Bundesliga is back as it ended a little less than three months ago: no audience. He was supposed to Allianz Arena was going to reopen its doors to host the start of the top German competition between Bayern, champions for the eighth time in a row, and Schalke 04 from Gelsenkirchen. But the hopes of the Bavarian fans ended fading just one day from the premiere. The weekly incidence per 100,000 inhabitants in the capital of Munich yesterday exceeded 47 cases, twelve over the limit established by the prime ministers who allowed to fill the stadiums with a 20 percent of the capacity maximum. The Bavarians, therefore, were not as lucky as the fans of, for example, Union and Leipzig, who will be able to cheer on their own again from close up.
While the situation surrounding the season 20/21 remains exceptional, little has changed in sports. He team to beat remains the same. Hansi flick comes from placing Bayern on top of Europe. And, for now, it doesn't look like things will change on the national scene. The sixteenth European champion lose the magic of players like Coutinho or Thiago, but win the speed and verticality of Sané. The German international from Manchester City is the main novelty of a team that, in economic and football terms, continues to be light years ahead of its competition in the Bundesliga.
its main rival In the race to conquer his ninth salad bowl in series, it will not be Wagner's Schalke, a team that showed important deficiencies in their friendly commitments during the summer, but Favre's Dortmund and his own lung. He Bayern faces an authentic marathon seasonal, in which it could reach play up to 57 games. The clashes will not stop during the week, the first the next Thursday in front of Seville in search of the European Super Cup. He Flick's wardrobe will be key, especially in the eternal duel before a Dortmund that has been stomping than last season. To the might of Haaland and Sancho hOh, add the quality of your two star signings: Bellingham and Meunier. And that of the reborn captain Reus, once and for all, free of injuries.
The another Bundesliga starts behind rojiblancos and negriamarillos. The one in which Nagelsmann's Leipzig competes, who will have to show that he is capable of filling the huge gap left by Werner's departure to Chelsea. Or that of the Gladbach, historical of the Teutonic competition who has returned to get into Champions and he will have to prove that, like Machín, he knows how to love two women at the same time and not be crazy. Leverkusen begins the post-Havertz era, another pearl of the German school that prefers the Premier over a Bundesliga that maintains its spanish flavor thanks to Olmo, Angeliño, Mascarell, Javi Martínez, Aarón Martín, Meré, Morey, Josep Martínez and Novoa.
The title contenders and their eleven type
Bayern: Neuer – Pavard, Süle, Alaba, Davies – Kimmich, Goretzka – Gnabry, Müller, Sané – Lewandowski.
Dortmund: Bürki – Can, Hummels, Akanji – Meunier, Witsel, Bellingham, Guerreiro – Sancho, Haaland, Reus.
Leipzig: Gulacsi – Klostermann, Upamecano, Halstenberg – Mukiele, Sabitzer, Kampl, Angeliño – Olmo, Poulsen, Hwang.
Schalke: Fährmann – Rudy, Kabak, Nastasic, Oczipka – Stambouli – Mascarell, Serdar – Uth – Raman, Patience.
Leverkusen: Hradecky – Lars Bender, Sven Bender, Tapsoba, Wendell – Aránguiz, Demirbay – Bellarabi, Wirtz, Diaby – Schick.
Gladbach: Sommer – Lainer, Ginter, Elvedi, Bensebaini – Kramer, Neuhaus – Wolf, Stindl, Hofmann – Herrmann.