Three of the Bundesliga 2017-18 season's top-seven teams – Schalke 04, Bayer Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart – are currently at the bottom of table after three rounds from the start.
Stuttgart only have one point, Schalke and Leverkusen are even worse with zero, while Bayern – which made 'no payment' in the summer transfer market – have stayed stable at the top.
In their nine matches, there have been six defeats at the hands of Wolfsburg, Monchengladbach and Bayern, two from each team respectively. And Stuttgart's only point was earned in a hard fought 3-3 draw with Freiburg in Matchday 3.
VfB Stuttgart players control the ball during the Bundesliga match between Sport-Club Freiburg and VfB Stuttgart, Sept. 16, 2018, in Freiburg, Germany. /VCG Photo
In the last season, Schalke and Leverkusen respectively had a new manager and didn't have European competition to contend with. The concentration on the domestic league may have explained to their high ranking. Stuttgart changed coach mid-season and also had the vigor of a promoted team with something to prove.
But the horrible situation that current Bundesliga 2 team 1. FC Koln experienced may be sounding an alarm, as the fifth-place club dropped to last place in just one season and was knocked out in the Europa League group stage – their first time in the tournament for 25 years.
Koln's relegation was mainly due to the leaving of striker Anthony Modeste and the inability to adapt to the demands of the Europa League. For Schalke, the 1-1 draw with Porto in the Champions League opener may draw their attention back to their domestic league, as the other two clubs in the Group D – Lokomotiv Moscow of the Russian Premier League and Galatasaray of the Turkish Superlig – are bitter rivals.
FC Schalke 04 meet the FC Porto in the first leg of Group D of the UEFA Champions League 2018/19 at the Veltins Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Sept. 18, 2018. /VCG Photo
For Schalke, midfielder Leon Goretzka was bought by Bayern in the second half of last season, forward Max Meyer went to Crystal Palace after his contract ended because he was dissatisfied with manager Domenico Tedesco, and defender Thilo Kherer's move to Ligue 1's Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) made the future of Schalke seem like it had been 'fully sold'.
At Leverkusen. rising-star Julian Brandt wasn't up to the task of leading the team, and his international career may also add to the pressure at club level.
It's possible that Stuttgart may have been unlucky in their first three games but they still need to consider how to integrate their new players into the squad as soon as possible.
Niklas Suele (R) of Bayern Munich battles for the ball with Julian Brandt of Leverkusen during the Bundesliga match between FC Bayern Munich and Bayer 04 Leverkusen at Allianz Arena, Sept. 15, 2018, in Munich, Germany. /VCG Photo
For the upcoming matchday 4, Stuttgart will face the promoted Fortuna Dusseldorf on Friday night, then Schalke will confront Bayern, and Leverkusen will meet Mainz 05 on Saturday night. All the three games will be played at the home stadiums of the bottom three.
(Top image: Domenico Tedesco in the UEFA Champions League 2018/19 at the Veltins Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Sept. 18, 2018. /VCG Photo)