Unnoticed by many because of the schedule, the first half of the Bundesliga season ended on Wednesday.

All teams have played against each other once, even without a break (the second half of the season starts this Friday) a moment for an interim balance.

The most important finding: the top has moved closer together.

In the pre-season, 16 points separated leaders Bayern from sixth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt at half-time, but this time there are only five between leaders Bayern and sixth-placed Freiburg.

However, hoping for an exciting fight for the championship is illusory.

To do this, Bayern would not only have to play slightly under form as before, but really break down.

77 was the lowest score with which the Munich team won their ten titles in the past ten years.

If they were to repeat their mediocre balance of 36 points in the first half of the season, they would end up with 72. A result that hardly any of their competitors can reach.

Union Berlin (33 points), Eintracht Frankfurt (31) and SC Freiburg (31) would be happy if they repeated their respective record half-time results.

Increased entertainment value

Which is a very realistic assessment given their sporting potential.

Of the remaining pursuers, RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund have the playful substance for a successful second half of the season.

But the course of this season gives no indication that the two teams would be good for 40 or more points in the second half of the season, which they would need to overtake Bayern (in slightly below-average form).

Wolfsburg and Leverkusen, the teams of the moment, are already too far behind to still be able to fight for the title.

Nevertheless: The entertainment value of the Bundesliga has increased again.

The fight for the title of "the best of the rest" and for the distribution of the European Cup places promises to be exciting.

And the attractiveness of the individual encounters has increased again on average - due to the playful development of Frankfurt, Union, Freiburg and most recently Wolfsburg, but above all due to the goals scored.

501 goals were scored in this first half of the season, only more in 1984/85 (569) and 1985/86 (518).

There were 21 wins by four or more goals, the highest number since the 1965/66 (25) and 1971/72 (22) seasons.

The desire to go on the offensive again often prevails against the impulse to just manage a lead.

With all the concerns about the competitiveness of German football in international comparison, with the fear of being left behind by the Premier League and the investor clubs, the first half of the season gives hope: if Bayern, Leipzig and Dortmund use their resources as well as Union Berlin, Eintracht Frankfurt, SC Freiburg and – at a lower level – 1. FC Köln and VfL Bochum, then they also have the chance to continue or improve again with the most powerful clubs from Manchester, Liverpool, London, Madrid and Paris keep up.