Can anyone stop Bayern?

After last season’s disappointment on missing out on three pieces of silverware, you wouldn’t blame Bayern for coming out of traps slowly this campaign. It’s fair to say they’ve not started the season in disappointing fashion however though, with eight wins from eight Bundesliga games; they’ve already created a huge gap between their closest rivals. Given their incredible start, can anyone catch Bayern Munich?

Jupp Heynckes has added superbly to the Munich squad over the summer, with every position improved with a new face. The most notable signing for the club was the 40million euro capture of Javi Martinez from Athletic Bilbao. The fee was hefty one, but the German side have brought in a top quality midfielder who is equally adapt playing in front of the defence as he is off a striker. Mario Mandzukic has hit the ground running, which has been ideal timing for Munich given the injury to the prolific Mario Gomez. Defensively Dante was added from league rivals Borussia Monchengladbach, with Xherdan Shaqiri also moving to the Allianz Arena from FC Basel.

Dante joined Bayern relatively late in his career

Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery, Shaqiri, Toni Kroos or Thomas Muller take ya pick. They are some creative midfielders I’ve just named there. Their attacking strength in depth is up there with the very best in world football, and for me only Real Madrid and Barcelona are better than this current Munich side.

Munich are already an incredible 12 points clear of last season’s winners Borussia Dortmund, which just eight league games in, is a huge lead. Schalke are realistic title challengers, however Bayern Munich outclassed them in the Gelsenkirchen and are already seven clear of the Miners’.

Another reason nobody will catch Munich this year is the fact revenge is well and truly on Bayern’s agenda. Second in the title race, coupled with two final defeats at the hands of Dortmund in the German Cup as well as losing to Chelsea on penalties in the Champions league final means that Munich have more motivation to do well then most years.

Drogba and Co won the Champions league in Bayern's back garden

This current Dortmund side is superb and were brilliant away to Manchester City in their recent Champions league game; however despite back to back title wins, they’ll finish behind Bayern in the race for the Bundesliga this year!

European round up

Spain
Barcelona lost for the first time this season, as Getafe stunned their illustrious rivals with a defensively strong performance in a 1-0 victory. Defeat for Barca, means they now trail Real Madrid by six points after Jose Mourinho's side won the Madrid derby 4-1.

A Valera header won the game for Getafe, as Barcelona without Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas and Carlos Puyol failed to break down their opponents.

Just hours before two Cristiano Ronaldo penalties helped Real extend their lead at the top of the table. Atletico had opened the scoring through Adrian just 15 minutes in; however their joy was short lived as Thibaut Courtois, the man on loan from Chelsea, was sent off in conceding a penalty.

Ronaldo levelled from the spot, and after that Real really made their extra man count, as further goals from Angel Di Maria, Gonzalo Higuain and a second penalty from Ronaldo. The second penalty award saw Atletico go down to nine men as Diego Godin was shown his marching orders for a second yellow card.

Inigo Martinez scored an incredible winner from his own half for Real Sociedad as they edged an incredible match 3-2 against Real Betis, whose poor run extended to nine games without a win.

Big spending Malaga take on the injury hit Villarreal tonight.

La Liga results
Mallorca 2 Racing Santander 1
Athletic Bilbao 0 Granada 1
Zaragoza 0 Sevilla 1
Levante 4 Sporting Gijon 0
Rayo Vallecano 1 Valencia 2
Espanyol 1 Osasuna 2



Germany
Bayern relinquished top spot of the Bundesliga as a second consecutive defeat saw the Munich giants slip to third. The Austrian Andreas Ivanschitz opened the scoring before Daniel Van Buyten scored his first of the game to level the game.

However Mainz were the better side, and two quick goals from Marco Caligiuri and Niko Bungert gave the relegation threatened side breathing space. A second Van Buyten goal wasn’t enough as Bayern’s poor form continued.

The surprise package Borussia Monchengladbach went top of the Bundesliga, all be it only for a short time, after a comprehensive 3-0 away victory against Koln on Friday. Last year’s champions Dortmund regained the spot on goal difference with a comfortable 2-0 home win against Schalke. Goals from Robert Lewandowski and Felipe Santana ensured they took full advantage of Bayern’s Sunday slip up.


Italy

Juventus extended their unbeaten start to eleven games with an impressive 1-0 away win at Lazio. Simone Pepe's 34th minute winner gave the Turin side their seven win of the season as victory saw them replace Udinese at the top of the table. Juventus face Napoli next in a re-arranged fixture as the game was postponed due to flooding recently, and the match will no doubt test Conte's side title credentials.

Flying in Europe, struggling at home, that’s the scenario Napoli are in currently. With just four wins in 11 games this league campaign, Walter Mazzarri's side are struggling, and were fortunate to leave the Stadio Atleti Azzurri d'Italia with a point, as Edison Cavani's late goal ensured the game finished 1-1. Atalanta have done brilliantly this year, and if they had started the season without a six point deduction, they would sit an impressive fifth place.

Elsewhere in Italy A.C Milan romped to a 4-0 win over Cheivo, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic scoring his 100th Serie A goal in the process. All four strikes came in a dominant first half. Thiago Silva, a double from Ibrahimovic and an Alexander Pato strike meant Milan went second for the first time this season. A.C's city rivals Inter Milan, won back-to-back league games for the first time this season as Luc Castaignos's 90th minute winner stole the points from Siena.

Serie A results

Udinese 2 Roma 0
Leece 0 Catania 1
Novara 2 Parma 1
Cagliari 1 Bologna 1
Cesena 2 Genoa 0
Palermo 2 Fiorentina 0