History Makers
Bayern can roll on and on
Once again the Bayern Munich juggernaut has rolled into a new campaign in frightening fashion. An unbeaten start to the season saw the Bavarian giants return to the league’s summit and, with the last Bundesliga crown secured in record time, the onus is on Pep Guardiola’s side to at least equal that staggering achievement.
A third successive domestic title is a feat Bayern have managed on three previous occasions.
And arguably though, the foundations are in place for Die Roten (The Reds) to become the dominant force in German football like never before.
Only a handful of Europe’s elite sides have won more than a trio of league titles in a row but, under Guardiola, Bayern could become the first German side to realise this dream.
Through the course of the last two campaigns, the nation’s most successful club have lost just three times in almost 80 matches. The most recent defeat was against Borussia Dortmund in April. That 3-0 home loss was a mere slip-up, coming just days after Bayern had secured a place in the Champions League semi-final.
In the wake of the slight dip in form that accompanied their early title win, Guardiola learned a number of valuable lessons. The chances of a repeat tapering off are slim and with the opportunity to better another of the club’s own records, there is added motivation.
Bayern’s 53 match unbeaten streak from November 2012 to April 2014 was impressive, although Guardiola is clearly capable of orchestrating his own wonders.
During a trophy-laden spell with Barcelona, the 43-year old presided over a 31 game undefeated run between September 2010 and April 2011. Amid that stretch, the Catalans won 16 matches on the spin, in a season that ended in a domestic title and Champions League double.
As a result of Guardiola’s footballing philosophy, his sides have played some of the most enterprising football of the past decade and the desired results have followed.
With two continental triumphs and four domestic league titles already, Guardiola could well become the game’s most decorated manager. As well as relying on his own managerial nous though, he has had the luxury of working with a number of football’s premier talents and this has continued at Bayern.
Die Roten’s squad is filled with home grown stars and aces from across the globe.
The spine of Germany’s World Cup winning side runs through the Bayern roster, with first choice goalkeeper Manuel Neuer indisputably the planet’s finest.
In front of him, summer capture Mehdi Benatia marshals the Bundesliga’s best defence by some distance. Alongside the Moroccan, Jerome Boateng and Dante offer strength in depth that few other clubs can match and the returning Holger Badstuber is young enough at 25 to shake off the injury concerns which have blighted him in recent seasons.
In midfield, as part of Guardiola’s tactical reimagining of the swashbuckling Bayern that claimed Champions League glory for a fifth time in 2013, Philip Lahm has become the pivot around which the team rotates. It is a testament to his footballing ability that the seasoned full-back has seamlessly adapted to a more advanced role. Similarly, David Alaba has made waves since being shunted forward, while Bastian Schweinsteiger and Javi Martínez retain key places in the club’s plans and Xabi Alonso remains a superb holding midfielder.
It is in attack where Bayern’s true strength lies, though. Franck Ribéry and Arjen Robben have terrorised defences for years, while the addition of the 2012-13 Bundesliga top scorer Robert Lewandowski has only increased the Bavarians’ potency. Add to the mix the marauding talents of Mario Götze, Thomas Müller, Thiago Alcântara and Xherdan Shaqiri, Bayern are among the world’s hyper-elite.
Guardiola has a number of emerging starlets at his call, too. Much is expected of Danish phenomenon Pierre Højbjerg, while Juan Bernat has impressed since joining from Valencia. There are high hopes for Julian Green as well. The American youngster has been farmed out to Hamburg this season but will seek to succeed where compatriot Landon Donovan failed to shine in the early noughties.
With this in mind and the potential for more world class arrivals, it is easy to see why Bayern are being touted as the dominant force in Germany for years to come.
Only Inter Milan – amid the 2006 Calciopoli scandal – and Barcelona in the mid-1990s have won more than three league titles in successionin one of Europe’s top four leagues.
In view of their recent league challenges, Borussia Dortmund are Bayern’s only realistic competition for the crown.
But, even so, Jürgen Klopp’s 2012 champions finished a monumental 25 points behind Guardiola’s charges at the end of the 2013-14 campaign and could lose star men Marco Reus and Mats Hummels next summer.
Elsewhere, last year’s third placed side
Schalke 04 simply do not have the quality to mount a charge for the title, while Bayer Lev- erkusen have little hope of upsetting the odds either.
Considering Bayern’s strength, measured against the relative frailty of their closest rivals, it seems likely that the Bavarians will remain the pre-eminent power in German football for a while yet, especially with Guardiola at the helm.