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Meier backs Dortmund and Leipzig to challenge Bayern for Bundesliga title

Borussia Dortmund celebrate a goal

Former Eintracht Frankfurt star Alexander Meier believes Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig can challenge Bayern Munich for Bundesliga honours this season.

Bayern are eyeing their eighth consecutive league crown after overhauling rivals Dortmund to the title last season, however, the German giants have struggled to convince in an open start to the campaign.

Borussia Monchengladbach top the standings by a point ahead of Bayern, with only five points separating first and ninth-placed Frankfurt after nine rounds.

Bayern have dominated German football, but Meier backed last season's runners-up Dortmund and Julian Nagelsmann's Leipzig to vie for silverware.

"Bayern are the team to beat every year if you want to win the title," Meier – who now plays for A-League side Western Sydney Wanderers – told Omnisport.

"This season maybe Dortmund or Leipzig. It's very close this year. It is good for the league that many teams can challenge for the championship but at the end of the season, it will be Bayern, Dortmund or maybe Leipzig."

Bayern will face a big test when they travel to Frankfurt to play Eintracht at Commerzbank-Arena on Saturday.

While Bayern have won the last three meetings, Eintracht have proven to be tricky opposition, with Meier a member of the team that stunned the Bavarian powerhouse 3-1 in the 2018 DFB-Pokal final.

"In Frankfurt, we had some close games," Meier added. "Of course Bayern are always the limit of the league but at home we had some good games. Last season it was close.

"I hope and I wish them all the best, but they have to bring 100 per cent against Bayern."

Bayern will again rely heavily on leading scorer Robert Lewandowski, who has netted 13 goals through nine matches – seven more than nearest rival Timo Werner of Leipzig.

Only two players aside from Lewandowski have topped the Bundesliga charts in the past six seasons – Meier (2014-15) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2016-17).

And 36-year-old striker Meier expects Lewandowski's domination to continue after a record-breaking start to 2019-20 in Munich.

"No," Meier said when asked if anyone can beat Lewandowski to the top of the scoring charts. "There will be nobody because he scores every game and he has already rescued his team a lot this season. He scores difficult goals and makes it look easy. It's just amazing how he scores."

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