The crazy German Bundesliga

The 2010/11 German Bundesliga season is only four rounds old, but the league has once more started with numerous surprises that the current standings towards the end of the season would be a major upset. The leagues only team without dropping points are Bundesliga minnows FSV Mainz 05, 12 points from four matches; while last seasons runners-up FC Schalke 04 are the leagues only team without any points with four defeats from four matches.

The Bundesliga is one of the most competitive amongst Europe's top football leagues where on their day small sides can beat top teams. On most occasions the league is won by the bigger sides, but at least at the start of the season especially after World Cup's and European Championships the smaller sides who have a strong start can surprise the established one's.

This year it is FSV Mainz 05's turn who have taken the league by storm. But behind Mainz's success there is a system which is continued growth over the last decade and a half from a small 2.Bundesliga which reached its climax for the moment by topping the Bundesliga for the first time in the history of the club. And under young coach Thomas Tuchel the club has transformed itself with a self belief in their potential.

On the other side of the table are FC Schalke 04 who have disappointed in a big way so far. Coach Felix Magath has changed most of his first eleven by sending away costly performers and has brought in other big names, but so far stars like Raul, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Christoph Metzelder haven't been able to convince in the Bundesliga. And the disastrous campaign reached a negative climax today when Schalke also lost the Ruhr derby 1-3 against Borussia Dortmund.

The most shocking result of Round 4 was the 7-0 win of VfB Stuttgart against Borussia Moenchengladbach. Only two rounds ago Gladbach were riding high after 6-3 away win against Bayer 04 Leverkusen, but since then the team has conceded 11 goals in two games, a 0-4 defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt in-between.

And to round it off a peculiar piece of statistic. Current champions FC Bayern Munich has the worst attack in the whole league having only scored two goals in their four matches, both scored on the opening match day against Wolfsburg; but on the other side Bayern also happens to have the best defence in the league along with 1899 Hoffenheim having conceded only three goals so far.