The Bundesliga is back! Having been suspended in mid-March, the German top-flight announced on Thursday that they will be returning to action on May 16, confirming them as the first major European league to resume the 2019/20 campaign.
The COVID-19 pandemic is what forced the competition into a halt and while the virus has not yet been defeated, Germany's handling of the crisis means their top division can return way ahead of others. Things will commence with five simultaneous kick-offs on the Bundesliga's May 16 date, with the standout fixture being Dortmund's clash with Schalke.
Excited for the Bundesliga's return? Ready to welcome back live European football? Here are all the key stats and info about the 2019/20 season to refresh your memories and get everyone prepared for the German top-flight.
Who are the title contenders?
Here's how things left off
| Pos. | Team | MP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | P | Form | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bayer Leverkusen | 29 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 74 | 19 | +55 | 79 | WWWWW | |
| 2 | Bayern München | 29 | 20 | 3 | 6 | 82 | 36 | +46 | 63 | WLLWW | |
| 3 | Stuttgart | 29 | 20 | 3 | 6 | 67 | 34 | +33 | 63 | WWDWW | |
| 4 | RB Leipzig | 29 | 17 | 5 | 7 | 67 | 33 | +34 | 56 | WWDWW | |
| 5 | Borussia Dortmund | 29 | 16 | 8 | 5 | 57 | 34 | +23 | 56 | WLWWW | |
| 6 | Eintracht Frankfurt | 29 | 10 | 12 | 7 | 43 | 39 | +4 | 42 | LDDLW | |
| 7 | Augsburg | 29 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 47 | 46 | +1 | 39 | WLDWW | |
| 8 | Freiburg | 29 | 11 | 6 | 12 | 41 | 52 | -11 | 39 | WLWLW | |
| 9 | Hoffenheim | 29 | 10 | 6 | 13 | 49 | 57 | -8 | 36 | LWLLL | |
| 10 | Heidenheim | 29 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 42 | 50 | -8 | 34 | DWDDL | |
| 11 | Borussia M'gladbach | 29 | 7 | 10 | 12 | 50 | 56 | -6 | 31 | LWLDD | |
| 12 | Werder Bremen | 29 | 8 | 7 | 14 | 36 | 49 | -13 | 31 | LDLLL | |
| 13 | Union Berlin | 29 | 8 | 5 | 16 | 25 | 45 | -20 | 29 | LLDWL | |
| 14 | Wolfsburg | 29 | 7 | 7 | 15 | 34 | 50 | -16 | 28 | LLWLL | |
| 15 | Bochum | 29 | 5 | 12 | 12 | 34 | 59 | -25 | 27 | DLDLL | |
| 16 | Mainz 05 | 29 | 5 | 11 | 13 | 30 | 47 | -17 | 26 | WWDWL | |
| 17 | Köln | 29 | 4 | 10 | 15 | 23 | 51 | -28 | 22 | LWDLD | |
| 18 | Darmstadt 98 | 29 | 2 | 8 | 19 | 28 | 72 | -44 | 14 | LLDLL |
Bayern Munich are currently the favorites to win the title as they top the table with 55 points. Despite their rough start under Niko Kovac, who was eventually sacked and replaced by Hans-Dieter Flick, the Bavarians have overcome those hurdles and now lead the 2019/20 Bundesliga race. However, this is one of the most heated German top-flight campaigns as all of the top four clubs – fifth-placed Bayer Leverkusen can even be considered – stand a realistic chance of lifting the trophy.
Defending champions Bayern Munich boast a mere four-point advantage over 2nd-placed Dortmund. RB Leipzig, who began the campaign extremely well and appeared favorites to win the league, are only five points adrift of the summit.
*Table via Bundesliga's official website
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One point behind Leipzig and six points behind Bayern Munich are Borussia M'gladbach. Similar to Werner and Co., Die Borussen began the campaign in emphatic style but after six defeats, they find themselves in fourth spot. While the odds favor Bayern Munich, this six-point deficit is not an impossible hurdle to overcome within the remaining nine rounds.
Who are the favorites to qualify for next season's Champions League?
The top four teams in the German top-flight will qualify for the Champions League next season. The clubs currently occupying those sports are Bayern Munich, Dortmund, RB Leipzig, and Borussia M'gladbach. One glance at the table shows that the only side outside the top four within touching distance of a UCL spot are Bayer Leverkusen – and that distance is utterly slim.
The two things separating Die Werkself from the fourth and final Champions League position, which is currently occupied by M'gladbach, are two points and an inferior goal tally. Schalke sit in sixth spot with 37 points, 12 less than Germany's fourth-placed side and while that deficit is not impossible to overcome, the safer bet is on the top five teams battling it out for those prestigious European tickets.
Who are the favorites to qualify for next season's Europa League?
Given that the gap between second-placed Dortmund and fifth-placed Leverkusen is only four points, anyone from second to fifth stand a considerable chance of falling into the Europa League – we have given Bayern a pass due to their eight-point cushion.
As for the sixth spot, the place that will guarantee a ticket to the Europa League qualifying stage, that is up for contention. Schalke currently hold that position with 37 points but Wolfsburg and Freiburg, who boast 36 points each and sit in seventh and eighth respectively, are breathing down Die Knappen's neck. Ninth-placed Hoffenheim are only two points behind that final Europa League berth while 10th-placed Koln are not yet out of the equation due to the mere five-point deficit.
Anyone from 2nd placed Dortmund to 10th-placed Koln could end up in the Europa League next season
Which teams are fighting relegation and who are the favorites to go down?
Per the standings and form, SC Paderborn appear destined for relegation. They sit dead bottom in the standings with 16 points, having only enjoyed four victories out of 25 games (D4, L17). Werder Bremen, with 18 points, are four points adrift of the relegation playoff and are eight points away from the safety zone, meaning they are headed for the playoff at the very best bar a fairy-tale turnaround. As for Fortuna Düsseldorf, in 16th with 22 points, they are four points behind 15th-placed Mainz, who they have a better defensive record than so far this term. However, Fortunen have won only twice in their last 15 domestic games compared to Mainz's five victories in as many matches.
Here are the clubs in and around the danger zone
Who are the top 5 goalscorers?
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Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich): 25 goals
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Timo Werner (RB Leipzig): 21 goals
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Jadon Sancho (Dortmund): 14 goals
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Robin Quaison (Mainz): 12 goals
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Sebastian Andersson (Union Berlin): 11 goals
The Golden Boot race in Germany is, for the most part, a two-horse race between Lewandowski and Werner. Bayern's hitman had six goals from his last six Bundesliga appearances prior to the suspension while Werner found the back of the net only once in as many games. Form does favor the Polish striker but it should be noted that he picked up a knee injury in February and while he should have fully recovered by now, it remains unknown what his form or fitness levels will be like upon his return due to the two-month layoff.
Who are the top 5 assist makers?
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Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich): 16 assists
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Jadon Sancho (Dortmund): 15 assists
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Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig): 12 assists
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Achraf Hakimi (Dortmund): 10 assists
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Thorgan Hazard (Dortmund): 10 assists
The top two assist leaders are Muller and Dortmund sensation Sancho. Jadon has either scored or assisted in his last eight league apps, contributing to 11 goals in those games, six of which were assists. Muller, meanwhile, has set up five one less goal in as many games but has the advantage over the Englishman. Nkunku from RB Leipzig is an excellent shout-out with his 12 assists given that he has made only 15 starts this season. Additionally, he has set up five goals in his last three outings but four of them all came in one match – a 5-0 win over Schalke in late February.
Other interesting 2019/20 Bundesliga statistics
Most successful passes from open play
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Axel Witsel (Dortmund): 95% successful passes
Most possession
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Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich): 2,397 possession
Most shots saved:
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Yann Sommer (M'gladbach): 97 shots saved
