It promises to be a fascinating end to the Bundesliga season, as the three sides at the top of the standings are separated by just five points.
Bayern Munich was the first team to blink in the title race, as they announced during the international break that the club has parted company with Julian Nagelsmann, with ex-Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel replacing the German.
The race to be named Bundesliga winners will heat up from this weekend as the play resumes after the international break, but who are the current favorites in the Bundesliga odds, and could there be a shock winner of the title this year?
Bayern Favored In Betting (-400)
Despite sitting second in the standings, Bayern Munich remains the -400 favorite to win an eleventh-straight Bundesliga title. The Bavarian’s decision to remove Nagelsmann raised eyebrows, as the champions are just one point adrift of the top of the standings, and they cruised through to the last eight of the Champions League.
However, Tuchel will be tasked with delivering the top prize in the second half of the campaign. The former Chelsea boss previously managed Borussia Dortmund in his homeland, winning the DFB Pokal in the 2016-17 season. However, reports have claimed that there is a divided changing room following the sacking of the previous coach, with many of the players respecting what the former Leipzig coach was building.
It looks hard to challenge the Bundesliga winners predictions claiming that the Bavarians will be crowned champions this term, but Tuchel will need an immediate response from his players with a huge match against Dortmund coming up at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.
Dortmund Lead The Standings (+280)
The Bundesliga standings currently show Borussia Dortmund as the team to catch. Edin Terzic has done an excellent job with this crop of players since taking over, especially considering the fact that the team lost Erling Haaland over the summer. However, the additions of Anthony Modeste and Karim Adeyemi have looked to fill that void, with the strikers scoring a combined total of eight between them this term.
Their position among the top Bundesliga teams at this stage of the season is even more staggering after considering the fact that they were eight after ten rounds of fixtures. However, their form since the World Cup break has been stunning, as they have picked up nine wins from their last ten matches in the Bundesliga.
Dortmund is listed at +280 to be crowned Bundesliga winners this term, but their chances of achieving that will likely hinge on their next two fixtures. The current leaders travel to Bayern Munich this weekend, before playing host to Union Berlin on April 8. However, I would prefer a slightly bigger price if I was backing Dortmund with nine games remaining.
Union Could Cause A Shock (+6600)
The most shocking outcome this term would see Union Berlin crowned Bundesliga winners. Urs Fischer’s side has captured the imagination of Europe this term, as they bid to emulate the feat achieved by Leicester City when they won their Premier League title despite being +500000 outsiders. They would be surprised to find themselves in this position, as going into this term, they had never even sat top of the Bundesliga standings in their history.
However, that monumental achievement was reached on matchday six, as they moved to the summit after an away win against Cologne. They remained top of the standings until a 4-1 away loss against Freiburg in their final match before the World Cup. Their chances of winning the title this term will hinge on favors from elsewhere, as they are now five points adrift of Dortmund after winning just once in their previous five matches.
But, their main bonus is the fact that they have an easier run-in. Their most difficult match remaining is a trip to Dortmund; before the pick of their matches see them host Bayer Leverkusen and visit Borussia Monchengladbach. It may be an unlikely title success, but it is by no means out of the question.
Verdict – Who Wins The Bundesliga?
This promises to be one of the most competitive conclusions to a Bundesliga season in many years. However, from a neutral perspective, we would love to see Bayern and Dortmund share the points this weekend, before Union lands a victory against Dortmund in the following round. If those results occur, just two points could separate the top three.
But, realistically, this tends to be the period of the season when Bayern puts their foot down on the accelerator and opens up a gap over their rivals before their focus can switch to important Champions League fixtures.
It may be a tougher run-in this year, but we expect Tuchel to have the know-how to get this talented Bavarian outfit over the line.
- Pick: Bayern Munich (-400)
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