An open game favours Liverpool over Bayern

Are Bayern back in business? This has been a strange old season for Bayern Munich. The decision to switch strategy and appoint their new manager from within the Bundesliga was a brave one, but the pressure of this job can swallow you whole. Just a month ago, Niko Kovac seemed to be drowning under the pressure and flailing in the title race.

So extreme was Bayern’s underperformance that the only obvious reason for keeping him in charge was the lack of obvious immediate options. Now, Kovac is sitting far more comfortably. Bayern’s return to the top of the Bundesliga has been fuelled by Borussia Dortmund’s stumbles as much as their own excellence, but they have won 11 of their last 13 matches in all competitions and are still fighting on three fronts.