Bayern's Main Rivals in Sight: Müller's Focus on Leverkusen
In the bustling world of German soccer, Bayern Munich veteran Thomas Müller identifies Bayer Leverkusen as the club's primary adversaries in the race for the championship title.
"They've drawn once and won the rest. That's the current picture," Müller, 34, observed following Bayern's resounding 4-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund. When asked if it's Leverkusen or Dortmund pushing the hardest for the title, he answered, "It looks like that at the moment." Only in their mid-September 2-2 draw against Bayern in Munich have the Leverkusen squad not prevailed in their ten Bundesliga matches so far.
Closing the Gap
Thanks to a hat trick from Harry Kane (9th minute/72nd/90th+3) and a goal from Dayot Upamecano (4th), Bayern managed to maintain their two-point advantage over Leverkusen while expanding their lead over Dortmund to five points. "We've managed to keep up with Leverkusen," Müller commented approvingly.
Müller took notice of Hamburg's 3-2 (2-0) victory against Leverkusen a few hours earlier, yet he saw potential weaknesses. "I only caught the first half, and after Leverkusen went 2-0 up, I thought, this is going well again. But suddenly it was 2-2. All in all, they at least had a sense that they were vulnerable," Müller assessed. Only a late goal from newcomer Alejandro Grimaldo (70') kept Leverkusen in the top spot, allowing Bayern to preserve their better goal difference after their triumph in Dortmund.
Eye on the Competition
Despite Dortmund's defeat, Bayern and Müller remain vigilant, closely observing the performances of their Bundesliga foes, including Dortmund and their main rivals, Leverkusen. Müller highlighted Leverkusen's consistent record in the league, boasting of their impressive nine wins and one draw so far.
In the broader context of the Bundesliga standings, Dortmund's setback against Bayern maintained a two-point gap between the two clubs, while Bayern extended their edge over Dortmund to five points.
Enrichment Data:
Throughout the conversation, Müller contemplated the past glory of Bayern Munich, considering inquiring from one of the club's founding fathers about their primary competitors and the most progressive clubs in the locality during that era. However, Müller didn't explicitly mention Leverkusen as the current main rival in the Bundesliga.
Bayern Munich currently tops the Bundesliga table with 42 points after 17 matchweeks, after recording 13 wins, three draws, and one defeat. The team has amassed the most goals (53) and conceded the fewest (13) in the league, resulting in a remarkable goal difference of +40.
Notably, the leading teams in the Bundesliga include:
- Bayern Munich: With an impressive 42 points, Bayern leads the league.
- Bayer Leverkusen: Trailing second place with 38 points.
- Eintracht Frankfurt: Third with 33 points.
- RB Leipzig: Fourth with 30 points.
These numbers suggest that Bayern Munich is performing exceptionally well, reigning supreme with a significant edge over the other top teams in the Bundesliga.
