You'd have to go back to 2008-09 to find the last Bundesliga title that wasn't won by either Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund. However, there is one that is lurking, currently in second place in their debut Bundesliga season, waiting for the spotlight.
The team is the most despised in German football — RB Leipzig, a side that has literally come out of nowhere in seven years and is now challenging the traditional might of the Bundesliga.
RB Leipzig sits second in the Bundesliga table with a record of 14 wins, three draws and only four losses. Leipzig are trailing behind powerhouse Bayern Munich by five points and have a commanding eight-point lead over Borussia Dortmund in third. Now in their eighth year of existence, Leipzig managed four promotions in their previous seven seasons to climb to the Bundesliga.
They boast top players in attacker Timo Werner, forward Marcel Sabitzer, midfielder Emil Forsberg and goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi. Werner currently leads the team in goals scored with 12 in 20 matches. Gulacsi is holding down the fort for RB Leipzig in goal, allowing only 21 goals in 21 matches in the high-scoring division.
With a goal or assist every 83 mins, meet @RBLeipzig_EN man Emil #Forsberg – the deadliest winger in #Bundesliga https://t.co/rclHVHEYQJ pic.twitter.com/wm61Gz1bNS
— Bundesliga English (@Bundesliga_EN) February 23, 2017
As a club, Leipzig is hated because of their Red Bull-based ownership. In Germany, the 50+1 rule means that club's members are required to have majority control of their club, but Red Bull has found a way to circumnavigate this rule. But the fact is, if you're a good team, which Leipzig are, it's only natural for other teams and fan bases to despise you for finding that success.
Former Germany captain Michael Ballack believes that the team's financial resources will allow them to lift themselves to the top of the Bundesliga in no time. Ballack has the firm belief that the hate that RB Leipzig has been receiving around the country is due to envy.
RB Leipzig certainly does have the financial resources to rise to the top of the Bundesliga, and into the Champions League, but that is not all they have. Leipzig has been able to build a young foundation that has the ability to carry them to the top of the table and keep them at that spot for years to come. They've done an exceptional job in developing and focusing on youth, and Red Bull should be commended for that.
In the first meeting between Bayern Munich and Leipzig, Munich walked to a 3-0 victory. The two sides will meet again on May 13, the penultimate week of Bundesliga fixtures. With the gap at only five points, this could well be a title decider for the Bundesliga. If not, it's only a matter of time before Leipzig seize the crown.
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