Going into Week 22, we want to introduce an alternative league table. This table takes into account the money paid for a team’s players. As the Bundesdash shows, the points a team earns in the Bundesliga is strongly correlated with the money that it spends. Bayern Munich does well because they pay for top talent. So, we ask, whose fans are getting the most value?

Mönchengladbach fans are getting the best value out of their players. Based on the money the team has paid, one would expect them to have around 30 points, sitting in the middle of the table. However, they’re solid contenders for Champions League action. Next are Wolfsburg as the predicted points value would put them tied with Dusseldorf. However, they’re a win away from a Europa Cup slot.

At the other end of the table, the troika of Stuttgart-Hannover-Nürnberg needs serious overhaul. In our table, their positions are flipped with Stuttgart in last place and Nürnberg just clear of relegation. Not only do these squads need talent brought on board, they’re not making effective use of who they have, under performing expectation by 8-10 points.

That those teams are at the bottom of the table is no surprise. What is, however, is the fact that Bayern Munich are overpriced. For as much as has been spent, they should be two points clear of Dortmund. However, as is the nature of this league, a strong showing over a couple of weeks, a key acquisition, or a key injury could tip the tables. The absence of Reus, will weigh heavily on Dortmund.

Categories: Dashboard, Regression, Table

Tags: Bayer, Bayern, Bundesliga, Dortmund, Eintracht, M'gladbach, Reus, Wolfsburg