Bayern on record course

Trying to forget a bit the whole World Cup, yesterday I watched a match from the German league: Freiburg versus Bayern Munich. 

Mighty Bayern are on the way to take the title yet again (their 13th in the last 14 seasons) in record format. Before the Freiburg match they had 97 goals, well on the way to beat their 1972 record of 101 goals. But it was not to be easy against Freiburg. After 0-0 in the first half the side from Baden-Wurttenberg managed to get ahead 2-0 by way of Johan Manzambi and Lucas Höler on two mistakes by the now rather old Manuel Neuer. 

Freiburg was still leading with 10 minutes to go when the young Tom Bischof scored his first two goals ever for Bayern Munich, and made it 2-2 on two great strikes from outside the box to the massive disappointment of the Freiburg fans. And it was to get worse: 8 minutes into added time another youngster, Lennart Karl, scored the winner and 100th season goal for Bayern Munich as the Freiburg defense just waited for the match to end.

Bayern Munich will be champions again. 

Leverkusen!

The German Bundesliga have new champions for the first time in 11 seasons, all of which have been won by Bayern Munchen. Bayer Leverkusen won their first title ever in style. with seven matches to go they are 16 points clear of Bayern Munchen and have in fact not lost a single match the entire season, something that could cement this incredible victory under Manager Xabi Alonso, who is already touted as one of the new great managers of the world, and may have offers from many of the clubs he played for as a player, such as Bayern Munchen, Real Madrid and Liverpool. 

That said he appears to want to stay in North Rhine-Westphalia with a club that had only been runners-up (and a memorable Champions League final in 2002). And more may be in store for Leverkusen this season, as they are on their way to the semifinals of the Europa League, after defeating West Ham 2-0, a tournament they are so far also undefeated at.

I think Leverkusen's victory is great for German football, as Bayern's dominance is broken by a team that plays good football and has managed to put together a solid side of players from all over the world, as well as many young players, but without any overshadowing superstar. Leverkusen are above all a team!

Bundesliga start

The Bundesliga opens today with defending champions Bayern Munich facing Bayer Leverkusen. Despite the dominance of Bayern Munich, the German league always has surprises, amazing young talent, plenty goals and some of the best atmosphere in Europe (Borussia Dortmund fans are perhaps the best I have ever seen).
And the Bundesliga leads the way also in terms of equality, with the first female referee, Ms. Bibiana Steinhaus, who will be making her debut in the Bundesliga! I hope that we will soon see her in the Champions League!
(but don't count on me not complaining about the referee anyway)

Towards the championship

The European leagues are entering their last stage, and one can begin to see the shape of the champions more or less in many of them:

• In Germany, Borussia Dortmund destroyed 4th placed Hannover 96, and are 7 points ahead of Bayer Leverkusen with six matches left. They have had an extraordinary season, and it would be a pity if they don't win it.
• In Italy's local derby between AC Milan and Inter, AC Milan won 3-0. Pato played an extraordinary match in this important step for the Milanese, although the Serie is hot: Napoli took second spot after defeating Lazio, only three points up to first place! It will be an exciting ending!
• In the Netherlands Twente defeated PSV Eindhoven 2-0 in a hugely important victory to retake the title. There are five matches left, and a five point difference between Twente, PSV Eindhoven and Ajax Amsterdam on first, second and third spots respectively.
  
• In Portugal FC Porto defeated second placed Benfica 1-2 in Lisbon, and now 16 points ahead of Benfica and five matches left, is certain to win the championship. The Portuguse league has been completely dominated by a mighty Porto side that might still go through it undefeated!
  

While I was gone

I have been travelling, and although watching football as much as possible, have not been able to post much here. Still, many interesting things have happened in the world of football!

• In the Italian Serie A, AC Milan and Napoli played a match where the southerners had the chance of taking over the first spot. However, they faced a concentrated Milan side where Brazilian Pato was extraordinary and Milan won 3-0 to become entrenched at the first spot, where only a rather unstable Inter seems able to threaten them for the title.
• The team of the moment is surely Germany's Borussia Dortmund. Last week they defeated Bayern Munich, in Munich, 3-1. They are a young, hugely talented side who are now heading straight for the Bundesliga title!
• In Spain, Barcelona has again pulled a bit more away after Real Madrid only managed 0-0 with La Coruña. In spite of winning in Valencia, Barcelona is looking a bit more shaky, also looking ahead at the play-off match in the Champions League with Arsenal.
• The Champions League started with excellent matches. Arsenal's 2-1 victory against Barcelona was excellent, and although my sympathies surely lie in Catalunya, I hope that Arsenal can put up a great fight! I was in Aruba when I saw Lyon and Real Madrid play 1-1, ahead of what will be an interesting match in Madrid. Also, I was unashamedly delighted to see that Chelsea defeated FC Copenhagen, although at the same time, I am nervous about Valencia's options after 1-1 with Schalke 04, no matter how much I sympathise with Raul!

Anyway, back to work and to football!

The bundesliga

I follow the German Bundesliga superficially; I always have. This season the Bundesliga is more exciting than ever; differenly from all other European leagues, that seem pretty set or just a petty fight between two, or max three, teams, the German league is a contest where many teams have a shot at the title with only three matches left!
This season's sensation, Vfl Wolfburg is still top of the league with 60 points, and may still win their first title ever under Felix Magath. However, the defending champions, the southern German giants of Bayern Munich, in spite of a poor season (where coach Jurgen Klinsmann was recently fired), are second, with 60 points as well, and looking to put pressure on Wolfburg. And putting pressure on these two teams, are Hertha Berlin and VfB Stuttgart, on third and fourth place, with 59 and 58 points respectively, and thus with a good chance of taking the title as well. For Hertha Berlin, the major team from the capital, it would be great to take the German title they have never taken since the 1930s. VfB Stuttgart won the title in 2007, and is eager to win it again.
Finally, Borussia Dortmund and Hamburger SV have 55 point each, and also a chance of taking the title (although I must add, that as I write this, HSV has one match less, and thus, potentially 58 points. HSV is playing against Werder Bremen, and will surely want revenge after being denied the UEFA cup final spot last weekend when losing 2-3 at home!).
There are some exciting matches in the last three rounds: Wolfsburg-Dortmund and Bayern Munich-VfB Stuttgart. The two top teams are the ones with two home matches, while Hertha Berlin and VfB Stuttgart has two away matches, while Hamburger SV also has two (on paper easy) matches at home, and one away.

In any case, the Bundesliga is currently the most exciting league in Europe, and is probably only going to be decided in the last round, and be sure that all the teams will do their utmost to get the title!