Bayern dominance hurting Bundesliga and maybe the club, too
Bayern Munich’s dominance could be hurting German soccer and also appears to be having a detrimental effect on the club’s European aspirations.
Bayern hosts Hoffenheim on Saturday and is on its way to a record sixth straight Bundesliga title with a 16-point advantage at the top, a record at this stage of the season.
The club, however, will face tougher challenges in the Champions League later in the campaign.
Its recent shortcomings in Europe - Bayern hasn’t won the competition since securing the treble under Jupp Heynckes in 2013 - can partly be attributed to a lack of serious rivals at home, opponents that would force the best from the team so that it is primed for the big games against foreign sides.
Heynckes’ 2013 treble came after his team lost the 2012 Champions League final in its own stadium on penalties to Chelsea. That success was fueled by the previous season’s disappointment.
While Bayern’s dominance is growing, its domestic rivals are weakening, to judge by their showings in Europe this season.
Forward Thomas Mueller said last Sunday that Bayern’s training sessions are tougher than the team’s league games and it seems none of the club’s Bundesliga rivals seems capable of challenging for the title.
It briefly appeared in September as if Borussia Dortmund might, reviving memories of its successes in 2011 and 2012, but the team then squandered a fivepoint lead.
Heynckes has led his side to 16 wins in 17 games in all competitions since returning for a fourth stint in charge in October, the only blot being a defeat at his hometown side Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Boateng scores against ‘Gladbach again as Frankfurt goes second
Kevin-Prince Boateng scored against Borussia Moenchengladbach once more to help Eintracht Frankfurt move up to second place in the Bundesliga with a 2-0 home win on Friday.
The midfielder, who scored in Frankfurt’s win away to Moenchengladbach earlier this season, made the breakthrough just before halftime when Timmy Chandler surged past ‘Gladbach midfielder Patrick Herrmann on the left and picked him out with a cross.
Herrmann grazed the crossbar early in the second half, and Thorgan Hazard struck it again with a penalty later after Boateng brought Lars Stindl down from behind. Forward Luka Jovic sealed Frankfurt’s win in injury time.
‘Gladbach dropped down sixth place on goal difference.
Bayer Leverkusen, Schalke, Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund can all overtake Frankfurt after this weekend’s matches. to Bundesliga
Yesterday E. Frankfurt-Bor. M’gladbach ............. 2-0 Today Bor. Dortmund-Freiburg Bay. Munich-Hoffenheim Cologne-FC Augsburg RB Leipzig-Hamburg SV VfB Stuttgart-Schalke 04 Wer.Bremen-Hertha Berlin Tomorrow B. Leverkusen-Mainz Hannover-Wolfsburg
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La Liga
Yesterday Ath. Bilbao-Eibar ................................ 1-1 Today D. La Coruña-Levante Valencia-Real Madrid Malaga-Girona Villarreal-Real Sociedad Tomorrow Leganés-Espanyol A. Madrid-Las Palmas Sevilla-Getafe Barcelona-Alavés Monday Celta Vigo-Real Betis