For soccer fans, or even just sports fans in general, we have good news. A top tier league is set to start play.
This would be the German Bundesliga. The league is set to start play this Weekend with 9 matches throughout the weekend, with many of the games being shown on the FOX TV networks.
Title Race
At the top of the table, we find Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Lepzig, and Borussia Mönchengladbach competing for the Bundesliga title. As of now the reigning German champs, Bayern are the favorites as they are 4 points ahead of the second place Dortmund. Although this race may seem close on paper, many soccer analysts see Bayern Munich running away with the title.
Champions League Race
In Germany, the top 4 teams qualify for the Champions League the following season. At this point in the season, Bayern has pretty much clinched this coveted spot. However, it is a very close race between Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Dortmund, RedBull Leipzig, and Borussia Mönchengladbach, with just 4 points separating 2nd place Dortmund and 5th place Bayer Leverkusen.
Relegation Battle
The last race to settle is the dreaded fight for relegation into the 2.Bundesliga. No team wants to find themselves here. The teams that will have to fight for their top flight lives are Augsburg, Maniz, Fortuna Düsseldorf, Werder Bremen, and Paderborn.
Maniz and Fortuna Düsseldorf will have quite the battle in order to see who has to play in the regulation playoff to stay up. As of now Maniz has a 4 point lead, but that lead could slip away every easily.
Paderborn and Bremen will have to dig themselves out of quite a hole in order to survive. However, with a few big wins the fate for these clubs could easily change.
Players to Watch For:
Robert Lewandowski-Bayern
The Polish number 9 is one of the best goalscorers in the world. The is a pure finisher and when you watch Bayern play expect to see Lewandowski on the score sheet.
Timo Wermer-Red Bull Lepzig
Another star goal scorer. The German born forward Werner is one of the Bundesliga’s leading scorers and is one of the best forwards in all of world soccer. Similar to Robert Lewandowski, Wemer has a knack for the goal, but also has the ability to set up his teammates.
Erling Håland-Dortmund
Håland is another natural born scorer. He is just 19 years old, and has played in 8 games for Dortmund, but has already scored an amazing 9 goals. Yes! 9 goals in just 8 games. Håland is expected to be one of the next great players in not only the Bundesliga, but the whole world.
Jadon Sancho-Dortmund
Sancho is another Dortmund wonderboy. The English wonderboy has insane speed and skills that would make even the best players jealous. His ability to beat defenders one on one is second to none.
Weston McKennie-Schalke
McKennie, an American, may not be a top player in the Bundesliga, however he is still fun to watch. At just 21 years old, many expect McKennie to be a key player in the USMNT. His development and success in Germany is key for American success in the future.
Photo: Bundesliga.com