The Bundesliga returns from the international break this Friday, kicking off a run of six matchdays in a month before the winter break. What are the key issues at Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich and elsewhere?
Image: Getty Images/AFP/I. Fassbender
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Will Favre go the way of Kovac?
Lucien Favre has had a long time to stew on the 4-0 defeat to Bayern last time out, and his Borussia Dortmund side have a chance to begin making amends when they host bottom-club Paderborn on Friday night. Favre could hardly have picked better opponents, with Paderborn's sole league win of the season, 2-0 over Fortuna Düsseldorf, the only time they've managed to score in their last five games.
Bayern's victory in Der Klassiker offered some suggestion that a change of coach can have a positive effect, at least in the short term. With Dortmund struggling to find consistency and dynamism and sitting six points back from the leaders in sixth position, BVB's top brass may be tempted to follow suit before too long. Though they have a trip to Barcelona in midweek, their run after that is kind - with fixtures against three bottom-half teams before the visit of RB Leipzig on December 17. Anything less than 10 points from the four games before that and Favre's Christmas gift may not be just what he always wanted.
Can Rose keep the Foals at full pelt?
Borussia Mönchengladbach are top of the BundesligaImage: picture-alliance/U. Hufnagel
One man who Favre has managed to get the better of twice in recent weeks is Marco Rose. But those league and cup wins for Dortmund over Borussia Mönchengladbach are rare blips on Rose's radar at the minute. The Foals have been quickly transformed by the former Red Bull Salzburg man, with a game based on high pressing, full backs hugging the touchline, the midfield enforcement of Denis Zakaria and the goals and invention of Marcus Thuram and his various attacking partners.
The recent injury-time win over Roma was another eye-catching result for the table toppers but does mean that their trip to face Austrian side Wolfsberg on Thursday and hosting of Turkish outfit Istanbul Basaksehir in December are both likely to be crucial to their chances of Europa League progression. So far, Gladbach's injury hit squad has coped well fighting on two fronts, but a game every 3.5 days, including the visit of Bayern Munich, between now and the winter break will test their credentials to the limit.
Will change bring points at the bottom?
Achim Beierlorzer has moved from Cologne to MainzImage: picture-alliance/dpa/Fotostand
Kovac wasn't the only Bundelisga coach to get the chop in November, with Cologne's Achim Beierlorzer and Mainz's Sandro Schwarz getting the boot within a week of the former Bayern boss. Beierlorzer subsequently stepped into Schwarz's shoes at Mainz before Markus Gisdol, last seen in Hamburg's relegation season, took on the Cologne job.
The incentive for Gisdol is clear, with Cologne's history and support still enormous draws. But the club is once again mired in crisis, with reported rifts between the board and the fans, just two wins from their 11 Bundesliga games and statistically the worst attack in the league. Mainz are two points above the Billy Goats in the relegation-playoff spot. Having sold star midfielder Jean-Phlippe Gbamin to Everton and with last season's top scorer, Jean-Philippe Mateta, yet to play this season due to injury, there are serious doubts about the ZeroFivers quality. Are these two clubs just shuffling the deckchairs on the Titanic?
Can Werner keep pace with Lewandowski?
Timo Werner has been in red hot form of lateImage: picture-alliance/dpa/J. Woitas
Even more than usual, it's been impossible to ignore Robert Lewandowski this season. Despite a bumpy Bayern campaign the Polish striker has hit 23 goals already, 16 of which have been in the Bundesliga, where he's scored in every game.
But still, he has only a five-goal lead over Timo Werner in the race for the Törjagerkanone, the prize awarded to the Bundesliga's top scorer each season. After a four-game drought in September and early October, the German forward has been lethal of late, notching seven goals and six assists in his last three full games in all competitions. Though his form for his country is still to hit the heights it did pre-World Cup, Werner's goals have propelled Julian Nagelsmann's RB Leipzig side back up to second after a dodgy run. If he can find the consistency he's sometimes lacked and keep on the coattails of Lewandowski, his team might just do the same to Bayern and Gladbach.
Twelve cases of spectacular misbehavior on the pitch
Frankfurt's David Abraham has lost his appeal against a seven-week ban for knocking Freiburg coach Christian Streich to the ground. Here is a selection of some of the more spectacular cases of misbehavior on the pitch.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/P. Seeger
November 2019: Abraham takes out Streich
A body check, two red cards: The Bundesliga match between Freiburg and Frankfurt on Matchday 11 ends in chaos after Eintracht's David Abraham (right) runs full steam at SportClub coach Christian Streich, knocking him to the ground. It's no surprise that he gets the red card, as does Vincenzo Grifo for giving Abraham a face wash every bit as worthy of an ice hockey match as the body check was.
Image: Imago/J. Huebner
July 2014: Zuniga ends Neymar's World Cup
Late in the 2014 World Cup quarterfinal between Brazil and Colombia, Colombia's Juan Camilo Zuniga (right) jumps knee-first into the back of Brazilian superstar Neymar with full force. Neymar is forced to leave the match as a result and his World Cup is over. The diagnosis: a lumbar vertebra fracture. A big shock for the Brazilian team and the fans. Zuniga gets off scot-free.
Image: Getty Images
June 2014: 'Vampire' Suarez
In a group-stage match Uruguay's Luis Suarez (right) loses it during a battle for the ball and bites Italy's Giorgio Chiellini (left) in the shoulder. The Italians protest vehemently and Chiellini shows the referee the tooth marks - all to no avail as the ref didn't see the attack. Suarez, who looks like he has bitten off more than he can chew, gets off without as much as a warning.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/E. Lavandeira Jr
June 2012: 'Knuckles' Kobiaschwili
In the tunnel following a relegation playoff match against Fortuna Düsseldorf, Hertha Berlin's Lewan Kobiaschwili punches referee Wolfgang Stark in the back of the head. The ref only just maintains his balance and is later diagnosed with a hematoma in the neck area. Kobiaschwili is suspended for seven and a half months and assessed a fine of €60,000 ($66,400).
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/T. Eisenhuth
March 2012: Leading with the studs
One of the clearest red cards we'd seen in a while at the time: Hamburg's Paolo Guerrero charges Stuttgart goalkeeper Sven Ulreich full throttle from behind - and with his studs showing. The Peruvian receives an eight-match suspension.
Image: Sky
July 2010: Karate kick
The 2010 World Cup final in Johannesburg was a rather ill-tempered affair. The Netherlands' Nigel de Jong (left) lands a karate-style kick on Spain's Xabi Alonso and gets off with a yellow card for his effort. Fortunately, Alonso isn't seriously injured and can able to play on. His revenge: Hoisting the World Cup into the air along with his Spanish teammates.
In this 2008 match in Birmingham, defender Martin Taylor (left) lunges studs showing into the ankle of Arsenal's Brazil-born Croatia international Eduardo da Silva, breaking the striker's left leg in three places. The foul was particularly horrifying to watch. It took da Silva almost an entire year to return to the pitch, but he was able to continue his career.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Pond
July 2006: The last act of a great career
The 2006 World Cup final in Berlin is the final game of Zinedine Zidane's storied career, but he doesn't bow out the way he would have wanted. With France and Italy tied 1-1 in extra time, Zidane stops abruptly, turns around and head-butts Italy's Marco Materazzi in the chest. As it turned out, Materazzi had insulted the Frenchman's sister. Zidane is sent off; Italy go on to win on penalties.
Image: Getty Images/J. MacDougall
December 2005: Oscar-worthy performance?
In this 2005 match, Duisburg coach Norbert Meier (left) gets into a verbal with Albert Streit of Cologne. As their disagreement escalates, the two line up forehead-forehead. Meier then loses it, head-butts Streit, before briefly looking into the camera and falling theatrically. The TV footage is clear for all to see. Meier receives a suspension and is subsequently sacked as Duisburg coach.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Meissner
June 1990: 'Lama' Rijkaard
Matches between Germany and the Netherlands can get heated, as was the case when they met in the 1990 World Cup. Frank Rijkaard (right) gets the yellow card for a brutal foul on Rudi Völler (left). Rijkaard spits into Völler's hair and pulls at his ear, while the German is still on the ground Völler protests vehemently; both wind up being sent off. Here Rijkaard spits at Völler for a second time.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/M. Hellmann
July 1982: Schumacher levels Battiston
During their 1982 World Cup semifinal in Sevilla France's Patrick Battiston races in towards the West German goal. Goalkeeper Toni Schumacher darts off his line and jumps into Battiston as he gets off a shot. Schumacher turns and his right hip collides with the Frenchman's head. Battiston is knocked out, suffers a concussion, damaged vertebrae and loses two teeth. No foul was called.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa
August 1981: Open wound
Ewald Lienen of Armnia Bielefeld lies on the pitch, his thigh having been torn open by the studs of Werder Bremen's Norbert Siegmann. Despite his wound, Lienen pops up and runs to Werder coach Otto Rehhagel, accusing him of having encouraged Siegmann to play in such an uncontrolled and dangerous manner. The wound requires more than 23 stitches to be closed.
