Bundesliga title race hotting up

Usually, this time of the season is about the time Bayern Munich are pulling away from the rest of the pack in the Bundesliga, but not this time.

After a dramatic weekend in the German top flight, the top six are separated by just five points with the top three – Bayern, Borussia Dortmund, and Union Berlin – all level on 43 points.

We’ll start with Bayern who have, for the most part, been drawing far too many games. Just last month, Julian Nagelsmann’s side drew three games in succession.

Last Saturday though Bayern suffered defeat, although it shouldn’t come as a surprise – Borussia Mönchengladbach have often had Bayern’s number. And despite the Munich side pinching arguably Gladbach’s best player in goalkeeper Yann Sommer to cover for the injured Manuel Neuer, it happened again.

Dayot Upamecano received a red card after just eight minutes at Borussia-Park for a foul on Alassane Pléa that, while being difficult to see, did prevent a goal-scoring chance for the French forward. 

The numerical superiority meant that Daniel Farke’s Gladbach ran out 3-2 winners and it means that Bayern haven’t won against the Foals in five attempts.

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No one has more wins in the Bundesliga this season than Dortmund (14), with Union next on 13 followed by Bayern and Freiburg on 12.

However, despite that win there was a setback for Dortmund with the news that Karim Adeyemi, who scored the winner against Chelsea, will be out for three weeks making him a doubt for the return fixture.

Then there’s Union Berlin, the real outsiders of the top three. Union’s five-game winning streak in the Bundesliga came to an end at the weekend after being held to a draw at home by the league’s worst team, Schalke.

Like Bayern and Dortmund, Union also had a European game to recover from. The Berlin side travelled to Amsterdam where the game against Ajax finished goalless.

@Getty / Boris Streubel

Since promotion to the Bundesliga for the 2019/20 season, Union have never beaten Bayern but they have at least managed three draws in the last five meetings – including a 1-1 draw earlier this season in Berlin with Sheraldo Becker and Joshua Kimmich both on the scoresheet.

Bayern will be favourites, enjoying a midweek off while Union have to welcome Ajax for their Europa League play-off second leg.

Borussia Dortmund will be hoping that both sides drop points, as BVB travel to a Hoffenheim team caught up in the relegation zone.

However, if any of the top three start to drop off then the chasing pack of Freiburg, Leipzig, and Eintracht Frankfurt will be more than happy to take their place. It all sets up a fascinating end to the Bundesliga season.