Bundesliga will resume their campaign on Saturday without the famous “Yellow Wall”. (Source: Reuters)
South Korea and Faroe Islands were the first of the blocks, but the resumption of the Bundesliga on Saturday will finally reawaken the football fanatics of the world from their two-month slumber.
After receiving the green signal from German Chancellor Angela Merkel, the German Football League (DFL) announced the resumption of the league on May 7. The fixtures subsequently released indicated that Borussia Dortmund’s clash against Schalke 04 will be the reopening fixture at the famed Signal Iduna Park, but without its 82,000 fans in attendance.
With less than 300 people allowed in the stadiums (including players, coaches, officials, and media), the Ruhr Valley Derby will be played with no handshakes and minimal physical contact. On paper, Dortmund are the favourites, having won seven of their last eight matches, the absence of players like Marco Reus, Axel Witsel, and Emre Can, and the famous ‘Yellow Wall’ could affect them.
Even though Bundesliga’s exuberant fan culture is a vital cog, the conclusion of the ongoing season was deemed necessary by authorities because of the potentially crippling financial impact. So with unusual arrangements — Borussia Mönchengladbach’s cardboard fans and an app-based piped crowd noise — the league will play its final nine rounds of matches with the final matchday on June 27.
The DFL also decided Thursday that Bundesliga teams will be allowed up to five substitutions per match. Short-term venue changes will also be permitted if necessary.
THE TITLE RACE
Bayern Munich are four points clear at the top.
In the pursuit of their eighth successive title, Bayern Munich faced hiccups early in the season. Under previous manager Niko Kovac, Bayern were at seventh in December last year, but after 10 wins and a draw from 11 league matches under Hansi Flick, the Bavarians soared back to the top of the table in mid-March.
But it is far from over for Bayern (55 points), as Borussia Dortmund (51), RB Leipzig (50), and Borussia Mönchengladbach (49) are all within six points of the reigning champions. Monchengladbach led the standings for much of the fall and are hoping to break their 43-year-long title drought. Put simply: one upset, and the Bundesliga will see a close finish.
As for the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League, the top four will have automatic qualification, while fifth and sixth will head to UEFA Europa League next season.
THE RELEGATION BATTLE
Werder Bremen have spent a record 56 seasons in the Bundesliga but that might soon come to an end as they sit in the relegation zone, four points behind the play-off spot, with a game in hand. The club has lost 11 of their last 14 matches, and could be a tragic fall for a club that launched the careers of Mesut Özil and Per Mertesacker.
Paderborn sit at the bottom of the table with just one point from their last 18, and will require teams like FSV Mainz, FC Augsburg, Hertha Berlin, and Eintracht Frankfurt to stumble to survive. On the other hand, Union Berlin are the only team in Bundesliga with nothing to fight for — sitting more than six points away from relegation and European places.
PLAYERS TO WATCH OUT FOR
Jadon Sancho and Alphonso Davies have made themselves household names this season. (Source: Reuters)
Bundesliga has always been renowned for its fast-paced, dynamic style of football fuelled by its vast array of world-class players. Looking beyond the usual suspects who lead the charts — Robert Lewandowski with most goals (25), Thomas Müller with most assists (16), and Manuel Neuer with most clean sheets (10) — there are talents who have everything to play for.
Borussia Dortmund’s teenage striker Erling Håland arrived in January and conquered the league in no time with the best minutes-per-goal ratio in the league (57). His partner-in-crime, Jadon Sancho has more goal contributions than any other player with 14 goals and 15 assists this season.
In their rival camp, RB Leipzig have an in-demand finisher Timo Werner, who has scored 21 goals this season, as well as creative spark Christopher Nkunku. Bayer Leverkusen have the wonder-kid Kai Havertz at their disposal.
Last, but not the least, Bayern Munich’s 19-year-old Canadian sensation Alphonso Davies has made the left-back position his this season and even dismantled Chelsea in the UEFA Champions League pre-quarterfinals.
MARQUEE MATCHES
Matchday 26: Borussia Dortmund vs. Schalke 04 (May 16)
Matchday 27: Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. Bayer Leverkusen (May 23)
Matchday 28: Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayern Munich (May 26)
Matchday 30: Bayer Leverkusen vs. Bayern Munich (June 6)
Matchday 31: Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach (June 13)
Matchday 33: RB Leipzig vs. Borussia Dortmund (June 20)
Matchday 34: Wolfsburg vs. Bayern Munich (June 27)
From May 16, Bundesliga will be broadcasted on Star Sports Select 2 and will be live-streamed on Hotstar.