Guardiola delivers that German efficiency

It was clear that when Pep Guardiola took the reins of the Bavarians last summer, that he would have a massive test on his hands to recreate Jupp Heynckes record breaking season, where they became the first German side to complete the treble writes Brad Smith.

His reign didn’t get off to the best of starts, falling 4-2 in the DFL SuperCup to the team they edged out in a classic Champions League final just a few months previous.

Since then, it has be a meteoric climb for the Bavarians, dropping just four points in the league, and progressing to the quarter-finals of the Champions League, where they are again favourites to win it, and become the first team to retain it since it was remodelled in 1992.

Heynckes side were championed having broken 30 records, including smashing Dortmund’s highest points total of 81 as they reached 91. They are just 15 points off breaking that with seven games to go.

They will look back at their draws against Leverkusen and Freiburg with regret as they fall below the century mark for points, but they can have little complaints as they have now won 19 straight games in the league. After six wins and two draws from their opening eight games, they would only have dreamt about being in this scenario back in October, where they have secured the league title with seven games remaining, and can focus on their Champions League preparations, while their competitors face tight title run-ins, something that is bound to give them an advantage.

It’s not just points records they are trying to beat though, 20 goals from their remaining games would see them score more than last season, 21 would see them hit a century at an average of three a game. Their defence has been just as impressive, only Hertha Berlin has scored more than once against them this campaign, and with their last line breached just 13 times this season, they are well on their way to conceding the least goals in a campaign too, their current record standing at 18.

After securing the league title two weeks before they did last season, it’s easy to say this side are one of the greatest teams to grace the German game, and should they triumph in Lisbon this May, they could make that claim in the European game too.