Changing of the Guard in the Bundesliga?

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One glance at the record of the German Bundesliga will show Bayern Munich as the runaway all-time leaders.  The Bavarian’s have lifted the Bundesliga title 28 times in their history.  The second best club is Nurnberg who have won 9 titles, well adrift of Bayern Munich.

An even more troubling statistic in German football for those outside of Munich is the recent record of Bayern in the Bundesliga.  They have won each of the last six Bundesliga titles and last season was a sign of their dominance, topping the table by 19 points from second placed Schalke.  The season before Bayern Munich won the title by 15 points and it has become clear which team is top in German football.

However, could we be about to see a changing of the guard in the Bundesliga this season?

The final big match before the November international break saw Bayern Munich travel to Borussia Dortmund.  The hosts were top of the table but Bayern Munich knew a win would give them a total of 23 points, moving them just a point behind Borussia Dortmund.

Bayern Munch took the lead in the first half and were 2-1 up heading into the final 25 minutes of the game.  However, Borussia Dortmund were not finished and buoyed on by a passionate home crowd they came from behind to win the match 3-2, Paco Alcacer with the decisive goal on the 73rd minute.

Following the match, it became apparent how confident Borussia Dortmund have become that this is going to be their year but not only that, there was a sense it could mean so much more.  In 2012 Borussia Dortmund won the double under Jurgen Klopp and big things were expected of them the following season.  It wasn’t to be and Bayern Munich came back to crush their rivals to win the title.

Perhaps it is premature to say we could be witnessing a change in the pecking order of German football this season as we have not even reached Christmas.  However, one look at the two squads suggests we could be about to see a major change.

The average age of the 10 outfield players for Borussia Dortmund in the win over Bayern Munich was 24.  Plus, they had quality on the bench in 22 year old Mahmoud Dahoud, 24 year old Raphael Guerrero and 19 year old Christian Pulisic.

The average age of the 10 outfield players for Bayern Munich was 27.8, with Franck Ribery being the oldest player on the pitch at 35 years of age.

There is no doubt Borussia Dortmund have a young, energetic and fresh feel to their team.  Bayern Munich look like they need an injection of youth but will Nico Kovac be given time to make changes to his squad?

Arjen Robben is 34 and Franck Ribery is 35 while Manuel Neuer, Robert Lewandowski, Jerome Boateng, Javi Martinez, Mats Hummels and Thomas Muller have all turned 30 or are approaching their 30th birthday soon.

Could we be about to see Borussia Dortmund climb to the top of German football and stay there for many years to come?