As Bundesliga challengers slip up, Bayern Munich steams ahead

The Bavarians keep chugging along. They may be the only one

Was last season just a bad dream? Bayern Munich is back to its regularly scheduled dominance of the Bundesliga…and it isn’t close.

The Bavarians are now five points clear at the top of the table after a 1-0 win over St Pauli on Saturday. They have over twice the goals scored (33 to 15) compared to second-placed RB Leipzig this season to date. Vincent Kompany and his squad boast an 8W-2D-0L record and have given up just seven goals in ten matchdays. Bayern is currently on pace for nearly 90 points. It’s a start befitting the finest of the Rekordmeister’s record-breaking run of 11 straight Bundesliga titles, which Bayer Leverkusen snapped only last season.

Xabi Alonso and Leverkusen look to have run dry of the secret stuff that powered them to an invincible Bundesliga season last year. Not only has Die Werkself lost already, but it has more draws (five) than wins (four) and dropped points again in a 1-1 decision away at VfL Bochum on Saturday.

RB Leipzig drew 0-0 to Borussia Mönchengladbach while Borussia Dortmund lost 3-1 at Mainz, after an early red card to German international midfielder Emre Can. Freiburg and Union Berlin drew against each other on Saturday as well…meaning as Bayern keep chugging ahead, its rivals keep faltering.