Five things we learned from the Bundesliga

Julian Nagelsmann’s Hoffenheim remain unbeaten after holding leaders Bayern Munich to a draw, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang earns redemption with four goals for Dortmund and RB Leipzig’s record rise continues.
Here are five things we learned from tenth round of matches in the Bundesliga:
Hoffenheim open title race
For the first time since the 2011/12 Bundesliga season, there is, so far, a title race on in Germany.
Bayern have dominated in winning each of the last four seasons, but third-placed Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig, who are second and level on 24 points, are on their tail.
Kerem Demirbay gave Hoffenheim a shock early lead at Munich’s Allianz Arena on Saturday before Steven Zuber’s own goal settled a 1-1 draw.
The urgency Bayern showed in Pep Guardiola’s three seasons seems to be lacking under successor Carlo Ancelotti.
Guardiola cut a frantic figure, cajoling and marshalling on rare occasions things did not go Bayern’s way.
Ancelotti, his successor as head coach, cuts a calmer figure, but Bayern’s possession rates have dropped by roughly ten percent from what they were under Guardiola.
Opponents are exploiting Bayern’s lulls in tempo with Cologne, Eintracht Frankfurt and now Hoffenheim having forced draws.
RB Leipzig’s record rise
RB Leipzig have made a record start to their first Bundesliga season and match Bayern with 24 points after ten games following Sunday’s 3-1 win over Mainz.
Leipzig have equalled MSV Duisburg’s record, set in 1993/94, of ten matches unbeaten for a team in their first season in Germany’s top flight.
Their showdown with Bayern on Tuesday December 20 in Munich is building to be a top-of-the-table clash, but the new boys are staying grounded.
“We’ve played less than a third of our matches,” sports director Ralf Rangnick told Sky.
“It’s a fantastic start, but nobody will be dangerous to Bayern as long as they do their thing.”
Aubameyang’s redemption
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was suspended for Wednesday’s Champions League win against Sporting Lisbon, but redeemed himself with four goals in Borussia Dortmund’s 5-2 rout of bottom side Hamburg.
Coach Thomas Tuchel suspended the Gabon hot-shot for Wednesday’s 1-0 win, which put Dortmund in the last 16 after Aubameyang flew with friends to Milan on Monday and reportedly turned up late for Tuesday’s training.
But he hit a hat-trick in 27 first-half minutes and claimed his fourth just after the break in Hamburg to leave Dortmund fifth in the table.
“I have seen that I made a mistake with my trip to Milan,” said Aubameyang.
“I needed to render my services to the whole team and the coach, who I get on very well with.”
Mueller’s bad mood
Thomas Mueller has four goals in three games for Germany, but die Mannschaft’s hot-shot is goalless in his eight league games for Bayern Munich this season.
“It’s annoying. The shit seems to be sticking to my boots at the moment,” said Mueller colourfully after another blank in Saturday’s 1-1 draw at home to Hoffenheim.
“It’s not as though I’m spending ages thinking about it, but I am in a really bad mood at the moment.”
Last season, Mueller hit the net 20 times in the league, scoring 32 goals in all competitions, but so far has netted just twice this campaign for Bayern in the Champions League.
Chaos in Hamburg
Bottom side Hamburg are the only club currently in Germany’s top flight who have never been relegated from the Bundesliga.
But coach Markus Gisdol, who has only been in charge for five games and lost four of them, admits they are already battling relegation following Saturday’s mauling by Dortmund.
Hamburg only stayed up in 2013/14 and 2014/15 by winning a relegation play-off and they are again candidates to go down.
They looked rudderless at times on Saturday and there is chaos off the field with senior bosses struggling to fill the sports director role.
“The team and the club are in a very difficult situation,” said Gisdol.
“Expectations before the start of the season were simply too big and the reality is this is a pure struggle for survival.”