This Bayern team is distinctive and a significant contender in both Germany and Europe.

Being a supporter of the Bundesliga can often lead to significant contradictions from one domestic weekend to the next European club midweek.

If you are not a follower of Bayern Munich, you might frequently lament the achievements of Germany’s Rekordmeister and reference terms like Bayern-Dusel (Bayern luck) and the supposed Bayern-Bonus (alleged favoritism from referees). Additionally, there is often a display of Schadenfreude on the rare occasions when the Munich giants perform poorly on the field.

However, on European nights, those who wished Bayern ill just days earlier may find themselves in the position of unexpected defenders. It is hard not to adopt this perspective when international pundits make derisive remarks about the supposed frailty of the Bundesliga, comments that they should know better than to make.

How can Bayern maintain their sharpness for the UEFA Champions League when they are facing teams like Freiburg, for instance?

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For the record, Freiburg is quite capable and, like Bayern, auf drei Hochzeiten tanzen (literally dancing at three weddings), a phrase used to describe a team still engaged in three different competitions. In Freiburg’s case, these are the UEFA Europa League, the league, and the DFB-Pokal.

Last Saturday, they presented their Bavarian visitors with a significant challenge. Freiburg, who pressed and fought intelligently throughout, led 2-0 with nine minutes remaining in regular time, but Bayern eventually began to chip away at the deficit. Two goals, one with each foot, from the talented Tom Bischof brought the match level by the start of stoppage time.

I raised the question in the live world feed commentary about whether Bayern could actually go on to win the match now.

With 99 minutes elapsed and the match nearing its conclusion, Bayern executed a visually pleasing move. It began with a beautifully soft diagonal pass from Joshua Kimmich to substitute Alphonso Davies on the left. The Canadian then set it up for 18-year-old Lennart Karl to finish from close range.

This triggered absolute chaos in the nearby Gästeblock (away section). It was more than just Bayern’s most dramatic winning goal of an extraordinary season. This will be recorded as the club’s 100th Bundesliga goal of the campaign, marking only the third time they or any team in the Oberhaus has achieved such remarkable scoring feats.

It is anticipated that on Saturday at the Millerntor in Hamburg against St. Pauli, Bayern will establish a new record for goals scored in a single Bundesliga season. Two more goals will see them surpass the legendary 1971-72 team that included icons like Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller, Sepp Maier, and Uli Hoeneß.

Those of us who follow German football closely each week hopefully understand what we are witnessing, and I have stated it frequently this season and will gladly reiterate: I believe this is a remarkable version of Bayern. The goal tally alone indicates that. They are accomplishing what no German team has done before.

However, the visual assessment reveals a style of play that ranks among the finest many of us have ever had the privilege to observe. Credit goes to Vincent Kompany and to the Bayern decision-makers who had faith in the Belgian when others viewed him as merely an idealistic eighth- or ninth-choice candidate who had relegated Burnley in England.

It appears, however, that only the Champions League will serve as the Maßstab (yardstick) for those who carelessly disparage the Bundesliga. On Tuesday, it was striking how refreshing Bayern appeared to those who clearly do not follow the German domestic game, opting instead to focus on the Premier League. Perhaps this also reflects on what they have been presented with in England, and it is not my role or intention to critique the sport from that perspective in this context.

But this is a lengthy way of stating that perhaps this iteration of Bayern is simply very good. They still have challenges ahead against Real Madrid, but would anyone with a fair perspective argue that they are not well-positioned to be crowned European club champions and to do so impressively?

Interestingly, most regular Bayern observers would assert that the weakest link has been the individual who received much praise on Tuesday: 40-year-old Manuel Neuer. His greatness is indisputable, and Neuer will be remembered as a truly transformative goalkeeper for his modern interpretation of the role, but more errors are beginning to surface, and we have witnessed them in each of his last two competitive matches.

Regarding the outfield players, I genuinely see no areas of concern. I often hear colleagues who occasionally tune in highlight Dayot Upamecano’s deficiencies, and I suppose his actions on the Real Madrid goal will provide fodder for their arguments. Nevertheless, I cannot recall a series of mistakes from the Frenchman this season.

We can analyze player by player—from Jonathan Tah at the back to Konrad Laimer and his versatility, to Kimmich’s thoroughness and the explosive attributes in attack of Michael Olise, Karl, Harry Kane, Serge Gnabry, and Jamal Musiala.

It truly does not matter what Kompany’s lineup is on any given day. Bayern remains a formidable force—both domestically and in Europe.