By Sam Hayes , May 14, 2020
Following a two-month break, the Bundesliga is back – and with 9 games left we’re all set for a thrilling run-in for German football!
The league was postponed back in March as the COVID 19 pandemic was taking hold but will be the first of the 5 major European leagues to return.
With 4 Champions League spots up for grabs it’s undoubtedly one of the biggest leagues in the world.
Defending champs Bayern Munich are once again in pole position but Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig are hot on their heels.
With 9 rounds of fixtures still to play, it promises to be a fascinating climax to the seasons.
Here are 5 things you need to look out for before placing your bets on the Bundesliga:
Few sides have dominated their domestic league in the way Bayern Munich have in recent years.
The Bavarians have won every Bundesliga title since 2012 but are currently only four points clear of Borussia Dortmund at the top of the tree.
They are still heavy favourites to make it eight championships in a row at 2/9 with William Hill but you definitely can’t count out rivals Dortmund and RB Leipzig.
As Bayern’s principal challengers in recent years, Dortmund continue to push their great rivals all the way.
They have one of the most talented squads in Europe with Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland two of the most sought after youngsters in world football, hoping to propel Dortmund to glory.
Borussia Dortmund are @ 5/1 with Ladbrokes to turn the tables this year and lift the trophy.
New kids on the block RB Leipzig have come of age in the Bundesliga this season and they will be eager to close the gap on the ‘Big Two’.
They have never won the Bundesliga title and are 9/1 with Paddy Power to break their duck.
3️⃣ days until the Bundesliga returns! 🤩
— GOAL India (@Goal_India) May 13, 2020
Can Bayern Munich retain their title? 🏆pic.twitter.com/6Y8WAuBSa7
Such is the Bundesliga’s strength within European football that the top four sides qualify for the Champions League each season.
And right now it is all to play for.
Only eight points currently separate leaders Bayern from Bayer Leverkusen in 5th, and at the same time Leipzig, Bourussia Monchengladbach and Leverkusen are only separated by three points.
Despite there only being nine games left, there are plenty of stellar fixtures in the pipeline with Leverkusen vs Monchengladbach (Gameweek 26) potentially having a big impact on the end of season standings.
In addition, Monchengladbach, Dortmund and Leipzig all face Munich between now and the end of the campaign, in what could prove to be hugely pivotal encounters.
RB Leipzig @ 1/50 with Ladbrokes
Borussia Monchengladbach @ 1/2 with 888sport
Bayer Leverkusen @ 11/8 with UniBet
Just 6 points separate the top 4 in what has been an exciting #Bundesliga season so far. Who do you think will win the Title? 🟡🔴⚪️🇩🇪
— NairaBET (@NairaBET) May 13, 2020
The Bundesliga returns this weekend. Get your Bundesliga bets in early: https://t.co/Pcc7DnaNjN pic.twitter.com/okeUcHX2Xs
Dropping out of the top-flight can have disastrous financial consequences for teams and the battle to stay in the Bundesliga is tougher than ever.
Werder Bremen currently hold the record for the longest continued run of games in the Bundesliga – stretching back over 1,800 matches, but they are immersed in relegation danger.
Paderborn prop up the Bundesliga whilst Bremen only sit 2 points above them, and a further 4 back to Fortuna Dusseldorf who reside in 16th.
The bottom two sides at the end of the season are automatically relegated whilst the team that finishes third from bottom plays a play-off with the third placed team from Bundesliga 2.
Whilst Fortuna currently occupy the play-off place, the likes of Mainz and Augsburg will be looking over their shoulders and attempting to steer away from trouble.
Paderborn @ 1/16 with William Hill
Werder Bremen @ 4/9 with bet365
Fortuna Dusseldorf @ 8/11 with Ladbrokes
#Bundesliga relegation odds…
— BettingOdds (@BettingOddsUK) May 12, 2020
– Paderborn: 1/20
– Werder Bremen: 4/9
– Fortuna Dusseldorf: 8/11
– Mainz 05: 7/2 🇩🇪⬇️ https://t.co/12qhjWoIjR pic.twitter.com/6S32qMWKq4
The sheer amount of emerging talent within the Bundesliga is currently unrivalled across Europe’s other major leagues.
Much of Dortmund’s well-documented success has come from nurturing young players and in Jadon Sancho, they have one of the most exciting talents in world football.
The Englishman has been integral to Dortmund’s title push this year and he is one of the hot favourites to be named Bundesliga Young Player of the Year – for the second successive year.
Bayern Munich meanwhile have seen a teen talent of their own with Canadian Alphonso Davies bursting into the scene.
Kai Havertz is the latest in a long line of home-grown midfielders to take the Bundesliga by storm and he has been at the heart of Leverkusen’s top 4 push this year.
In a league brimming with talent, the last 9 games could prove decisive in the race to be named Young Player of the Year.
Alphonso Davies @ 3/1 with bet365
Kai Havertz @ 6/1 with BetVictor
https://twitter.com/SBA_Uganda/status/1260872484976558080
In terms of goalscoring, Robert Lewandowski’s statistics over the past few seasons have been unrivalled.
The four-time Bundesliga Golden Boot winner has scored 17 goals or more in every season he has had at the Allianz Arena and he has scored 25 goals in 23 appearances this term.
Following the departure of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from the Bundesliga in 2018, the end of any real challenge to Lewandowski’s title as Bundesliga goal king was marked.
But there is a new boy on the scene.
RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner has bagged 84 Bundesliga goals at the tender age of 24 and he is one of the hottest properties in world football.
His goals have propelled Leipzig into Bundesliga and Champions League contention and with 21 goals so far this term, he will be keen to make up his four-goal deficit in the race for his first Golden Boot, before the end of the campaign.
Robert Lewandowski @ 1/7 with William Hill
🇩🇪 Bundesliga top scorers ⚽
— Standard Sport (@standardsport) May 13, 2020
Lewandowski leading Werner and Sancho in Golden Boot race https://t.co/FO871CUbWp