We apologize for not having our first-half review up for our loyal followers. The second half of the campaign starts in two days with a delectable Friday night showdown between Borussia Mönchengladbach and leaders Bayern Munich at Borussia Park.
But before we move on, let's look back at another interesting Bundesliga first-half!
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT - team version: Wolfsburg. The Wolves are in 12th place but have been truly much more awful than that. Only one team has given up more goals and no one knows what is going through Felix Magath's head. Magath, by the way, has already lost points on his driver's license after being caught speeding. It's symbolic for a club with no direction.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT - player version: Cacau, VfB Stuttgart. There have been other disappointments but all of those players are on Wolfsburg and we have already covered that ground. Cacau was supposed to be a German international who would put VfB on his back and their eight-place standing is hardly anything worth mentioning.
Other flops: Ryan Babel, Hoffenheim (although he may be the best footballing rapper in Germany), Michael Mancienne, Hamburg. Marcel Schafer, Wolfsburg.
BIGGEST SURPRISE - team version: Borussia Mönchengladbach. The team that needed to win a playoff with Bochum to stay in the league has been revitalized under former Hertha boss Lucien Favre thanks to Marco "Rolls" Reus. They are in the last 8 of the DfB-Pokal and look to be on course for Europe.
BIGGEST SURPRISE - player version: Bernd Leno, Bayer Leverkusen. This club looked lost after an early exit in the DfB-Pokal and an unheralded American goalkeeper in David Yelldell. Enter the teenage Leno who is among the BL leaders with seven clean sheets and helped Bayer successfully negotiate a Champions League group with Chelsea and Valencia. Not bad for a loanee from Stuttgart who is now property of Leverkusen.
Other surprises: Marc-André ter Stegen. 'Gladbach. Patrick Herrmann, 'Gladbach. Kyriakos Papadopoulos, Schalke 04. Robert Lewandowski, Borussia Dortmund.
GOAL OF THE FIRST HALF: Eren Derdiyok, Bayer Leverkusen If you have not seen this wonder strike against Wolfsburg, watch and enjoy.
EUROPEAN FLOP OF THE SEASON: Borussia Dortmund. Jurgen Klopp ran truly one of the most embarrassing campaigns in recent memory for a champion with one victory and a ridiculous eight goals conceded in three away matches that knocked the club right out of Europe altogether.
EUROPEAN SUCCESS STORY OF THE SEASON: Hannover 96. While Leverkusen advancing in the Champions League is impressive, no one expected the 96ers to get through a playoff tie with Spanish powerhouse Sevilla. Mirko Slomka's side got a thrilling draw in Spain and have advanced to 2012 with a manageable draw against Belgium's Club Brugge.
IF YOU CAN'T BEAT THEM, JOIN THEM: Schalke 04 gave up two goals to Finnish star Teemu Pukki in a first-leg loss to HJK Helsinki in the Europa League play-off round and he scored in a 6-1 loss in the reversal. Days later, Schalke announced a new signing - Teemu Pukki!
QUOTE OF THE YEAR: Markus Babbel, Hertha BSC. "You asshole!" That was Babbel's response to Hoffenheim boss Holger Stanislawski after the sides drew 1-1 to end the first half. Stanislawski was asking whether Babbel would be around for the team's Christmas gathering. Babbel, orchestrating his exit from Berlin as he dreams of coaching Bayern, was fired the next day.
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