Changing a winning team yields rewards

“Never change a winning team," said England coach Sir Alf Ramsey during the 1966 World Cup. The phrase passed into footballing lore, but 46 years later, Bayern are busily providing evidence to the contrary. In 13 competitive matches so far this season, boss Jupp Heynckes has sent out 13 different line-ups. The result has been 12 victories and a new Bundesliga record of eight consecutive wins from the start of the season. Bayern also have the best attack with 26 goals, and the best defence with only two conceded.

“A football team consists of more than 11 players, and everyone will get his chance," continued Heynckes, who has fielded his entire first-team squad with the exception of long-term injury victims Daniel van Buyten and Diego Contento, backup keeper Tom Starke, and youth hopefuls Mitchell Weiser and Patrick Weihrauch. “We're all regulars," noted Xherdan Shaqiri. Or, as Thomas Müller put it: “There's no fixed line-up any more. The coach decides who plays from scratch before every game."