With Germany’s topflight returning weeks before any other division, the Bundesliga gained followers week by week. Some ‘neutrals’ even adopted a Bundesliga team to cheer on until the conclusion of the season. I can’t speak for everyone who turned to the Bundesliga in their time of distress, but I personally won’t turn my back on the league when the next campaign kicks-off. German football’s incredibly efficient set-up and style of play was enthralling from start to finish. I hope by the time the dust settles on this season and the DFB prepare for the season ahead that the final piece of the puzzle will return. The fans.

            Danke Schon!