Five big questions ahead of the Bundesliga's return

1. Can Dortmund cope with adversity again?

Unbeaten, four points clear, averaging three goals a game and fresh off the back of a momentous 3-2 win over Bayern Munich – things couldn't be going much better for Lucien Favre and Borussia Dortmund. A young squad is riding the crest of a wave and came roaring back from their first European defeat of 2018-19 (away to Atletico) in Der Klassiker.

But with the visit of Ruhr rivals Schalke and home fixtures against a dangerous Werder Bremen side and second-placed Borussia Mönchengladbach to come before the winter break, things could get a little trickier. Comebacks, particularly late in the game, have been a feature of BVB's early-season run but how they react to future domestic setbacks may well define their ability to sustain a title challenge.

2. Which of the surprise packages can maintain form?

Though Favre will be keen to avoid any slips, they will be less critical if those beneath them can't capitalize. While Bayern have serious issues to address (see below) the rest of the top six will all be pleased with the first third of their campaign. RB Leipzig's new-found solidity has seen them go unbeaten since Matchday 1, Gladbach are the only side with a perfect home record and Eintracht Frankfurt and Hoffenheim have kept improving despite widespread reservations about both before the season began.

But Hertha Berlin, Werder Bremen and Wolfsburg offer a note of caution. All three have started to tail off after strong starts to the campaign. Outside of the top two, the Bundesliga is a fairly even league, meaning the Champions League spots will be determined by which sides can maintain consistency, particularly against those around them in the standings. 

3. Will Kovac start to look to the future?

As things stand, Bayern look the polar opposite of the league leaders – tired, stale and tumbling. Though the club's top brass seem to be content to wait and splash the cash next summer, Niko Kovac needs to make his mark on this side sooner than that. Like Joachim Löw, Kovac's faith in the old guard has proved misguided and, like the Germany boss, he still has the chance to turn it around.

Bayern have never recovered a deficit of seven points or more at this stage of the season to win the title and, on some level, the pressure (assuming they can't fall much further) is off. With Arjen Robben and James Rodriguez the latest men on the treatment table, Kovac has a chance to try and build around Serge Gnabry, Leon Goretzka, Joshua Kimmich and Niklas Süle and perhaps even blood one or two of the club's own youngsters in order to forge a new identity. If they can turn up the heat on an inexperienced Dortmund side, all the better.

4. Can Tedesco get Schalke scoring?

The players likely to be available to Domenico Tedesco for the crunch relegation clash against Nuremberg on Saturday have registered just three league goals from open play between them this season. With strikers Mark Uth (one goal in 701 minutes) and Breel Embolo (one in 547) now out injured, Tedesco needs to find a source of goals, and fast – after Nuremberg, Schalke face Hoffenheim and Dortmund.

While the Royal Blues have maintained the defensive stability that was such a feature of last season (they've conceded just three more than Dortmund and one more than Bayern) they've looked critically short of ideas, confidence and incision, returning eight goals in 11 games. Tedesco 's failure to come up with a solution is a serious black mark against the young boss. Last season's surprise second-place finish gives him credit in the bank but, at a club that has gone through six coaches in six years, that won't likely last for too much longer.

5. Are the new boys good enough?

The Bundesliga's bottom four are also the last four clubs to be promoted. While that speaks to Hannover and Stuttgart's ability to survive last year, it also speaks to the gap between the top tier and Bundesliga 2.

While Stuttgart have already moved to change their coach and Hannover are starting to show some life, there are worrying signs for newly promoted Fortuna Düsseldorf and Nuremberg. The pair have the worst and joint second-worst defensive records in the league respectively and both appear to lack the clinical striker that can make the difference in tight games. Fortuna's Marvin Duksch, top scorer in the second tier for Holstein Kiel last season, has failed to find the net at all this term. Life at the top table can be harsh, but both clubs will be keen to keep their seat.