But in the final two games of the first half of the campaign in the new year, the Munich men have further underlined their superiority in emphatic fashion and now set an incredible record to boot! With 47 points and a goal difference of +53, head coach Vincent Kompany 's men have completed the best first half of a season in the history of the German top flight.
That said, I do think it will come down to the wire. Why I say that is because the United States and Sweden, who I think are the second-most-likely team to top the group, don't play each other until the final day of preliminary round action. Barring any major upsets, the Sweden-United States game on New Year's Eve should decide who tops Group A and who comes second.
Someone without these issues is Pulisic, who has established himself as one of the best forwards in Europe this season, if he had not already. The American is among the top scorers on the continent, and he hopes to carry this form to the Middle East. Last time around, he scored a penalty to equalise against Juventus, before doing the same against Inter, before Tammy Abraham grabbed a winner. Now, he wants to repeat that story.
At a time when Barcelona have struggled with injuries and a lack of stability, Robert Lewandowski's return to form has served as a real blessing for the Catalans. The Polish international raised eyebrows with his sensational hat-trick against Celta Vigo and is currently averaging a goal every 64 minutes this season - a tally only bettered by Harry Kane. Lewandowski's performances are not just restricted to the club level, as the forward has been scoring goals for fun for Poland as well,
The New York Rangers are off to an inconsistent start this season, with their worst performances due to insufficient goal scoring, not a lack of puck possession or defensive prowess. Artemi Panarin's future with the Rangers is tied to how the Rangers look in the coming months, which comes as no surprise. Panarin has been in his usual top six spot for the Rangers, serving as one of the primary offensive weapons and a player who the opposing defense has to keep track
An alternate captain and a 2014 Stanley Cup champion, Toffoli has been a big brother to teen Sharks Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith, a guy who connects everybody in the locker room.