Bayern Munich aren’t exactly struggling, but this pandemic season, the champions of Europe and Germany are facing stiff challenges at home.
With the exception of the 2018-19 season, Bayern Munich have been runaway league winners since the 2012-13 tourney, winning the title comfortably with at least 10-point margins ahead of the closest pretenders to the throne.
Having won eight straight league titles, Bayern has been so dominant at the domestic front that the Bundesliga has become synonymous with the club.
The last time Bayern didn’t lift the league trophy was nine years ago, when Borussia Dortmund successfully defended its title.
Still, the 2010s is the most successful decade of the club by far, including its two Champions League wins in 2013 and 2020.
But while it’s good for the club, some observers wonder if Bayern’s dominance is good for the Bundesliga, which essentially makes it in danger of becoming a one-club league.
While Bayern can pride itself as one of the greatest clubs in the planet, the Bundesliga, mainly owing to a lack of competition, has yet to reach the same level of prominence that the Premier League and the La Liga enjoy.
On a more positive note, the Bundesliga table at this stage suggests that a more competitive league is unfolding.
With 28 points, Bayer Leverkusen surprisingly leads the pack with a one-point advantage ahead of Bayern and RB Leipzig, while fourth place Dortmund trails by five points.
A massive clash awaits on Sunday, Dec. 20, as league leaders Leverkusen host Bayern.
The match might just be a preview of who would lift the Bundesliga trophy at season’s end.