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Bayern Munich are a force to be reckoned with in European football and are an absolutely dominant outfit in the Bundesliga. The Bavarians have won the Bundesliga title 30 times (a league record), with nine of them coming on the spin since the 2012-13 campaign.
This season, they took one step forward towards another title as they were crowned the Herbstmeister, or winter champions in December.
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Their attack has been their biggest strength in recent years and they regularly rank among the top-scoring sides across Europe's top five leagues at the end of each season.
As the reigning champions finish 2021 at the top of the league standings with a nine-point lead over Borussia Dortmund, here we take a look at five reasons why Bayern Munich will go on to win the Bundesliga 2021-22.
#5 Bayern Munich's impressive record against potential title challengers
While it is important to be consistent throughout the season and consistently secure wins against small sides, for a title-challenging team, it is crucial to step up against the big sides.
Bayern Munich have shown composure and determination to do just that this season. They have not lost to other Bundesliga sides in the top-five so far. Their only loss to a team in the upper half of the table was a shock 2-1 defeat at home to Eintracht Frankfurt in October.
They have performed well against their direct title rivals and the comeback win against Borussia Dortmund was one of their best performances of the season. It was their sixth successive league victory in Der Klassiker.
Some of their biggest wins this season have come against RB Leipzig (4-1 in September) and Bayer Leverkusen (5-1 in October). They avoid dropping points in key fixtures which helps them keep a healthy lead at the top.
#4 Bayern Munich have never surrendered a nine-point lead after the winter break
Bayern Munich have been the Bundesliga winter champions 25 times so far, more than any other side in the German top-flight. Of their nine consecutive title-winning campaigns, they had failed to be at the top of the standings during the winter break only twice, in 2018 and 2019.
Out of the 25 times they have managed to be crowned the autumn champions, they have not relinquished the lead at the top 21 times—an astonishing 84% success rate.
While being at the top of the standings at the halfway mark of the campaign is no guarantee of success, it will be difficult for any team to earn points at the same rate as the strongest team in the league.
#3 Julian Nagelsmann's effective management makes Bayern Munich a formidable force
Bayern Munich achieved the sextuple under Hansi Flick in 2020 and set the benchmark for what a top team should look like in the Bundesliga. Julian Nagelsmann inherited a very strong squad this summer and surprisingly has made the side even better.
When comparing the half-season stats between the duo, Nagelsmann has earned 43 points in the Bundesliga, four more than Flick at the same stage in the 2020-21 campaign. Bayern Munich have scored 56 goals in 17 games (a league record), again more than they managed at this point last season. There has also been a significant increase in chances created (340 vs 271).
The biggest improvement, however, has been observed at the back, as they have conceded 16 goals thus far compared to 25 at this stage last season. They have also managed to keep six clean sheets and Nagelsmann’s team have been beaten only once on the counter-attack.
He has made a few players the focal point of Bayern Munich's game with Robert Lewandowski and Alphonso Davies being the two standout players so far. He has also brought out the best in Leroy Sane this season.
#2 Impressive squad depth
Like every big club that has aspirations to win multiple trophies every season, Bayern Munich need to have a strong bench. Luckily the players have proven to be more than up for the task when called upon.
Nagelsmann has fielded as many as 25 players in the Bundesliga this season, with only three players starting in each of the 17 games. They are Manuel Neuer, Thomas Muller, and Robert Lewandowski, three of the most important and senior players in the team.
In the crucial game against Dortmund, Joshua Kimmich was unavailable on account of injury. Corentin Tolisso put in a good shift in the middle of the park in Kimmich's absence.
Jamal Musiala has enjoyed a breakthrough season while Kingsley Coman also brings a lot to the table in the final third. Tanguy Nianzou is a solid option in case any of the central defenders are out injured.
#1 Goal machine Robert Lewandowski showing no signs of slowing down
Bayern Munich's goalscoring record has been incredible this season and 19 of them have come from their prolific striker Robert Lewandowski. The Polish striker has failed to score in just four of his league outings this season and has enjoyed a record-breaking year.
At the end of last season, he broke Gerd Muller's record of 40 goals in a single campaign and later this year also broke his record for most Bundesliga goals in a calendar year, scoring 43 goals top-flight goals in 2021.
His goalscoring form might help him win another Golden Shoe award this season. He has had some help in the final third as Thomas Muller has provided 13 assists while scoring five goals and Serge Gnabry has found the back of the net nine times.
A good offense could make for the best title defense, and Bayern never seem to be in short supply of goal scorers.
