Bundesliga: Was the restart successful?
Being true to German efficiency, it was the first major league to return to the world of football.
The Bundesliga is often labelled as a one-sided league with Bayern Munich as the clear top dog. Although they won again, this season was different as the Bavarians faced fierce competition from rivals Borussia Dortmund, RasenBallsport Leipzig and Borussia Monchengladbach.
Although the entertainment factor of the league was ever-present, the thing that caught everyone's eye was the Bundesliga's early recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. Being true to German efficiency, it was the first major league to return to the world of football.
But was the DFB's decision a success? Was the Bundesliga able to satisfy millions of football deprived fans around the world with their early return?
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The restart
The DFB stopped the Bundesliga on March 13, Matchday 25. It was restarted on May 16 with the Revierderby, contested between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04.
The restart had a record viewership of more than 6million people which is more than double the usual number of viewers, according to DWDL.de. Sky had a record viewership of 3.68 million, in addition to that a programme, "Konferenz" was viewed by 2.45m people where all five games were simultaneously shown jumping from stadium to stadium.
The restart was undeniably a success for Germany as it managed to lift the hopes of the German people, along with football lovers around the world.
The result
The Bundesliga showcased a tight race for the title this year but in the end, the Bavarians won it. Slip-ups from Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig meant that Bayern won the league comfortably.
Bayern, Dortmund and Leipzig will be joined by Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League next season. Bayer Leverkusen and TSG Hoffenheim qualified for the Europa League along with Vfl Wolfsburg who'll have to cross the playoff round.
On the other end of the spectrum, perennial yo-yo club SC Paderborn were relegated with a measly 20 points. Fortuna Düsseldorf joined them in 17th position. Werder Bremen will have to win a playoff game against the team who'll finish 3rd in 2.Bundesliga.
Individual brilliance
Robert Lewandowski won Player of the Season along with the Torjaegerkanone with 34 goals. The Polish hitman broke the record for the most goals scored by a non-german player in a single season. He was closely trailed by Timo Werner who scored an impressive 28 goals.
Thomas Muller broke the record for the most assists in a single season with 21 assists. He was trailed by English sensation Jadon Sancho who had 16 assists along with his 17 goals.
Manuel Neuer silenced all of his haters through his impressive performance between the sticks this season. The Germany no.1 managed to keep 15 clean sheets in 33 games and subsequently won the Bundesliga Golden Glove.
Improved UCL chances
The Uefa Champions League will resume on August 8. This gives all of the Bundesliga clubs a much-needed rest and a slight advantage going into the competition.
RB Leipzig have already gone through to the Quarter Finals but they'll be missing their talisman and their all-time top scorer, Timo Werner.
Although they've looked shaky after the restart, they've scored a very impressive 81 goals in 34 matches while only conceding 37. Julian Nagelsmann and his boys will certainly hope to become the first-ever East German side to win the Champions Leagues.
Bayern Munich will face Chelsea on 8th August in the round of 16th and they will certainly be the favourites.
Hansi Flick's men have destroyed everything in their path after the restart of the league and have the most on form goalscorer in Robert Lewandowski along with the most creative player Thomas Müller.
Both of the German clubs will have a slight advantage in respect to other European clubs as they will have a much-needed break. While all other clubs will have to deal with injuries and fatigue, the Germans won't have this problem. They will look forward to the return of Europe's premier competition with peak fitness.
Conclusion
The early return of the Bundesliga was a global success. It managed to lift up the morale of the footballing world and consequently had record-breaking viewership.
The early conclusion will allow the German clubs to have sufficient time to rest and gather their thoughts. Covid-19 may just be a blessing in disguise for German football.
