After weeks of speculation, Bundesliga may just become the first major European league to resume footballing action, after the coronavirus outbreak had halted most of the sporting activities across the globe.
Bayern Munich are currently in the driving seat with 55 points from 25 games, but Borussia Dortmund are close, with 51 points.
When the league resumes, fans shall witness a few cracking games on matchday 26, as Dortmund will square off against arch-rivals Schalke, a game that could go a long way towards deciding the fate of the league.
Bayern, on the other hand, will play against Union Berlin, and despite having a four-point lead, they are likely to face a close contest to lift the Bundesliga title this season.
Here are a three reasons why the Bavarian giants will not win the league in the 2019-20 season:
#1 Bayern’s army of walking injured
It seems an injury crisis at the Allianz Arena is a common sight in recent seasons. Their record signing Lucas Hernandez has suffered from two separate injuries in his debut year itself.
Corentin Tolisso’s season looks to have ended after undergoing surgery on his ankle. Philippe Coutinho has struggled in Bavaria, and Niklas Sule has been a long-term absentee.
Add to that the recent injury to Robert Lewandowski and Bayern Munich’s current campaign could be on the verge of being derailed due to a lack of proper planning. However, the break due to coronavirus may help Coutinho and Lewandowski to get back to full fitness.
But it remains to be seen if they are able to be fit in time for the business end of the campaign.
#2 Toothless wingers
For years, Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery haunted defences in the Bundesliga, but Bayern Munich have failed to replace them. Their continuous pursuit of Leroy Sane bore no fruit, and instead, they had to sign Ivan Perisic on loan from Inter Milan.
While Perisic is a good stop-gap solution, Bayern need more creative input from their wingers. Serge Gnabry has been great going forward, but he needs a partner on the other flank.
Thanks to Philippe Coutinho, Bayern have been able to put Thomas Muller out-wide but at his age, the German will be better suited in the middle of the park.
The Bavarians have often failed to break down stubborn defences this season, which only goes on to highlight their lack of wide options.
This very problem could prove to be a troublesome roadblock in their bid for the Bundesliga title.
#1 Shaky defence
All great football teams are built on a strong foundation, and Bayern Munich’s first-choice centre-backs have been injured all season. David Alaba has had to fill in at centre-back alongside Jerome Boateng, whom they have wanted to sell for some time now.
In lack of hindsight, Die Roten sold Mats Hummels back to Dortmund, and the injuries to Niklas Sule and Lucas Hernadez has forced them to rotate between Boateng and Javi Martinez.
Luckily for Bayern, they have sailed through troubled waters so far, but the road ahead would be anything but rosy.
They have various tricky fixtures to play, and the team would be required to put in a shift at the back if they wish to add another Bundesliga title to their glittering trophy cabinet.
All stats courtesy: Bundesliga.com