Bundesliga Weekly Round-Up: Bayern Star Shines As Dortmund Falter Again

The trouble for Bayern is that these strikes are beginning to attract interest from abroad, with AS reporting that Real Madrid are set to turn their attentions towards enticing Alaba to the Bernabeu this summer.

Given how Real prised Toni Kroos away from the Allianz Arena last summer, Die Roten fans may be forgiven for feeling a twinge of panic every time Alaba finds the net from now until the end of the season.

It has to be noted that Alaba’s contract with Bayern runs until 2018, and the club are under no pressure to sell as they were with Kroos. The German international was determined to leave Munich last summer, and with a year left on his contract the club reluctantly allowed the midfielder to move to the Champions League holders.

Bayern have won the last two Bundesliga titles and are almost certain to collect a third this season, which can have the effect of causing players to seek a fresh challenge. That does not only go one way though, with Xabi Alonso leaving the Bernabeu for Bayern last summer seeking a fresh challenge.

The Spaniard has excelled for Guardiola, but it would be perfectly natural for Alaba to start to wonder whether a transfer to Real should be his next career move.

Chief among Alaba’s strengths is his adaptability – the 22-year-old is a fine defender, but his ability on the ball and off it has seen him stationed in midfield as of late. Though the Austrian’s tackling is not particularly impressive at a 44% success rate, his 28 interceptions and 91% pass accuracy – 93% against Bremen – show that he can both regain and retain possession; a must in any side led by Guardiola.

Real have been hampered by the loss of Alonso this season, as their form has faltered of late, and Alaba would be an excellent acquisition this summer. The youngster may not be a Galactico of sorts, but would undoubtedly provide Carlo Ancelotti with a solid platform on which to set his team next year – if he remains in charge.

With 23 of 35 take-ons completed this term, Alaba is the type of player upon which teams can be built, and titles won.

There is of course no real need for Alaba to leave Bayern considering their success, but more often than not Real end up getting their man once they are interested. Guardiola has an embarrassment of riches to fill in for Alaba should the Austrian depart, though few, if any, will be able to truly replace his all-encompassing role in the side.

Alaba has achieved a Squawka Performance Score of 714 from 18 league appearances this season, making him Bayern’s fifth-highest performer. That only tells half the story though, as the Austrian has played fewer games than the four ranked above him.

Guardiola may privately be hoping for his young star to score fewer blockbuster goals with the league already sewn up, or else Real will surely come calling.

A run of four consecutive Bundesliga victories appeared to right the wrongs of Borussia Dortmund’s horrific first half of the campaign, though two draws in their last two games – the latest at home to Koln on Saturday – have seen BVB’s quest for continental football next season grind to a frustrating halt.

The bright spot for Dortmund is that they are now unbeaten in six Bundesliga games, and look fairly safe from relegation with a six-point gap between themselves and Paderborn in 16th.

Jurgen Klopp’s side tried to out-muscle Koln on the flanks but were unable to force a goal from their 25 crosses, only five of which found their target.

Koln centre-backs Mergim Mavraj and Dominic Maroh made 17 clearances apiece at the Westfalenstadion, with neither Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang nor his replacement Ciro Immobile able to find enough space to fashion a winner.

The difficult truth for BVB fans now is that there may be no quick fix for the current malaise, and an immediate return to the position of being Bayern’s chief rivals – a role the rest of the Bundesliga must currently aspire to – looks a long way off.

The Bundesliga is fast-becoming the division in which players are pushing the envelope when it comes to goal celebrations, but there was a touching message behind the latest display of bravado from Hertha Berlin’s Anis Ben-Hatira.

The 26-year-old scored Hertha’s first goal in Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Schalke and duly celebrated by donning a Spider-Man mask – an action for which he was booked.

Rejecting accusations of copying Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s friendly neighbourhood celebration from back in August – and not forgetting his Batman & Robin exploits with Dortmund partner-in-crime Marco Reus back in February – Ben-Hatira said: “It was about my little friend Jannik, who has developed cancer.

“I promised him that if he gets through the first part of his chemotherapy he can take to the field [as a mascot] with me. I also promised him to put on the Spider-Man mask should I score. Children’s eyes don’t lie and they were sparkling indeed. It was all a bit too much for the young lad. He needs a few days to let it sink in.”

While Wayne Rooney was boxing clever in the Premier League this weekend, Ben-Hatira’s touching tribute to a young friend is just another reason to love the Bundesliga.