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Bundesliga: Do we have a four-way title race on our hands?

Samrin Hasib, January 23 2012,
One similarity was extremely obvious in the matches of the big sides this week: they were all terribly one-sided games.
Julian Draxler
Julian Draxler
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Related Articles: Bayern, Monchengladbach, Schalke, Stuttgart
The biggest game of the weekend took place at Borussia Park between Bayern and Gladbach. The result was a one-sided victory….. for Gladbach. Schalke took on Stuttgart and dismantled them just as Gladbach did to Bayern. Dortmund drubbed HSV in sophisticated fashion in the north of Germany.

As a result, the top four teams in the Bundesliga are separated by just one point, with the top three separated by just goal difference. Karl Heinz Rummenigge wanted Bayern to be the team that every other team chases. They are the top side in the league even after the defeat- however, they are hanging on to the coveted position by nothing more than a single thread.

Juergen Klopp’s take on his team’s performance: “the lads were merciless out there.” Well, one has to feel for HSV. Conceding five away from home is disgraceful enough but to be completely dismantled in their own backyard is simply outrageous. Let’s not forget that HSV is part of the on-going relegation battle.

Bayern was on the way to a similar drubbing but was somewhat rescued by Bastian Schweinsteiger’s late goal. Three goals down, Bayern looked like they would concede on the counter-attack every time they threw players forward. Bayern’s attack was toothless and only two or so clear-cut chances were created by the Bavarians in the entire match.

Jupp Heynckes spoke about playing ‘right into Gladbach’s hands’ following the match and rightfully so. There was a sense of déjà-vu about the first goal as Manuel Neuer passed the ball directly to Marco Reus. Neuer, next season, should feature in all matches for Bayern except in fixtures against Gladbach.

Heynckes’ team was taught a lesson in scoring by the youngster Patrick Hermann. Hermann was easily the man of the match; Friday evening is one he will remember for the rest of his life. Another youngster had a similarly exciting day on Saturday.

Julian Draxler, a name on many a fan’s lips, scored Schalke’s third against Stuttgart as the Ruhr side easily took apart a very tough side. Stuttgart, like Bayern, scored a consolation through Shinji Okazaki. So, here’s another similarity in the matches of the top four sides- each losing side scored a consolation including Hamburg.

Meanwhile, Lady Luck must be smiling at Robin Dutt. The German must be thanking Lars Bender to no end. Leverkusen went into a 2-0 lead against Mainz but saw Mainz easily exploit the big holes in their defence and peg them back to 2-2. Mainz had a chance to score a winner but failed to do so and paid when Bender’s header found the back of the net.

Hertha Berlin limped to a loss against Nuremberg. The loss saw them slip to thirteenth with no Markus Babel to lead them out of the relegation battle and into mid-table.

So, there you have it- a four-way title race is on the cards at the moment. Who will win it? One thing is for certain: there is no guarantee, despite this year being 2012, that Bayern will lift the title.

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