Well, I like bandwagons, so should I get into the Bundesliga? I mean, the Germans are awesome, right?
If you start watching the Bundesliga (which is a little difficult to do on American television since their rights are owned by the little-carried GolTV for the next year), be prepared for one thing: It isn’t very competitive.
Bayern Munich might be the best team in the world, and they are definitely the best team in Germany, by some distance. They’ll have all those German faces you’ve come to know and love — Götze, Müller, Schweinsteiger, Lahm, Boateng, and Neuer (as well as some non-German ones like Arjen Robben). And they’re coached by Pep Guardiola, who is largely responsible for instituting Barcelona’s and Spain’s tiki-taka style of play. He has a bit of the Phil Jackson aura about him (both in his fanatical devotion to a system and his fanatical devotion to coaching only the most talented teams). Bayern is a fascinating mix of prestigious names and expectations of perfection, which makes them an interesting watch, even as they’re blowing out teams 4-1 every week.
Borussia Dortmund are an excellent club in their own right, and have an amazing fan base and an awesome coach in Jürgen Klopp, but they simply don’t have the resources to compete with Bayern. Dortmund have also become a fixture in the knockout stages of the Champions League, and one year ago they progressed all the way to the finals, where they lost to … you guessed it, Bayern Munich.
Outside those two teams a lot of talent is floating around, but none of it is cohesive enough to crash the top of the table. Though if you do dive into German football, you’re going to want to make sure you check out Schalke 04’s Julian Draxler, the 20-year-old wunderkind who made Germany’s World Cup roster despite his tender age.
So, Germany: Come for Bayern Munich’s pursuit of perfection, stay for the rich assortment of German talent spread throughout the league. Just don’t expect a title race.