Why Bayern Munich are on course for the Bundesliga title

Can anyone stop a resurgent Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga? At the moment, this looks very unlikely, as Jupp Heynckes’ side increased their lead at the summit to six points after a comprehensive 3-0 win over Augsburg.

Munich are still unbeaten and what’s more, Heynckes reached the landmark of 500 Bundesliga wins with 326 of these coming as a manager and the rest as a player. Since replacing Carlo Ancelotti, Heynckes has enjoyed a blistering start to his tenure at the Allianz Arena. If that stat isn’t enough, Munich also became the first team to reach the 3000 points mark in the history of the Bundesliga. All this adds to the air of invincibility about the side.

Significantly, Bayern have an extraordinary goal difference of +22, nine higher than the next best team, which is Borussia Dortmund. However, Dortmund are in fourth place in the table, nine points adrift of Munich, and are stuttering. Leipzig, in second place, have a goal difference of 5, while Borussia Monchengladbach in third are on exactly zero.

Clearly Bayern are vastly superior in terms of goals scored and conceded. They were also superior in all areas against Augsburg on Saturday, racking up 74 per cent of the possession as well as registering 16 shots, double the amount of efforts offered by the away side.

In Robert Lewandowski, Bayern have an excellent finisher who has now taken his tally to 13 league goals after he struck twice at the weekend. The Polish striker is scoring at a rate of just over a goal a game so far, and with creative players behind him such as James Rodriguez, Arjen Robben and Arturo Vidal, it is guaranteed that chances will often be supplied to the clinical finisher.

Mats Hummels and Niklas Sule lined up together in central defence, as a solid pairing who comfortably ensured their side kept a clean-sheet. Further defensive cover from Javi Martinez in front of the back-four adds to the cohesion and resilient nature of the team.

The game was also won without David Alaba in the starting line-up as he was recovering from a knock picked up for Austria. The full-back eased his way back in by playing the final 17 minutes of the match.

Bayern’s side oozes class in every position, and coupled with the fact that they have a manager who seems to totally understand how to win games and allow the talent at his disposal to play to their strengths, it appears that there really is no stopping their charge to the title.

In their previous two games, Bayern took six points off two of the main challengers for top-spot in RB Lepzig and Borussia Dortmund. Munich scored five and conceded just one over the duration of the two games. Winning such games in a convincing manner illustrates that Heynckes’ side really are a class above every other team in the division as it stands.

The strength in depth within the Bayern squad means that rotation is possible. Thomas Muller and Franck Ribery are nearing their returns from injury to add to the attacking options for Heynckes’ to select from.

Everything seems to suggest that Bayern are well on the way to earning their sixth consecutive Bundesliga tile. At the rate they are going, it is a matter of when they win it, not if they can win it.