What to watch out for as the Bundesliga resumes play

The Bundesliga's winter break was less than three weeks long this season, due to the need to get league play done in time to make way for the World Cup, which kicks off in the United States on June 11. Mexico and Canada are also to host a few matches.

Due to the brevity of this winter break, only six of the Bundesliga's 18 clubs traveled abroad for their winter training camps. The others, including the record German champions and defending Bundesliga champions, Bayern Munich stayed home.

In theory, yes, but realistically, it's highly unlikely. After 15 matches, Bayern Munich remain undefeated and comfortably top the table with a nine-point advantage over Borussia Dortmund – and Bayern's goal difference is a staggering 30 goals better than Dortmund's.

Only once since the three-points-for-a-win system was introduced in 1995 has a league leader squandered a nine-point lead after the 15th matchday: Borussia Dortmund achieved this ignominious feat in the 2018-19 season – allowing Bayern Munich to win the Bundesliga by two points. Almost nobody can see this happening to Bayern this season.

The teams in third and fourth place, Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig, are already 12 points out of first. Their main goal for the rest of the season will be to finish in the top four, in order to qualify for the for next year's Champions League.

The prospect of more than just another league title should help. If Vincent Kompany's team maintain their current level of performance, a third treble is possible, following their successes in 2013 and 2020. Bayern are well-positioned in the Champions League and have reached the German Cup quarterfinals, where they are to face Leipzig in early February.

They can also draw motivation from the possibility of setting newBundesliga records. With 41 points from 15 games, they are in a position to threaten their own record of 91 points, from the 2012-13 season.

A new goal-scoring record is also within reach. The current record, also held by Bayern, stands at 101 (1971-72). They have already scored 55 goals this season.

If Harry Kane can continue his strong form (19 goals so far) throughout the rest of the season, he will stand a real chance of breaking the Bundesliga's record of 41 goals in a single season, which is currently held by former Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski. In 2021, the Poland international broke Gerd Müller's record of 40 goals, which had stood since the 1971-72 season.

With only eight points, bottom-of-the-table Mainz already appear slightly adrift, however, since Swiss coach Urs Fischer took over, they have gone unbeaten in four competitive matches. They are only three points behind second-to-last Heidenheim (11 points) and four behind 16th-placed St. Pauli (12 points).

Even the teams from 10th to 15th place could still be dragged into the relegation battle: Werder Bremen (17), 1. Cologne (16), Borussia Mönchengladbach (16), Hamburg (15), Wolfsburg (15), and Augsburg (14).

So far, not much, but the window doesn't close until February 2nd at 8 p.m. CET. German international Pascal Gross is returning to Brighton after a year and a half at Borussia Dortmund – for an estimated transfer fee of around €3 million ($3.5 million).

Eintracht Frankfurt, currently seventh in the table, have bought Younes Ebnoutalib from second-division side Elversberg for around €8 million. The 22-year-old was the top goal scorer in Bundesliga 2 with 12 goals in 17 games.

Otherwise, it's been mostly loan deals, including 18-year-old Senegalese striker Bara Sapoko Ndiaye, who Bayern have brought in from the Gambinos Stars Africa until the end of the season.

German fans and media will have a close eye on the form of national team players, who will be looking to clinch their inclusion on Julian Nagelsmann's World Cup squad.

For Jamal Musiala, who is poised for a comeback after his serious injury at the Club World Cup last summer, the focus will be on getting as much playing time as possible at Bayern Munich and quickly regaining his form. The same applies to Niclas Füllkrug at his new club, AC Milan.

Before their opening World Cup match against Curacao on June 14, Germany have four friendlies scheduled; in Switzerland (March 27), against Ghana (March 30), Finland (May 31), and finally against the main hosts, the USA (June 6).

This article was originally published in German.