To no one’s surprise, Bayern Munich won the 2013-14 Bundesliga title.
But it’s how they did it what’s most interesting. For the second straight season, the German giants have completely obliterated the competition. Last year, Bayern drew four times and only lost once, winning the league by an astounding 25 points over fellow Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund.
But it couldn’t possibly get any better this season with former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola taking over the reigns, right?
Wrong.
Bayern Munich clinched their 23rd Bundesliga title Tuesday night with a 3-1 victory over Hertha Berlin in the nation’s capital. It was the fastest the Bundesliga has ever been won as Munich did it with seven matches remaining in the season. What’s even more incredible is that Bayern are still undefeated this season, only drawing twice versus Freiburg and Bayer Leverkusen respectively. The team has only conceded 13 goals while scoring 79, giving them a +66 goal differential. And remember, this is all with seven games remaining in the season.
Bayern has the Bundesliga scoring leader, Mario Mandžukić, who has 17 goals, and will soon refocus their attention to the Champions League where they will meet a struggling Manchester United side on April 1st and 9th in the quarterfinals.
Although a second Champions League crown would be the absolute icing on the cake for this new European dynasty, where would an undefeated Bundesliga season rank among priorities?
If you’re manager Pep Guardiola, do you go for it all: undefeated Bundesliga, DFB Pokal title AND Champions League repeat at full force or do you rest key players in the remaining Bundesliga matches to ensure health?
One thing’s for sure: if any team can claim a back-to-back European treble, it’s this Bayern Munich club.
And in the next eight weeks, we will see exactly how strong, not only this Bayern team is, but the Bundesliga as well. There’s no proper gauge to tell us how good of a league the Bundesliga is. Sure, they currently hold the best club team in the world, but is Bayern over-performing or is the Bundesliga under-performing?
Borussia Dortmund made the finals of the Champions League last year. If they can once again get past Real Madrid this campaign, we can safely say that the Bundesliga is a top 2 league in the world and that Bayern Munich is not playing against watered down competition every week.
A Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid would be one for the ages. It would also answer a lot of questions with arguably the two best club teams in the world facing off against one another.
Liverpool can score against anyone!
Would love to Barca’s CB’s try and play 2v2 against Liverpool’s strikers once Barca’s wingers have pushed up.
Good luck!
It’s hard not to pick La Liga when three of the top four teams in Europe are Real, Barcelona, and Atlético. The only team capable of beating any of those three is Bayern.
Also, you have teams like Bilbao who refuse to purchase players and only play ethnic Basque players from their academy, yet will still be playing Champions League football next year. They’ll probably have similar success to what Málaga had last year. Even in Europa league today, Sevilla and Valencia are in the quarterfinals. Lots and lots of powerful teams.
La Liga just isn’t marketed as well as the EPL is to us English speaking nations. Top EPL teams like Arsenal and Liverpool would get ROCKED by most of the above teams.
I dunno, the Bundesliga doesn’t do it for me at all.
For me it’s England & Spain
and then
Germany
Italy
France
Agreed….big drop off with some of the better teams and the lower end of the league.
Although, from a competitive stand point, MLS is a very good league. Again, from a competitive stand point.
I wish they would get rid of the turf. Seattle and Portland are two of the better, more entertaining teams, but its tough to watch their home matches on that fieldturf.
hahaha…you may be more familiar with players in the MLS and therefore can relate, I on the other hand cannot and have only been able to watch few teams…Vancouver, NY, LA, Montreal, Toronto…and maybe 1 or 2 more…just because I am familiar with a few players, the play itself is pretty low
Good point…..honestly, watching a Cardiff City-Stoke City match has less appeal than watching a mid-table MLS match.
Best league? there really isn’t a clear winner but there are leagues that have more desirable style of soccer…Spain, Germany, England, Italy and even France…none of these countries completely dominate (other than Bayern) and each have a few great teams but if you have to choose a league purely for entertainment it has to go to England…but only the bigger games. I couldn’t be bothered watching WestHam vs Sunderland…but there are 7 or 8 teams that do make the league interesting to watch.
Bayern Munich’s Mario Mandzukic Would Be a Perfect Fit for Real Madrid, But…
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2004606-bayern-munichs-mario-mandzukic-would-be-a-perfect-fit-for-real-madrid-but
I’m with Soul Champ. The EPL is a great TV product, has the most money to spend and is the most popular, especially in the English-langauge speaking world. But, I don’t think it is the best league in the world.
Spain
Germany
EPL
Italy
France
@ Poglavnik
The EPL is the most popular and has the most money. This DOES NOT equal the best football.
La liga has a three horse for the ages !
Athletico could beat 4 of the quarter finalists in the CL. They still may beat Barca!
Bundesliga plays a great brand of football. Bayern is a transcendent European power.
Serie A is broke, paranoid and full of b talent but still has many historic clubs.
Ligue 1 is being infused with cash and PSG could beat Chelsea as Ibra may have some magic for Mourinho.
Love to see Mandžukić go to Real next year and shift the dynastic power back to Madrid!
The 6th and 7th place teams in the EPL (Tottenham, and Man Utd.) outspent every team in the Bundesliga, not named Bayern Munich this season.
That shows you the depth of the top half of the EPL and yet they can all lose to bottom half teams on any given day.
Bundesliga has no depth.
It’s become a 1 team league.
All the other teams are just feeder teams.
Even Dortmund, any one thats any good is gone in a couple of years.
EPL’s still #1 to me.
And I hate the English!
Winning back-to-back Champions League crowns is difficult. Even if Bayern failed to win it, they are still the best team in Europe. I can see them going on a run where they 3 of the next 4 or 3 of the next 5 Champions League titles.
I think Bundesliga overall is above the EPL. Man U is in the CL QFs only because they drew the weakest team in the round of 16 draw in Olympiakos. From top to bottom, I think the top leagues are Germany, Spain, England, Italy.
“Borussia Dortmund made the finals of the Champions League last year. If they can once again get past Real Madrid this campaign, we can safely say that the Bundesliga is a top 2 league in the world and that Bayern Munich is not playing against watered down competition every week.”
This is a BIG if.
I’d still say the Bundesliga is only on par with Italy and a notch or two below Spain and England.