It’s hard to imagine how Bayern Munich could have such a successful season and still not end up as Bundesliga champions. Were it not for Dortmund, the Bavarians would have cleaned up. With a tally of 70 plus points, Bayern would normally have won the league comfortably. However, the advantage that Borussia had over Munich was the fact they didn’t need to prepare and compete in the Champions League. The Bavarians gave Europe top priority which meant there was always something lacking in input when it came to some crucial league encounters. There were also key absentees during long spells to consider, such as Robben and Ribery. Normally their best player, the Dutchman also suffered a loss in form which affected the whole team. On the plus side, top German international goalkeeper Neuer certainly strengthened the Bavarians even although he committed the occasional bloomer. Tony Kroos is now becoming a key member of the squad after a season on loan to Leverkusen. Schweinsteiger was prominent during most of the season but Tomas Muller has never really displayed the form for his club that he continually displays for his country. Mario Gomez finished second top scorer in the Bundesliga with 26 goals just edged out by Huntelaar of Schalke. The driving force behind many of Bayern’s most impressive displays though has been team captain Philip Lahm. The defender is not only a tower of strength in the Munich back line, but also an active participant in many of their most lethal counterattacks. He isn’t as conspicuous as some of the other better known stars, but in terms of effectiveness, he’s second to none. No silverware for Bayern this season, losing the DFB Cup final to Borussia Dortmund 5-2 and the Champions League final to Chelsea on penalties.
