While nobody can win the Bundesliga title in November, teams can certainly get knocked out of the running for it. With the Bundesliga season almost 1/3 over, FC Bayern Munich are on top of the table. However seven teams are within six points or less of the Bavarians. Kevin Oblocki, a student at Cleveland State University and a long-time Bundesliga fan, makes his Bundesliga Fanatic debut, sharing his thoughts and opinions on which of the top eight clubs in the Bundesliga are contenders, and which are pretenders, in the 2011/2012 chase for the Bundesliga title.

FC Bayern Munich

The Bavarians are off to another flying start in the Bundesliga. The team has only conceded goals in 3 of their 16 games this season (including Champions League/DFB Pokal). Despite the past week of blemishes, they are showing little signs of slowing down and aren’t really missing the absence of injured Arjen Robben. The start of the season could not be better for Bayern. Die Roten still remain in all three competitions. Despite being drawn into the Champions League “Group of death”, the team is showing no signs of wear and tear. They have some difficult matches just before the Winter Break including a tangle with Werder Bremen and trips to Manchester City and Stuttgart but a minor slip up there in any of those matches shouldn’t cause them too much trouble.

VERDICT

Contenders

Key Upcoming Matches

10/28/11- vs. 1. FC Nurnberg

11/2/11- vs. Napoli (Champions League)

11/19/11- vs. Borussia Dortmund



Borussia Dortmund

Despite having a disappointing start to their Champions League campaign, BVB have still been doing very well. The team from the Ruhr region in Germany is now only three points behind leaders FC Bayern Munchen. Unfortunately Lucas Barrios has been injured for many big games this season and the team has had problems finishing their scoring chances when it matters most. We have seen this in all of the team’s Champions League matches thus far and it has hurt them drastically. Jurgen Klopp needs to pull a rabbit out of his hat if Dortmund is to advance to the knockout stages of the Champions League. Realistically, I can see the team advancing to the 3rd round of the DFB-Pokal and possibly parachuting into the Europa League. Even then, I can see the team falling in the later round of both competitions. The Bundesliga is their primary target.

VERDICT

Contenders

Key Upcoming Matches

11/1/11 vs. Olympiakos (Champions League)

11/16/11 vs. Schalke

12/3/11 vs. Borussia Moenchengladbach(away)

FC Schalke 04

Schalke have gone through a lot over the past few months beginning with the sale of former captain Manuel Neuer, surprise resignation of Ralf Ragnick, and recent injury of starting keeper Ralf Fährmann. Despite all of this, die Königsblauen have looked very good in all three competitions. While their defense still is perhaps somewhat of a mess, their attack has been impressive as they are 2nd in the league in goals scored (19). The side from Gelsenkirchen is looking likely to progress from their group in the Europa League. Expect them to place their Bundesliga priorities in the back seat as they defend their German cup stoutly and push for a Europa League title.

Key Upcoming Matches

10/26/11- vs. Karlsruher SC (away/DFB- Pokal)

11/26/11- vs. Borussia Dortmund(away)

12/1/11- vs. Steaua Buchuresti (Europa League)

VERDICT

Pretenders

Hannover 96

Hannover have proven that their 4th place finish last season was not a fluke as they currently sit in the same spot they finished last May. The team managed by Mirko Slomka has done well in all competitions this season including a massive Europa League win against Sevilla and the defeat of FC Bayern Munich Sunday evening. The road only gets tougher this week. Another tricky test awaits them this Wednesday as they take on Mainz in the 2nd round of the DFB Pokal. In Europe, Hannover sit 2nd in their group but still have to travel to Copenhagen and Liege. This upcoming week will dictate how the rest of the team’s season will go as their next three matches are in all different competitions. I think they will maintain their position in the group and advance to the knockout rounds. The team has quality, but not enough to remain strong contenders for the Bundesliga, the Cup, and Europa League. Hannover may win some silverware this year; just don’t expect it to come in the form of the Bundesliga Shield.

VERDICT

Pretenders

Key Upcoming Matches

10/26/11- vs. Mainz (DFB-Pokal)

10/29/11- vs. Borussia Moenchengladbach(away)

11/3/11- vs. FC Copenhagen (away/Europa League)

VFB Stuttgart

The 2007 Champions are back in the top half of the table despite their near relegation last year. Bruno Labbaddia has turned around his men and reestablished Stuttgart’s position in the league. The team, playing out of the newly renovated Mercedes-Benz Arena, has had its share of sweet and sour moments already this season ….. 3-0 defeats of Hannover and Schalke have been the pinnacle while defeats against promoted Hertha Berlin and 17th placed HSV were moments to forget. The most impressive part of the VFB squad so far has to be the strike force of Shinji Okazaki, Martin Harnik, Pavel Pogrebnyak, and Cacau. The four are responsible for ten of the team’s goals this season and that number is only going to increase when 22-year-old Julian Schieber returns from injury. Stuttgart has several big Bundesliga matches coming up including a visit from the German Champions Borussia Dortmund and a trip to the Allianz Arena.

VERDICT

Contenders

Key Upcoming Matches

10/29/11- vs. Borussia Dortmund

11/27/11- vs. Werder Bremen(away)

12/10/11- vs. Bayern Munchen(away)

Werder Bremen

Bremen have had a great start to the season. Paced by Veteran Claudio Pizzaro, Bremen has banged in a whopping 17 goals. The Peruvian striker, who has six goals so far this season, claimed his team as “favorites” to win the Bundesliga title earlier this season. It’s unfortunate his counterpart strikers haven’t been able to finish their chances like he has or else Bremen would be higher up in the table. While “Mr. Reliable” has been nothing short of brilliant, Bremen’s starlet Marko Marin has struggled to meet expectations thus far. Expect Marin to eventually find his form soon in attempt to make the squad for EURO 2012. Overall Werder have a solid squad. The team is already out of the DFB cup and doesn’t play in Europe this season, and they’ll still make a valiant push for the league title.

VERDICT

Contenders

Key Upcoming Matches

11/27/11- vs. VFB Stuttgart

12/3/11- vs. Bayern Munchen(away)

12/17/11- vs. Schalke 04(away)

Borussia Mönchengladbach

One of the biggest surprises so far this year has to be Borussia Mönchengladbach’s place in the table before Round 10 (2nd). The Foals are amongst the pack as they have only given up seven goals this season and are one of two teams yet to be beaten at home this year, quite a turnaround from the porous defense and inability to win at home that plagued the club in last year’s Hinrunde. While the team hasn’t necessarily won every game in the most dominant fashion,winning four of their games by the scoreline of 1-0, they have done enough to get the job done. Many are still wondering if the team really has what it takes to win the league. I say no. Mönchengladbach have struggled to score goals. This will eventually catch up with them and they will slowly slide down the table as the Winter Break approaches.

VERDICT

Pretenders

Key Upcoming Matches

10/29/11- vs. Hannover 96

11/19/11- vs. Werder Bremen

12/3/11- vs. Borussia Dortmund

TSG 1899 Hoffenheim

The “Villagers” find themselves 8th in the table after round 10 of the Bundesliga. It has been an up and down season for them but they still have managed to keep themselves within distance of the summit of the table. Hoffenheim has some great talent, and new coach Holger Stanislawski has lifted the club’s game. Personally, though, Dietmar Hopp’s decision last year to not finance the team to the extent he had earlier limits Hoffenheim’s chances for trophies down the road. Unless Hopp changes his thinking about who Hoffenheim are in the Bundesliga, their astounding first half run during the 2008-09 season is the closest they will ever get to winning the Bundesliga Title.

VERDICT

Pretenders

Key Upcoming Matches

11/5/11- vs. Kaiserslautern

12/3/11- vs. Bayer 04 Leverkusen

12/10/11- vs. 1. FC Nurnberg(away)