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Carlo Ancelotti (c.) can be pleased with his first few months as Bayern coach, with the record champions still on target for three trophies this season.
Carlo Ancelotti (c.) can be pleased with his first few months as Bayern coach, with the record champions still on target for three trophies this season.

Season so far: FC Bayern München

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At the halfway point of the 2016/17 Bundesliga season, it is time for bundesliga.com to dissect the campaigns of each club so far.

Story so far

Next up for analysis is FC Bayern München...

Bayern end 2016 in their habitual position at the top of the Bundesliga, but it has been more of a struggle than normal to get there this time around. With RB Leipzig putting up some stern resistance, it was not until a convincing 3-0 win over their nearest rivals on Matchday 16 that the record champions cemented their place at the top of the pile. The Bavarians also progressed to the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League, albeit as group runners-up, having previously qualified as group winners for seven successive seasons. However, with a new man in charge – Carlo Ancelotti – a period of bedding in was inevitable, and that seems to be the case heading into 2017.

Watch: Highlights of Bayern's opening day 6-0 thrashing of Bremen:

Star player:Robert Lewandowski

He may not be at the top of the scoring charts just yet, but Robert Lewandowski has once again led Bayern's assault on three titles this season. With 12 goals in 16 league games, the Polish forward has supplied almost a third of Bayern's goals this term, and with 70 shots on goal, there is nobody who has taken aim more often than a player who is also the leading points' scorer in Official Fantasy Bundesliga.

Click here to vote Lewandowski into your Team of the Hinrunde!

Watch: Lewandowski commits to Bayern until 2021:

Honourable mention:Thiago Alcantara

Thiago is one Bayern player who is flourishing under Ancelotti, often playing in a more advanced position than he did under Pep Guardiola. From there, he has been able to provide assists, such as the sumptuous match-winning pass against Hamburger SV, and stymie opponents in the way he did in the 3-0 win over Leipzig – a game which included a goal and an assist in a first-half display that Ancelotti labelled "perfect".

Watch: Bayern's midfield mastermind:

Top facts

    Lewandowski's 133 Bundesliga goals have him level in the all-time foreign goalscoring charts with Giovane Elber – Claudio Pizarro is the only non-German to have scored more goals in the German top flight.Lewandowski has scored against every current Bundesliga club – including Bayern.Bayern have the highest average age of any Bundesliga side this season (27.9)