BERLIN: Bayern Munich are in pole position to win an eighth straight title, but Borussia Dortmund lead the chasing pack and are spearheaded by Erling Braut Haaland as the Bundesliga comes out of its coronavirus-enforced hibernation this weekend.
AFP Sport takes a look at what is at stake on the field when the German top flight ends a two-month shutdown to play out its final nine matchdays.
Teams have undergone testing and been forced into quarantine training camps because of the virus, and all matches will be played behind closed doors in the league with the highest attendances in world football.
So this will not be the Bundesliga as we know it, but something else may be just as before — Bayern, the country’s most successful club, are on track to win another title, which would be their eighth in a row.
They had put a patchy start to the season under Niko Kovac behind them before the shutdown, with Hansi Flick coming in as coach and Bayern winning 10 and drawing one of their last 11 league games.
The Bavarians are four points clear of Dortmund at the top and have been busy since their last game, with Flick signing a new contract until 2023.
Key players Thomas Mueller and Alphonso Davies followed suit by penning extensions of their own, while former striker Miroslav Klose has joined as assistant coach.
With Robert Lewandowski scoring 25 goals in 23 games, Bayern are formidable. They still have to visit Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen, although it remains to be seen how much home advantage will matter without fans.
It could still just about be a four-horse title race, with Borussia Moenchengladbach six points off the pace in fourth, but Dortmund are best-placed to stop Bayern.
Lucien Favre’s side were last seen going out of the Champions League to Paris Saint-Germain, but before that were in thrilling form led by young stars Haaland and Jadon Sancho.
They won seven out of eight league games after 19-year-old Norwegian powerhouse Haaland arrived from Red Bull Salzburg. He scored nine goals in that run.
Dortmund, though, will not be able to rely on their fans who usually pack the 81,000-capacity Signal Iduna Park and their next two home games — against Ruhr rivals Schalke on Saturday and then Bayern — will lose much of their edge as a result.
“Having to play behind closed doors is an enormous challenge, especially for a club like BVB, which draws a lot of strength from the passion of its supporters,” admitted Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke.
Dortmund also must still visit Leipzig, who reached the Champions League quarter-finals before the suspension but whose patchy league form after the winter break saw them fall off the pace.
In Timo Werner, they have their own fearsome striker. And in Julian Nagelsmann, 32, they have one of Europe’s most exciting young coaches, so anything is possible.
Gladbach were the last team to beat Bayern in the league but would now settle for holding off fifth-placed Leverkusen to secure Champions League qualification.
There are two points between those sides, who are due to meet next weekend.
Beneath them, in the fight for one Europa League spot, Schalke, Wolfsburg, Freiburg and Hoffenheim are all within two points.
At the bottom Paderborn prop up the division but the plight of Werder Bremen is more striking.
The four-time champions are four points adrift of Fortuna Dusseldorf in the relegation play-off place and eight points from outright safety.
They have a game in hand, but are in danger of following the path of Hamburg and Stuttgart, two giants to have been relegated in recent seasons.
“We all know how precarious our league position is. That’s motivation enough,” said sporting director Frank Baumann when asked about playing home games without fans.
Elsewhere, Hertha Berlin seem far enough clear of relegation trouble but it has been a chaotic campaign in the capital.
Bruno Labbadia has become the club’s fourth coach this season since the shutdown began, with Jurgen Klinsmann’s short-lived time in charge ending.
The Bundesliga is back, so can Dortmund catch Bayern?
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The Bundesliga is back, so can Dortmund catch Bayern?
- The Bavarians are four points clear of Dortmund at the top and have been busy since their last game
Al-Hilal’s 13-game winning streak halted after draw with Al-Riyadh
- Al-Riyadh held the league leaders to a 1-1 draw thanks to an Ibrahim Bayesh equalizer
- Al-Qadsiah keep the pressure on with 3-1 victory over Al-Najma
RIYADH: Al-Hilal’s 13-game winning streak in the Saudi Pro League came to an end on Matchday 18 after a 1-1 draw with Al-Riyadh on Sunday.
Daniel Carreno, no stranger to Al-Hilal after leading city rivals Al-Nassr to the league title at their expense in 2014, set up his side impeccably as they denied the leaders a seven-point cushion at the summit.
Despite boasting the leakiest defence in the league, conceding 37 goals in 17 games, Al-Riyadh delivered arguably their best performance of the season against Simone Inzaghi’s side.
They proved tough to break down, with goal-line clearances from Yoann Barbet, last-ditch blocks from Marzouq Tambakti and a solid display from goalkeeper Milan Borjan keeping Al-Hilal at bay.
Around the 25th minute, Al-Riyadh began to grow into the game. However, it was at that moment that Al-Hilal struck, with Malcom breaking down the right flank before delivering a dipping ball to Darwin Nunez.
His touch fell kindly to Marcos Leonardo, who finished into an open net.
Al-Hilal then settled into control, although they lacked much of their usual ball-playing quality in the absence of Ruben Neves and Salem Al-Dawsari.
Malcom operated in a free-flowing role, popping up across the pitch, but despite his assist it was largely a frustrating half for the Brazilian.
Filling a dual role in Neves’s absence was Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
Alongside his attacking duties, charging from deep into the final third, the Serbian maestro was also tasked with dictating play from midfield.
With Al-Riyadh offering little going forward in the first half, Carreno shifted his relegation-threatened side’s approach after the break.
They became far more purposeful in possession, creating danger in the 58th minute. From a corner, Toze delivered a cross that found Ibrahim Bayesh, who bundled the ball over the line to equalize.
Minutes later, Inzaghi refreshed Al-Hilal’s attacking options with the introductions of Al-Dawsari and Kaio Cesar.
The Blues were left to rue a series of missed chances, with Al-Dawsari striking the post and Borjan producing a fine save to deny Darwin Nunez.
Al-Riyadh were handed a late scare in stoppage time when Tambakti was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for time-wasting.
Moments later, Al-Hilal thought they had found a winner when substitutes Cesar and Al-Dawsari combined in the box, only for the assistant referee to raise his flag for offside.
After the draw, Al-Hilal remain top but their lead has been cut to five points over nearest challengers Al-Ahli. Al-Riyadh stay in the relegation zone, now level on points with Damac in 15th.
Elsewhere, Al-Qadsiah held off a second-half Al-Najma resurgence to secure a 3-1 victory, with goals from Julian Quinones and Mateo Retegui steering them to all three points. Brendan Rodgers’ side move up to third temporarily, just six points behind Al-Hilal on 39 points.
Meanwhile, Al-Fayha and Al-Fateh met in Al-Majma’ah, where the hosts claimed a late 2-0 victory thanks to goals from Sabri Abu Dahal and Fashion Sakala.
Action resumes on Monday with the final three fixtures of Matchday 18. Al-Hazem face Damac, before Al-Ittihad welcome Al-Okhdood in Jeddah and Al-Nassr host Al-Taawoun in Riyadh.
