Fan’s guide to German Bundesliga soccer league

Sports fans will have an opportunity to whet their appetite Saturday with the return of German soccer.

The country’s top league — the Bundesliga — is back for the first of its nine remaining match days in empty arenas. So eager, early-rising fans can don their lederhosen, grab a bratwurst and cross their fingers that everything goes smoothly.

There’s no guarantee it will. The lower-level team Dynamo Dresden has already had its game canceled after two players tested positive for COVID-19.

Bundesliga is one of the world’s best and most watchable leagues. There’s more offense than the United Kingdom’s Premier League, Spain’s La Liga, France’s Ligue 1 and Italy’s Serie A.

There’s also a decent American presence for U.S. fans looking for a hook. So for those eager to watch a live sporting event again, here’s a viewing guide for a few of the league’s more interesting teams:

The front-runner: Bayern Munich

2019-20 record (Wins-losses-draws): 17-4-4 (55 points)

U.S. equivalent: New York Yankees, Tom Brady’s New England Patriots.

U.S. tie: None, though Major League Soccer fans will recognize former Vancouver Whitecap Alphonso Davies.

The Reds are by far the highest-achieving and highest-paid squad in Deutschland.

They’ve won the past seven Bundesliga titles and are favored to win No. 8. They have a four-point lead atop the table.

It’s hard to poke holes in this club. Bayern is first in goals scored (73) and tied for first in goals allowed (26).

The challenger: Borussia Dortmund

2019-20 record: 15-4-6 (51 points)

U.S. equivalent: Boston Red Sox, Peyton Manning’s Indianapolis Colts.

U.S. tie: Giovanni Reyna, son of former U.S. national team captain Claudio Reyna.

The Black and Yellows have been stuck in Bayern’s shadow for years. After winning back-to-back titles in 2011 and 2012, they’ve been the runners-up four times. They’re in second again as play resumes. The scheduled May 26 match with Bayern is key for Dortmund’s title hopes.

U.S. fans should watch closely to see how Reyna develops. The 17-year-old attacker is trying to follow in the footsteps of American star Christian Pulisic, who played for Dortmund before transferring to the Premier League’s Chelsea.

In the mix: RB Leipzig

2019-20 record: 14-3-8 (50 points)

U.S. equivalent: Houston Astros, Seattle Seahawks.

U.S. tie: Midfielder Tyler Adams, who has played 10 games for the national team.

The Red Bulls, owned by the energy drink company, are relatively new to the German soccer scene. They were founded in 2009 and weren’t promoted to the Bundesliga until 2016. They’ve made quite an impression.

Leipzig finished in the top six each of its first three seasons while becoming one of the most hated teams in Germany. Longtime Bundesliga supporters don’t like that a corporate operation is crashing the typically fan-friendly league’s party.

The club is still impressive on the pitch, and the versatile 21-year-old Adams could get key minutes after being injured in the first half of the season.

The eye-pleaser: Borussia Monchengladbach

2019-20 record: 15-6-4 (49 points)

U.S. equivalent: Kansas City Chiefs, Houston Rockets.

U.S. tie: Midfielder Fabian Johnson, who has 57 national team appearances.

The Foals are a historic club — they won the Bundesliga five times in the 1970s — that has started to make noise again.

Manager Marco Rose, hired in July, has given the club an attack-heavy approach that makes for easy viewing. Monchengladbach is on pace to finish in the top four of the table — and earn a coveted UEFA Champions League berth — for the first time since 2015.

The team won’t be returning without its fans. Supporters can pay $20 for a cardboard cutout of themselves that will be placed in the stands during games. The money is going to coronavirus relief efforts.

The potential disaster: Fortuna Dusseldorf

2019-20 record: 5-13-7 (22 points)

U.S. equivalent: Cleveland Cavaliers, Jacksonville Jaguars.

U.S. tie: Goalkeeper Zack Steffen, but he’s injured.

One thing U.S. sports don’t have: relegation. The bottom three teams in each Bundesliga season are demoted. They’re sent to the 2. Bundesliga, think Triple A for baseball, and must reckon with the extreme financial consequences.

The only club that still has a slight chance of escaping that fate this year is Dusseldorf. It’s four points behind the next-closest team.

Contact Ben Gotz at bgotz@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BenSGotz on Twitter.