Euro Roundup: Why is the Bundesliga so easy for Bayern?

Bayern won Der Klassiker at a canter on Saturday, putting six past rivals Dortmund, leaving the average fan asking “why is it so easy for them?”

Bundesliga

Following his team’s 6-0 demolition at the hands of Der Klassiker rival Bayern Munich, Dortmund midfielder Juilan Weigl claimed his side expected to be beaten by the reigning champions. “Bayern were simply a class above,” he said. “At no time did we have the feeling we could take something, so the result is fine. We had a maximum of one, maybe two chances.”

The result keeps the light firmly on the debate of the 50+1 rule, after a motion to abolish the rule in the lead-up to this match was defeated 18-4.

The 50+1 rule was introduced in 1998 and ensures club members have a majority voting rights, guarding against foreign takeovers like the ones we’ve seen in the Premier League. The rule is credited with preserving the traditional values of German soccer, such as low ticket prices and financially secure clubs. However, it has also limited Bundesliga clubs financially, making it increasingly difficult for anyone to compete with Bayern.

Bayern were among the four who voted against the rule, while Dortmund voted for it. In the lead-up to Der Klassiker, Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge reaffirmed his opposition to the 50+1 rule, claiming it harmed the Bundesliga’s competitiveness in Europe and at home.

Rummenigge has a point. Since 1963, Bayern have won 26 Bundesliga titles, nearly half the haul up for grabs in that period of time. The past decade has only underlined Bayern’s dominance of the Bundesliga; they’re now heading for a sixth title in a row, having long smashed the previous record for consecutive titles (the previous record was three, which was also held by Bayern). All of their titles in that period have been won by double-digit points.

In Europe, Bayern account for 75 percent of Germany’s Champions League semifinal appearances since 2003 (six of eight) and are the only German side to have won the tournament in that period. Outside of Bayern, Germany has seriously under-performed in recent seasons and this year was no difference.

This season, they were the only German club to progress out of the Champions League group stages, with RB Leipzig and Dortmund both getting relegated to the Europa League with a third place finish in their respective groups (Dortmund’s group stage tally made them the worst team ever to qualify for the Europa League from the Champions League group stages).

None of the three German teams that qualified for the Europa League through the Bundesliga got out of their groups and Dortmund were knocked out in round of 32. The miserable European form very much vindicates Rummenigge’s stance. However, although the 50+1 rule remains a big issue, it isn’t the only thing preventing other German teams from being competitive at home and abroad; the rule also has a lot of positives.

Germany’s league setup is considered the gold standard among UEFA executives and in a climate of branding and crest makeovers, the Bundesliga remains among the few European leagues to make its fans as a top priority. However, as Bundesliga sides become increasingly more crafty in finding loopholes in the rule, the debate over rule 50+1 is far from over in Germany.

Elsewhere, Schalke beat Freiburg to ensure that Bayern will have to wait until next week to win the league title, while RB Leipzig inched into the Champions League qualification places with a 3-2 win over Hanover. Hamburg could only manage a draw against Stuttgart, meaning their record of having never been relegated is now under serious threat.

La Liga

Two sides desperate for points nearly produced shocks this week in La Liga. In Seville, Luis Muriel was among the chief culprits as his side crumbled to a late draw against unbeaten Barcelona, having held a 2-0 lead right up until the final minutes of the game. Franco Vazquez had given the hosts the lead, with Muriel making it 2-0 early in the second. Sevilla then squandered countless chances to expand their lead, with Muriel missing a number of golden chances to make it 3-0.

It seemed they would go unpunished until Luis Suarez acrobatically scored from a corner in the last three minutes of the game to give the visitors some hope. Having come off the bench in the 60th minute, Lionel Messi was the difference maker, scoring a fantastic equalizer and saving the Catalans’ unbeaten run.

Deportivo were the other side who were guilty of not punishing the big boys, losing 1-0 at the Wanda Metropolitano, meaning they fall further behind in the face for survival. Depor had a number of good chances in the first half to take the lead, but were denied by poor finishing and a brilliant Jan Oblak. Kevin Gameiro’s penalty meant Atleti went in with the lead at the break and having given up a 1-0 lead against Villarreal before the international break, Los Rojiblancos weren’t about to repeat the error, despite the visitors having chances to equalize. Deportivo will face Levante next week, knowing nothing but a win will be good enough if they wish to stay in La Liga.

Girona’s European hopes looked to have taken a dash when they drew 1-1 with Levante, but games elsewhere were kind, as neither Villarreal, who suffered the ignominy of becoming the first team to lose to rock bottom Malaga in 15 matches, nor Sevilla were able to capitalize on their slip  up. Real Betis, however, could move above Girona if they win against Getafe on Monday.

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Serie A

Argentina were short on goals during the international break, and some of Jorge Sampaoli’s omissions from the squad that lost 6-1 to Spain made him look rather foolish in Italy this weekend. Paolo Dybala scored a wonderful opener in Juventus’s crucial 3-1 win over AC Milan. Former Juve defender, Leonardo Bonucci, cancelled out Dybala’s goal from a corner, before Juan Cuadrado and Sami Khedira wrapped up the three points late on.

The win inches Juventus closer to a seventh consecutive scudetto as fellow title rivals Napoli dropped more points, this time against 16th-place Sassuolo, where they needed a late own goal to salvage a point. The result means Napoli are now four points behind Juventus having been top of the league until a month ago.

Mauro Icardi also made his case for inclusion for his national side with a brace over Verona to bring his goal haul to 24 for the season. Fifth-place Lazio survived a scare against bottom dwellers, Benevento. After going 1-0 up, the visitors fell 2-1 behind against their hosts, who were playing with 10 men. Ciro Imobile spared Lazio blushes, however, scoring a second as Le Aquile scored five goals in the last half an hour.  

Benvento have won just three games all season and sit 12 points adrift of 19th and 16 away from safety.