'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The top-flight club football in Germany has come to a standstill after the end of Hinrunde, the first half of the season. So, with no Bundesliga action until mid-January 2018, the pundits will have their plates full of analysis of how the 2017/18 campaign has panned out so far.
Bayern Munich, surprise surprise, are the winter champions as they head into the break with an incredible 11-point lead at the top, whereas Borussia Dortmund have recovered from the October and November slump to move up to third. Schalke have witnessed a similar resurgence this season, whereas FC Koln are being sucked into the black hole with each passing week.
With that and much more to contemplate on, here are some major things we have learned from the Bundesliga so far.
#1 Heynckes rallies Bayern Munich
Just nine weeks into his third stint at the club and Jupp Heynckes has already transformed the Bavarians into a force to be reckoned with as Bayern have bridged a five-point gap at the top to lead the pack by nine. All the scrambles of the early season under Carlo Ancelotti are a distant memory as the Bavarians are now racing to a sixth consecutive league title.
The appointment of Jupp Heynckes by calling him out of retirement seemed more of a desperate measure at once, but just over two months later, it is proving to be enough to alleviate the problems.
Post the 3-0 humiliation in Paris, the Munich giants are a different beast altogether, redeeming their confidence and verve. Having accrued only 14 points from the first seven games to pillaging 27 in the next 10, it's safe to say that the Heynckes factor is working its magic here. Their performance in the Champions League too, improved manifold.
The early season wobbles portended a shift in power in German top-tier, but all such premonitions are now effectively squished with Bayern's return to form.
#2 Dortmund undo all the promise with a spectacular implosion
Up until matchday seven, Borussia Dortmund were comfortably sailing through the season with six victories and 19 points in the bag out of a possible 21. That coupled with Bayern's stuttering run in that period, it seemed the Yellow Submarine are on course to break the hegemony. But just then, came the rough patch. With five defeats and two draws, Dortmund imploded, and spectacularly, as they plummeted directly to 8th in the table thereby haplessly ceding the top spot.
Peter Bosz was shown the door and in came his namesake Peter Stoger, who has overseen two victories in as many games since taking over. Yet, the decline was so precipitous, it would take some resurgence to overhaul Bayern as they now trail by 13 points. The only semblance of respite is the fact that they head into the break third in the table, albeit, only on goal difference.
With Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig and Borussia Monchengladbach all hot on their coat-tails at 28 points each, Borussia Dortmund aren't completely out of danger. One misstep and the season would be an unmitigated disaster.
Stoger and co. have a mountain to climb in the second-half of the season.
#3 Schalke breathe new life under Tedesco
German-Italian manager Dominico Tedesco took over the helm of affairs at Schalke at the beginning of the 2017/18 season, and its safe to say the club are seeing new light under him.
Second in the table at mid-season and unbeaten in the league for an incredible 11 consecutive games, the Royal Blues are turning into an intimidating outfit. Nothing sums up their resurgence more than fighting back a 4-0 deficit to level 4-4 against Borussia Dortmund in one of the greatest ever comebacks in Bundesliga.
A pensive mood engulfed the Rhine Valley when the club instated the relatively inexperienced 31-year old as the head coach in July, but six months on from the bold decision, it's all coming to fruition. Schalke are now fierce in pressing whilst also maintaining a taut defensive shape. Not has their game upscaled in the past few weeks, but the players too oozed a confidence that was painfully lacking in the recent years.
Tedesco hasn't just proved to be tactically astute, but also a great leader that the group can look up to. And the backing he's received from the players is unprecedented.
All the chatters of another crisis-ridden year are dying down, and Tedesco signals the dawn of a new, happy era at the club.
#4 FC Koln are the worst side seen in Bundesliga in years
As hard it may be for one to admit, but FC Koln of 2017/18 are seriously one of the worst sides of Bundesliga in the recent memory. With just one victory and a staggering 13 defeats from the first 17 outings, the Cologne outfit are staring down the barrel of a gun. And we are only halfway through.
Having stunned the critics with a fifth-place finish last season, Koln have managed to catch them on a hop again this time, but for all the wrong reasons. The side have scored just 10 times so far, but conceding 32 times in what has been a putrid run of results, evoking memories of Tasmania Berlin of the 60s.
Currently dissolved, the minnows from Neukolln held the distinction for being the worst side in Germany's top-flight with just 8 points from a possible 68 and winning only twice in 34 games in 1966. Over 50 years later, they find themselves a competition.
Koln are in an abject state of affairs that's only seeping deeper and deeper into the club. With players lacking any sort of inspiration and the management going devoid of ideas, a relegation into the second tier looks painfully imminent.
#5 The race for Champions League finish is one of the most closely contested in years
As Bayern Munich continue to again ascendancy under Heynckes, the rest are once again, left to catch-up with them. But this time, there has been an unusually close contest between the teams in the top half, as right from second-place side to the one on 10th, are all in the mix to finish within Champions League places. Just look at the standings right now.
The gap between Schalke (2nd in the table) and Hertha Berlin (10th in the table) is only 6 points! Compare that to those of Premier League, La Liga and the Serie A, it's 19, 15 and 18 respectively, further accentuating Bundesliga's taut competition for Europe this season.
Moreover, as many as four teams are tied at 28 points on 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th, as only the goal-difference separate them, literally smashing all the prophecy and predictions out of the park with such mind-boggling stats.
Even though knocking Bayern off their perch remains beyond the bounds of possibilities for anyone, at least the league is infinitely more open below them, making it one of the more entertaining leagues this time
