After almost two months without watching competitive football in the world, the German Bundesliga has finally been given green light to restart the 2019-20 season. The league will provide some much needed entertainment as some countries are still under quarantine due to the coronavirus pandemic, but before all teams go back at it, here are some things you need to remember before watching a game from the German top-flight.
Just so you know, these facts are only related to the status of the competition before it was suspended. We have a dedicated article on the rules and considerations all Bundesliga teams must comply to when the league resumes.
1. Bayern has a four-point lead at the top
Die Roten had a disappointing start of the season, which led to Niko Kovac's sacking. Now, with Hansi Flick at the helm, the Bavarian side is four points ahead of Borussia Dortmund in the title race. If Lewandowski and Co. can keep their form during the final nine games of the competition, they would add an eighth Bundesliga title to their current run, which represents a record for the German top-flight.
2. Five teams are involved in the fight for the last UEFA Europa League spot
Schalke 04 had a one-point lead over Wolfsburg and Freiburg for the last European competition ticket available when the season was brought to a halt. The blue and white team will not only have to fight those two clubs for the final European spot, as Hoffenheim (35 pts), Köln (32 pts), and even newcomers Union Berlin (30 pts) are still capable of luring that ticket away from them.
3. Robert Lewandowski is the league's top scorer
The Polish striker has been as impressive as usual in front of goal, and before the season was suspended, he remained the league's best scorer with 25 goals, four more than those scored by his nearest competitor for the Bundesliga's Golden Boot. Will Timo Werner (21 goals) be able to deny Lewandowski from his third goalscoring title in a row?
4. There is only one game in hand
The coronavirus pandemic forced things to stop at once, but there is only one game set to be rescheduled away from a regular matchday. The clash between Eintracht Frankfurt and Werder Bremen may not be as appealing to some, but a win for the latter would do wonders in their particular battle. Once that game is played, all teams will have played the same number of times this season, and all bets will be off again.
5. Paderborn and Werder Bremen need a miracle to avoid relegation
Before the season was abruptly suspended, the relegation spots in the Bundesliga were occupied by Fortuna Düsseldorf (22 pts), Werder Bremen (18 pts) and Paderborn (16 pts). While there seems to be hope for Düsseldorf's side, Werder Bremen and Paderborn will need to step their efforts up if they want to keep playing among the best teams in Germany. Both teams have only won four times this season, and that is a number they will want to increase if they don't want to be relegated by the end of the campaign.
So there you have it. Now, all we have to do is wait for next week to watch the restart of the Bundesliga, and you will find the best broadcast info for whichever country you live in right here, at LiveSoccerTV.com.
