Topics: Bundesliga, Bayern München, Wolfsburg, Hertha BSC, Borussia Dortmund, Robert Lewandowski
Die Roten enjoyed one final win in 2021 to extend their lead in the German top-flight, while teams among the top five shifted positions this past weekend.

It's time to have a look at the final stats in the Bundesliga for the first half of the season, with Bayern München dominating almost every category that has led them to earn a handsome lead at the top of the table.

The Bavarian side has been quite impressive during Julian Nagelsmann's first season at the helm, losing only two games and scoring 56 goals in his maiden season at Allianz Arena. While some of you might think the next team to analyze on our list would be Borussia Dortmund, that honor has to go to Freiburg, the most surprising team in the tournament and one of the most effective teams in the German top-flight. If they can keep up the good work, we could easily see this team making their debut in the UEFA Champions League next season.

Now, over to Dortmund, where the black and yellow team has not been as impressive as expected with Erling Haaland as their striker, and even if they are the second-best team in the league, the number of points Bayern have over them hint that their chances of winning the title look quite slim if things follow their current course.

There was more to talk about after last weekend's games, but we will leave you with the main talking points in the Bundesliga after 17 weekends of action.

Top five teams in the Bundesliga after December 19 games

Bayern are now nine points ahead of Borussia Dortmund following their victory against Wolfsburg, giving them a handsome lead to enjoy their winter break. Nevertheless, the real action took place between the third and fifth-ranked teams, who saw Freiburg climb to third after beating Bayer Leverkusen. Hoffenheim complete the top five spots after claiming a late draw against Gladbach.  

Who are top three goalscorers in the Bundesliga?

Robert Lewandowski earned himself another record with yet one more goal to his name, claiming a three-goal margin over the second-best striker, Patrick Schick. After going blank this past weekend, Norwegian striker Erling Haaland is third with thirteen goals to his name.

 

Top Bundesliga headlines after Matchday 17

Lewandowski breaks one more record by Gerd Müller: The Polish ace found the back of the net once more against Wolfsburg, and with that goal he became the highest-scoring player in a single calendar year while playing for a Bundesliga side. The previous owner of the record was Gerd Müller, who accomplished the feat in 1972. Lewandowski accomplished that record with his 43rd goal of the year for Die Roten.

Freiburg make history with third-place after 17 weeks: The Vultures are the talk of the tournament with their impressive run, which saw them finish the year among the top three teams in the league for the first time ever after 17 games. There may be a lot of work left for them to do, but this team seems ready to keep making history thanks to Christian Streich's leadership.

Thomas Müller enters elite list of players with 400th game for Bayern: It was an evening to remember for Bayern fans, as they were able to witness not one, but two records being set at Allianz Arena. The owner of the other milestone is none other than Thomas Müller, who played his 400th game for Bayern last weekend. Müller is now part of a list that includes Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets, and goalkeeper Steve Mandanda as the only footballers to have played over 400 games for a single team in one of Europe's top five competitions.

Top Bundesliga matches to watch on January 7-9, 2022

Bayern vs Borussia Mönchengladbach: The league leaders will kick start the year with a tough game against Borussia Mönchengladbach. Die Fohlen have struggled all season long to earn wins (just five this season), and facing the current leaders will not be an easy task to begin the year.

Freiburg vs Arminia Bielefeld: The third-best team in the league will want to keep up the good work against a team that's very much involved in the battle to avoid relegation. The Vultures may seem as the favorites to win this match, but Die Arminen's desperation to win points could give us quite an interesting match to watch.

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Borussia Dortmund: The Black and Yellow continue their quest to try and end Bayern's title streak, and their first match in 2022 will see them face Eintracht Frankfurt, a team that has won three out of their last four games. It will be quite a test for Borussia Dortmund, who could fall twelve points behind Bayern if they are not able to win their first match next year.

Make sure you don't miss out on these key games and stay on top of all the action by checking out our bespoke Bundesliga match page.