Can Monchengladbach and RB Leipzig Sustain Their Bundesliga Title Races?

The German Bundesliga stopped their play last weekend and now it will go into their typical winter break with several surprises in the standings.

After conclusion of the first half of the season and with 17 matches played by all teams, we can see neither Bayern Munich nor Borussia Dortmund sit at the top of the standings. That alone should be listed as a surprise since one of these two teams have won each of the last 10 league titles. Instead, we have RB Leipzig leading the way with 37 points, followed by Borussia Monchengladbach with 35.

Bayern sit in third place with 33 points and Dortmund are fourth with 30, edging Schalke 04 solely based on their superior goal differential.

It’s clear both Bayern and Dortmund will remain as title contenders during the second half of the season, but what about Monchengladbach and Leipzig? Do they have enough in them to go all the way and fight for the league title? That itself should be considered an anomaly. Leipzig have never won the Bundesliga, while Borussia’s latest title came all the way back in the 1976-77 season.

But, which team seems more capable to go all the way this season?

Establishing a Bundesliga title case for RB Leipzig

Led by a world-class striker in Timo Werner and heralded by some other top names such as Emil Forsberg, Yussuf Poulsen and Peter Gulácsi, the Leipzig has enough depth and experience to mount a title challenge without sacrificing their spot in the UEFA Champions League knockout stages.

It also helps that Leipzig have found both an identity and continuity, as well as untapped potential on their Best XI. None of their regular starters have reached the 30-year-old mark yet and, in fact, some of their top players are 25 years old or younger. That’s the case with Werner (23), Konrad Laimer (22), Marcel Sabitzer (25), Poulsen (25), Lukas Klostermann (23) and Dayot Upamecano (21).

If we look at the current standings, Leipzig have built their season on the strength on their attack since no team has scored more goal than them (48 – 2.82 per game). Leipzig also own the league’s joint second-best defence with 20 goals conceded (1.17). Only two teams have allowed fewer goals than them, but one of those just happens to be Borussia.

Why Mönchengladbach won’t remain in the Bundesliga title race

No one can criticize what Mönchengladbach have done this season. They were one of the biggest surprises of the league one year ago, but they have topped themselves in the 2019/20 campaign despite losing a key player in Thorgan Hazard, who signed with Dortmund.

Their strength this season lies on the defensive side of the ball, as they own the league’s best defence with 18 goals conceded (1.05 per game – tied with Wolfsburg). Their attack, however, has been uninspiring at best. Out of the Top 4 teams in the standings, Borussia are the only ones who do not crack the 40-goal plateau and by a wide margin, since they have scored “only” 33 times – 1.94 per game.

The lack of experience could also play against them. Mönchengladbach suffered a  UEFA Europa League group stage elimination. Plus, they do not have many players experienced in high-pressure situations or title-challenging campaigns. Matthias Ginter (25 years old), Lars Stindl (31) and Yann Sommer (31) are the leaders of the club, but some of their best players have yet to reach their peak yet. This essentially means Borussia could become an even better team in one or two more years.

Indeed, a few years of growth could certainly help players such as Marcus Thuram (22), Alassane Pléa (26), Denis Zakaria (23) and Nico Elvedi (23). The same goes for Swiss striker Breel Embolo (22), who could form a great threesome with Pléa and Thuram down the road. But they’re just not ready yet.

Which team looks like the favourite to fight Bayern and Dortmund on the Bundesliga title race?

Both teams should remain on the race for the UEFA Champions League spots all season long. But if we had to pick one to remain alive on the title hunt, then Leipzig should be the pick. Borussia still need to grow and improve their side, particularly on the attacking end. But Leipzig are more than ready to confirm what they have done ever since they got promoted to the Bundesliga.

Expect the Leipzig side to remain a bona fide title contender until the very final weeks of the season.