BFW Series Part I: Who do you secretly wish wins the Bundesliga, if not Bayern Munich?

Bayern Munich has had a rough time in the Bundesliga so far this season; they lie in fifth going into the international break. Our writers love not just Bayern but also the Bundesliga. Hence, some of us would like to tell you that if Bayern doesn’t win the Bundesliga, there is another team whose win would warm our hearts.

Samrin’s Winner: Borussia Mönchengladbach

Why do I want Gladbach to win the title?

Well, there is that cool song....but more on that later. The history and the tradition of this wonderful club that made world stars out of beloved Bayern names such as Jupp Heynckes, Lothar Matthaus and Stefan Effenberg alone can make one root for Gladbach. The love that the fans clearly have for the team is another. For me, watching Gladbach on a week-to-week basis feels like an experience in and of itself.

Take Gladbach’s win RB Leipzig for instance — the swashbuckling football took my breath away. Jonas Hofmann, Marcus Thuram and Lars Stindl’s movement and interplay as well as Manu Koné’s nous and USMNT right-back Joe Scally’s youthful eagerness were some of the factors which led to the beautiful football Gladbach played. Yann Sommer, occasionally, made the kind of brilliant stop he regularly pulls out against Bayern.

I have long since believed the true Klassiker of the Bundesliga is Bayern vs. Gladbach. The result is never guaranteed and the match could go either way. That is exactly how a Klassiker should play out.

Aside from the gorgeous football Gladbach is capable of producing at times, they are also very loyal to their players. Stindl has been around since 2015 and serves as their captain currently. Patrick Herrmann has been at Gladbach since 2008; nobody quite tops Tony Jantschke though, who has been at the club since 2006.

It is true that Gladbach can have uncharacteristically poor games and some disastrous seasons; such games and seasons make the team even more fun to support, because, at some point, you know they will produce a performance that will take your breath away.

Here is a look back at the Leipzig game:

And, thanks to one of our writers, Rune King Thor, here is that club song I was referring to:

So, if Bayern doesn’t win the title, although it is highly unlikely, I will be hoping Gladbach can lift the Meisterschale once more.