The Empire Strikes Back

652 days. That's how long it had been since Germany's big red machine ended a round of Bundesliga play at the summit of the standings.

Midfield ace Franck Ribery's ruthless solo strike provided Bayern with a 1-0 home win over Hamburg on Sunday, Februrary 28. It also ended a prolonged and unaccustomed run of frustration for management and fans, who consider top-dog status in Germany nothing less than a birthright.

A bit of individual class may have decided the outcome, but Bayern also dominated possession throughout the match and had reason to argue that their margin of victory against one of the Bundesliga's better sides should have been clearer.

Bayern's fluidity in attack made it easy to forget that, just a few months ago, coach Louis van Gaal's job was in serious jeopardy after the Bavarians had gotten off to their second successive stumbling start.

Munich have now reclaimed their familiar poise, indeed swagger. And that's down in large measure to van Gaal's daring insistence on a specific system and an unlikely mixture of stars and previously unknown young talents.

Stars old and new

Bayern's preferred formation is now a 4-3-3, with Ribery and Arjen Robben, whose pace and ball skills area are a cut above the rest of the Bundesliga, on the wings while striker Mario Gomez occupies the middle.

"Robbery," as Munich wing duo has been dubbed, is capable of tying up four or more defenders at a time, pinning opponents in their own their half. The return of such talent from a series of injuries has been crucial in a run that has now sees Bayern two points up on second-placed Leverkusen.

But the freedom they enjoy to torment opposition defenses depends on the other three midfielders doing their jobs as well. Bastian Schweinsteiger, for instance, has profited from being moved further back to pair with the ever-crusty Mark van Bommel in a holding role.

And 20-year-old Thomas Mueller, a product of Bayern's youth program, has demonstrated an ability to read the game astonishingly beyond his years, serving as a link between the back and front lines and filling the gaps behind Gomez in Bayern's offensive thrusts.

The results have been 7 goals and 7 assists for Mueller thus far in the league, making him one Germany's four most prolific midfielders. That's earned him a call-up for the national side's upcoming friendly with Argentina.

At the back van Gaal has put his trust in 20-year-old Holger Badstuber and, most recently, 19-year-old Diego Contento. They, too, are products of Munich's amateur ranks – Contento only received his first professional contract at the start of 2010.

Bold personnel moves are nothing new for a coach known as “the General.” But even by van Gaal's standards, they've required an extraordinary amount of conviction, considering what they mean for the rest of the squad.

Big names on the bench

Van Gaal's preference for a lone center forward led to former Bayern star Luca Toni being loaned out to Rome during the winter break and has relegated striker Miro Klose to the role of Gomez's substitute.

Against Hamburg, Klose only joined the action for the final half-hour. The former Bundesliga top scorer, who has but a single league goal to his credit this season, has yet to start a league game in 2010.

Moreover, Mueller's rise has consigned Bayern's other big off-season signing besides Robben, Ukrainian midfielder Anatoliy Tymoshchuk, to the sidelines.

To appreciate the scale of van Gaal's daring, consider this: the oft-inscrutable Dutchman has benched the German national team's most prolific goal scorer and a player who cost a reported 10 million euros ($14 million) transfer fee to play a squad that includes three virtual teenagers.

On Sunday, van Gaal's willingness to gamble paid off. But can a squad this unusual achieve Bayern's minimum goal this season, recapturing the Bundesliga crown?

Remembering to score

For all the glee in the Bavarian capital about once more ruling the roost, the fact that victory against Hamburg was anything but certain should give Bayern pause for thought.

For all its offensive potency, Munich's current squad still has trouble breaking down opponents who focus all their attention on defense. Bayern got a mere draw against lowly Nuremberg in their previous league match and only eked out a home win against Italian side Fiorentina in their last Champions League clash thanks to a laughably offside, last-minute goal.

Hamburg, too, had at least three decent chances, and while Munich were the dominant side, they were often reminiscent of Arsenal in the English Premiership, a team so enthralled with their own ball control and passing prowess that it sometimes forgets to score the goals which actually win matches.

In addition, both Ribery and Robben are prone to injury, which could throw a wrench into the motor of what's becoming a fine-tuned machine.

Still, Bayern have a very capable and flexible back-up for their devastating duo in forward Ivica Olic, who's scored 9 times in all competitions.

And the nature of Bayern's rivals and the remaining fixtures clearly favor the Bavarians.

With Bayern now 12 points clear of fourth-placed Hamburg, only Leverkusen and Schalke – the league's two most perennial bridesmaids – have a realistic shot of challenging Bayern for the league trophy.

And in their last ten games, Bayern only face three traditionally difficult teams, their two current rivals and Stuttgart.

That means that, after an unusually long stretch of having to eat humble pie, fans in Bavaria can begin licking their chops at the prospect of another Bundesliga crown.

Author: Jefferson Chase
Editor: Andreas Illmer