By Oliver Trust
BERLIN, Oct. 16 (Xinhua) -- The 2019-20 Bundesliga title is far from a foregone conclusion for Bayern Munich, according to Max Eberl. Borussia Monchengladbach's sporting director is in charge of the fortunes of one of the Bavarians' most serious competitors.
"This season, Bayern not only needs to concentrate on one challenger, but has to keep an eye on several emerging rivals," Eberl commented ahead of the eighth round of matches in this season's Bundesliga.
Several of Bayern's rivals, such as RB Leipzig, VfL Wolfsburg, Borussia Dortmund, and Bayer Leverkusen are crossing swords this weekend, reason enough to investigate their opportunities.
Monchengladbach, SC Freiburg and Schalke 04 complete the range of possible title candidates.
The outcome of Germany top flight hasn't been more unpredictable for over a decade.
The table's first seven teams are separated by two points, with Dortmund sitting in eighth just four points behind leaders Moenchengladbach, who have 16 points.
Bayern are focusing on the Champions League, though their dependence on Robert Lewandowski is evident, with the Polish spearhead scoring 11 goals in seven Bundesliga games.
The reigning champions have already lost four points from winning positions. Lately, attacker Thomas Muller has caused unrest after the club legend lost his place in the starting eleven, and coach Niko Kovac remains under fire for not delivering satisfactory results.
Bayern's rivals have rarely had a better chance to break the Bavarians' seven-year Bundesliga winning streak. But can they create the consistency needed to outpace Bayern over an entire season?
Monchengladbach have won all their away games and scored six goals in the dying minutes of games, the league's best figure. Their attacking gameplan and midfield diamond is working well for new coach Marco Rose, whose tactics have added more speed to Monchengladbach's performances.
Wolfsburg can count on the league's best defense having only conceded four goals, and remain the league's only unbeaten side. New coach Oliver Glasner is relying on an intense pressing system in a 3-4-3 formation. Team spirit is said to be as good as during the club's last title win in 2009 and its 2015 German Cup triumph.
RB Leipzig has widened its coaches' options by upgrading its squad. New arrival Julian Nagelsmann is keeping his players' minds busy with sophisticated training methods.
While Schalke and Freiburg are considered outsiders in this season's race, fans are anxious to see further developments from Leverkusen and Dortmund.
Former Huddersfield boss David Wagner has managed to stabilize Schalke, but a title chance is considered a long shot, with continental qualification a more realistic aim.
Looking at Freiburg, the club's new options seem evident. Coach Christian Streich can count on the club's best squad for decades. Once known for supplying players to more prominent sides, Freiburg have developed into a robust group.
Leverkusen remain a mystery as convincing games are followed by poor performances, which seems hard to explain. Peter Bosz's side, though, can rely on the best running figures (119.1 km) per game and the highest amount of possession (65.7 percent).
Dortmund seem trapped in an internal debate about which tactics to use. Reports speak of two factions, with one demanding a riskier game, while coach Lucien Favre's approach is built on a solid defense.
The Swiss coach remains under fire after four disappointing draws from the last five games. A loss to Monchengladbach next time out could mean Dortmund discuss their coach's future.
