Bayern Munich certain to retain Bundesliga title under Jupp Heynckes

It has been a turbulent few months for Bayern Munich but their league position gives the impression that all has been fine at the Allianz Arena this season.

Carlo Ancelotti parted company with the Bavarian giants at the end of September with the club lying in third place amid talk of player revolts and secret training sessions. But Jupp Heynckes came to the rescue and, in his third permanent spell as manager, has established an 11-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga.

Bayern have been grinding out 1-0 wins in recent games but it looks to be a case of how far for the manager who won the 2012-13 Bundesliga by 25 points.

The scrap for the Champions League places is far more interesting with just four points separating second-placed Schalke with eighth-placed Frankfurt as the league begins its lengthy winter break.

Bet365 rate Borussia Dortmund as 13-8 favourites in the without Bayern market but they have plenty to prove after sacking Peter Bosz and appointing former Cologne boss Peter Stoger as head coach earlier this month.

That was a bold decision considering Cologne are still rock-bottom in Germany’s top flight and had dismissed Stoger a week before he took over at the Westfalenstadion. But the new man had immediately addressed defensive issues and scored successive victories in the Bundesliga.

Leipzig have proved that last season was no fluke but their form has dipped and the break will surely do the Bulls no harm while Schalke continue to go under the radar and could easily beat both into second.

At the bottom, Cologne took a step forward by beating Wolfsburg but novice Bundesliga manager Stefan Ruthenbeck faces a tough task in trying to keep them up.

There are several candidates who could fill the one remaining automatic relegation place, including Hamburg, who have never been relegated from Germany’s top tier.

Freiburg also looked in big trouble but three wins in five games before the break have helped to steady the ship. Stuttgart and Werder Bremen do not score many and are also likely to be forced to fight.

Already advised by Mark Langdon
Schalke top-four finish
1pt 7-2 bet365, Sky Bet

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