Since I summarised the Bundesliga during it's winter break in January, there has been a consistent shift in the standings at the top end of the table. If you recall, a certain team called TSG 1899 Hoffenheim had shocked the Bundesliga by being top of the table by the winter break. With this season being their first ever in the top flight and a culmination of several promotions in the last eight years, 1899 Hoffenheim were an amazing Cinderella story- at least until January.
By being top of the table up until the mid-season winter break, 1899 Hoffenheim had the title of the "Herbstmeister" (Autumn Champions) bestowed upon them. It's an unofficial term, and as we all know history would be very different if all seasons were judged on the half-way stage, take Hull in the Premiership this season for example.
Still they have deserved the accolades, but since the Bundesliga resumed on the 30th of January 'Hoffenheim have won only one more league game and that was on January 31st! This form has consequently been the worst ever of any "Herbstmeister" and has seen the team slip down the table to eighth place. 'Hoffenheim have been unlucky though and whilst they may have only won one game in this half of the season, they have only lost three. Yep, you've got it! They are now masters of drawing games, seven since January.
There will be questions of what might have been. 'Hoffenheim started off the second half of their season with their first game in a brand new stadium, the 30,000 capacity Rhein-Neckar-Arena. They defeated Ennergie Cottbus (who are desperately fighting relegation) 2-0, and it appeared that their miracle rise could continue. The downturn must be strongly attributed to the loss of their striker sensation Vedad Ibišević, a truly explosive talent.
The Bosnian is already well travelled having previously plied his trade in the USA and France, but at 'Hoffenheim he has excelled. Last season after moving to the club, he was ever-present in the promotion charge but scored only 5 goals in Bundesliga 2. This season Ibišević was as phoenix-like as 'Hoffenheim. He scored eighteen goals in sixteen Bundesliga games, an incredible turnaround. Unfortunately for Ibišević and his team he suffered a season-ending cruciate ligament injury on January 14th, 'Hoffenheim's inability to win since cannot be a coincidence.
Last weekend 'Hoffenheim once again drew, this time away to bottom-placed club Karlsruher SC. The final score was 2-2 and 'Hoffenheim led both 1-0 and 2-1. They could not hold off Karlsruher though and the basement club will have been pleased to earn a point, even if they are still five points from safety. 'Hoffenheim will still have had a wonderful season but it will be difficult not to wonder what might have been.
One of the teams that has held top spot since February is Martin Jol's Hamburger SV. It continues to be a very impressive season for the former Tottenham boss. Hamburger will face their compatriots Werder Bremen in the Uefa Cup semi-final and the same two teams contest the semi-final of the DFB Pokal tonight (the German domestic cup). Whoever wins will face Bayer Leverkusen in the final.
In the Bundesliga Hamburger have been reasonably consistent since the season resumed. They have won seven matches but lost four, unlike 'Hoffenheim they haven't drawn a match since November! Last weekend they had a winning day and defeated Hannover 96 2-1 at home. The result saw Jol's team re-establish their challenge for a Champions League place in third, whilst the defeat for Hannover 96 continued their recent poor form and slide towards the relegation places.
Hertha Berlin are another team to have occupied top spot in the second-half of the season. Their form until a few weeks ago had been impressive as they launched their own assault on the Bundesliga and were complimented by the goals of Liverpool's on-loan Andriy Voronin. Unfortunately since the end of March they had suffered a badly-timed run of defeats, losing three consecutive league games.
Last weekend they earned an important 2-1 victory over mid-table Werder Bremen. They came back from a goal down against the cup-specialists and scored twice in the final twenty minutes. The result leaves them in fourth place but they only trail Hamburger SV by two points, and with six games remaining they are also still realistically in the title-race.
As for Jürgen Klinsmann and his team Bayern Munich, they continue to be consistent in their inconsistencies! They have lost four times in the Bundesliga since January, but such is the topsy-turvy nature of this season's title race, they are just as well placed to win it now as they were mid-way through. Klinsmann has survived media stories about his impending sacking, particularly after Bayern were outclassed in the Champions League quarter-final against Barcelona.
On the other hand they have only lost once in the Bundesliga in the last two months, and with the experience that Bayern Munich has in winning Bundeliga's it would be no surprise to see them defend their prize and reward Klinsmann after what has been a torrid season at times. They defeated fourth from bottom Arminia Bielefeld 1-0 away from home last time out. Luca Toni grabbed the crucial goal and continued his good goal-scoring record that has transferred with him to Germany and Bayern remain three points off of top spot in second place.
Finally to VfL Wolfsburg, currently the most dangerous team in the Bundesliga. Whilst the aforementioned teams have chopped and changed positions at the top since February, there has been one constant and that is the unstoppable force or 'Wolfsburg. They initially drew their first league game of the second half of the season and were swiftly eliminated from the Uefa Cup and the DFB Pokal.
These eliminations seem to have drastically sharpened their focus on the Bundesliga though. Since January 31st they have now won a stunning ten Bundesliga fixtures in a row! Crucially this run has included defeats of both Hamburger SV and Hertha Berlin, and most impressively they destroyed Bayern Munich 5-1 three weeks ago. Last weekend was no different as this time they dispatched Bayer Leverkusen 2-1, their Brazilian forward Grafite scored both goals and consequently has a record for the club that reads: played 43, scored 33.
The Wolves have only been back in the Bundesliga for eleven years after a long time away, and they have never won the Bundesliga title itself. The architect of their recent rise is the former Bayern Munich manager Felix Magath, a man with good experience in managing a team to the Bundesliga. In his first two seasons with Bayern he became the first ever manager to secure back-to-back domestic doubles!
With only six games remaining of this season's Bundesliga things are really hotting up and it does seem true that it is the most competitive of all the major European leagues. The top four teams and VfB Stuttgart in fifth can all claim genuine chances of winning the title still, quite incredible really. All of this and not forgetting the mercurial rise of 1899 Hoffenheim as well. If 'Wolfsburg can maintain their amazing run their crowning as champions will be equally as shocking and entertaining.
At the beginning of this season there was a report that investigated how football fans from England were travelling to Germany and watching games for the equivalent or less than simply going to a Championship match here. When you consider how cheap it is to watch matches in the Bundesliga and how this season keeps twisting and turning, you may begin to entertain the idea more seriously. Munich beer festival anyone?!