Bundesliga 2017/18 mid-season report: 5 takeaways
The top-flight club football in Germany has come to a standstill after the end of Hinrunde, the first half of the season. So, with no Bundesliga action until mid-January 2018, the pundits will have their plates full of analysis of how the 2017/18 campaign has panned out so far.
Bayern Munich, surprise surprise, are the winter champions as they head into the break with an incredible 11-point lead at the top, whereas Borussia Dortmund have recovered from the October and November slump to move up to third. Schalke have witnessed a similar resurgence this season, whereas FC Koln are being sucked into the black hole with each passing week.
With that and much more to contemplate on, here are some major things we have learned from the Bundesliga so far.
#1 Heynckes rallies Bayern Munich
Just nine weeks into his third stint at the club and Jupp Heynckes has already transformed the Bavarians into a force to be reckoned with as Bayern have bridged a five-point gap at the top to lead the pack by nine. All the scrambles of the early season under Carlo Ancelotti are a distant memory as the Bavarians are now racing to a sixth consecutive league title.
The appointment of Jupp Heynckes by calling him out of retirement seemed more of a desperate measure at once, but just over two months later, it is proving to be enough to alleviate the problems.
Post the 3-0 humiliation in Paris, the Munich giants are a different beast altogether, redeeming their confidence and verve. Having accrued only 14 points from the first seven games to pillaging 27 in the next 10, it's safe to say that the Heynckes factor is working its magic here. Their performance in the Champions League too, improved manifold.
The early season wobbles portended a shift in power in German top-tier, but all such premonitions are now effectively squished with Bayern's return to form.