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FC Bayern returned from the Winterpause with a dramatic stoppage time match winner in Freiburg, courtesy of Robert Lewandowski. While the team didn't play all that well, Scott and Susie break down why that may or may not be all that important moving forward into the Rückrunde. Also of note, the club made several moves during the break, with some effective immediately, and others after the season. The hosts break down where the two Hoffenheim stars will fit into the squad moving forward.

With Bayern finishing their Hinrunde on the highest of notes, we decided to take a look back at that match and the first half of the season as a whole. Joining Michel and Scott is Jonathan Harding of Deutsche Welle's Bundesilga coverage for the final Rekord Pod of 2016. The show gets into Bayern's tactical decisions as they regard the deployment of Thomas Müller and the number 10 position as a whole. Finally, to end the show, the gang gives out mid-season awards to the best, worst, and funniest people and moments of the Hinrunde. As always, listen in the player below or wherever you get your podcasts:

After a bit of an extended break, the show returns with an extra-long episode covering topics everywhere from RB Leipzig to Schalke's ever-funnier failures. In the first half of the program, Scott and Susie are joined by Lewis Ambrose to talk about the Bundesliga title race, which seemingly does not include Borussia Dortmund. Actually we ended up talking about BVB for a good chunk of the program, but the primary topic was the controversy surrounding RB Leipzig, who sit atop the table at the moment. In the second half of the show, Scott and Michel delve into the tactics Bayern have employed since going winless in three straight matches a few weeks ago. Preferred defensive structures are discussed, as is the usage of Renato Sanches in place of the injured Arturo Vidal.

Despite playing a much better match overall to beat PSV Eindhoven at midweek, there are still a number of tactical problems plaguing FC Bayern. This week we go into the issues Carlo Ancelotti still has to address. Jack Grimse joins the show this episode to go over Bayern's two matches since the international break, one a sloppy draw and the other a much-improved performance resulting in a win. We delve into the continuing tactical issues facing the team (spoiler: Susie hates the 4-3-3) and the possibility of some personnel alterations, and as usual, digress into funny Dutch football things. Listen wherever it is you get your podcasts, or in the player below:

Tactical analysis of FC Bayern's first loss of the season away to Atlético Madrid. We are joined by Atléti writer Robbie Dunne to cover the ins and outs of what turned out to be a tactical disaster for the Bavarians. FC Bayern lost their first match of the season to the very team that ended their Champions League hopes last term, Atlético Madrid. There was so much that went awry for FCB, but by the same token so much that came off brilliantly for Diego Simeone's team. Robbie Dunne, a writer for Atléti site Into The Calderón, helped Susie and Scott breakdown the match from a non-Bayern perspective. We sometimes find that matches Bayern lose provide for better podcasts, and we have near-certainty that this is one of our best yet. Listen in the player below, or wherever you get your podcasts:

FC Bayern's US Twitter account is becoming a thing in and of itself, and as it's a notable occurrence in the world of German soccer, we figured a conversation with someone who runs it was in order. This is kind of the podcast version of a birthday isn't it? 100! That's a big, round number! The title of this show is accurate, as we go in-depth about @FCBayernUS and the brutal owns it dishes out on a daily basis with one of the administrators of the account. The conversation goes into how Bayern's vision for social media differs from that of other teams and brands, as well as the guiding philosophy behind the strategy. In the second half of the program, it's all tactics. Cris stays on as we delve into the first few games under Carlo Ancelotti, especially the thriller two weeks ago in Gelsenkirchen. What's changed? What hasn't? What will? These questions and more are addressed in this week's show. As always, listen below or on your podcasting service of choice. Thanks for helping us hit 100!

The gang breaks down not only the DFL-Supercup that FC Bayern won last weekend, but also discuss the possible challengers to the Bavarians this term. It's that time of year again! FC Bayern are gearing up for their attempt at becoming back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back champions. That's five! To start the show, the gang, plus Bayern Central colleague Conor Garratt, go over the tactical highs and lows from the Supercup against Borussia Dortmund, a match which FC Bayern won (2-0) on the strength of their second half performance. There were some concerning moments both tactically and emotionally, as Franck Ribéry lost his temper in a first half that could have lost the match for Bayern. New trainer Carlo Ancelotti has obviously changed things for the squad, but how are they looking at this early stage? We try to diagram a few changed that we've noticed through preseason. In the second part of the show, it's all about other teams. Well, as much as it can be with us. As always, listen below or wherever you get your podcasts. And don't forget to subscribe on iTunes and leave a rating and review, that helps us out.

Bayern's players are on display this summer with their national teams at Euro '16, and most of them have advanced with their countries into the knockout rounds. Germany face a tough test against Italy in the quarterfinals, and indeed history may indicate they are doomed anyhow. Bayern player Joshua Kimmich has absolutely stunned at right back and this revelation has really opened up the attack. That and other tactical high-points are discussed in advance of the quarters. It also wouldn't be a Rekordmeister Podcast without some healthy Schadenfreude at the expense of the English, who left Europe twice in one week. As always, listen below or wherever you get your podcasts.

FC Bayern finished off their season with the club's second double in three years, but there is still the business of contextualizing the Guardiola years at FCB. Pep Guardiola finished his tenure at FC Bayern the same way that Jupp Heynckes did; by winning the Pokal. Seeing as this is the case, it makes all the sense in the world for the crew to recap the match. It was a tight, tense affair that both teams deserved to win, but it was Bayern who shot their way to the cup in penalties. From match analysis, the rest of the episode consists of debate surrounding the ways in which the club has changed during the last three seasons. While few people will seriously call the last three seasons a "failure" on the whole, it was certainly not all roses. From here the gang go over the individual triumphs and defeats, and where the club is now, plus where it is headed. As always, listen below or wherever you get your podcasts. Thanks for another great season.

For the third season in a row, FC Bayern crashed out of the Champions League semifinals. Amid all questions asked of Pep Guardiola, can he be blamed for Bayern exiting at this stage once again? Nobody can say Bayern did not try, but in the end their effort came up just short, going out on away goals. Joining Scott and Michel is, once more, Robbie Dunne of Into the Calderon to review everything that happened. The referee was a huge fixture of this match, calling two penalties and letting a suspect goal stand, judging Koke to be onside when he made his run that eventually beat everyone, even Manuel Neuer. All of the big decisions are up for discussion. And though Bayern took the game to Atlético Madrid, Müller's missed penalty proved crucial. The gang debates Bayern's first leg tactics and not pushing more for an away goal, that now in hindsight, would have made a world of difference. And this brings under scrutiny several themes of the Guardiola era. We promise it is not all doom and gloom, though! Just mostly. Listen below or wherever you find your podcasts:

FC Bayern and Atlético Madrid employed absolutely fascinating tactics in their first leg, and down just one goal, Bayern have everything to play for in at home in Munich. Scott and Susie are joined by Atleti blogger Robbie Dunne of Into the Calderón to go over all angles of the first leg, a 1:0 home victory for the capital city club. Some of the questions we try to answer include: Was Pep Guardiola justified in his dropping of Thomas Müller from the lineup? What makes Atlético Madrid so effective and compact in defense? Did Bayern use the correct tactics or should they given up a little more possession? There was also a lot of discussion about the Guardiola era as a whole. Specifically, is he treated unfairly, or if he has brought some of this on himself. The Mats Hummels transfer is also talked about. Lastly, of course, we could not leave without making predictions for the second leg in Munich. As always, listen in the player below or wherever you get your podcasts:

It has been a huge week for FC Bayern, and the coming ones will prove still more important. How did Bayern get past Benfica? Is Atlético Madrid a good draw for the club? That and more is discussed in this episode. Scott and Susie have some fun with Bayern's narrow-ish knockout of Benfica, and analyze how the second leg played out. Of note, there was the interesting lineup, and walking a fine line with yellow cards. Atlético Madrid are next up in the Champions League but of course there are some big matches before then: Schalke at the weekend and Werder Bremen in the Pokal semifinal. Werder do not appear to pose much of a threat but this is clearly a match Bayern will not want to lose. What sort of a lineup should Bayern field? Can Werder Bremen do anything to get themselves in to the cup final? As always some extra stuff gets batted around - and literally this time. A few digressions into baseball and Miami neighborhoods make this a complete Rekord Pod episode, because what fun is only talking about Bayern? Listen wherever you get your podcasts or in the player below:

It is beginning to seem like Bayern have not played really well in quite a while, but the matches are still being won. Is there cause for concern amidst all these close matches? Scott and Michel are joined by Bayern Central compatriots Juan Pablo Gonzalez and Matthew Buening to primarily review the first leg of the Benfica tie. While the match was discussed at length, they also got into some other topics, such as Bayern's trend under Guardiola of getting worse as the season comes to a close. The Eintracht Frankfurt game is briefly recapped as well. Not every discussion is so dire, though, because the gang also debate who the most successful musician on the team would be, and much more. We also released a new t-shirt in the shop yesterday. As always, listen below or wherever you get your podcasts.

After last week's results, is there a title race on or only the illusion of one? A pair of results during the "English Week" meant there would be everything on the line in Dortmund, but the two teams maintained their 5-point gap atop the table with a scoreless draw. No discussion of an FC Bayern vs. Borussia Dortmund match would be complete without one of our many BVB-supporting friends, and in this episode we welcome Luca (@luc_bvb) back to the show. In maybe the most important Bundesliga match since April of 2012, Dortmund had the chance to trim the Bayern lead to just two points, but the two played to a draw at the Westfalenstadion. Perhaps Dortmund were too passive in the second half, as argued by Scott and Michel, but Luca argues it was the best decision from Thomas Tuchel. Did Dortmund absolutely need these three points, and if so was their approach to the second half wrong? The individual standouts are also reviewed, with names like Kimmich, Vidal, Durm and Bürki coming to mind as players who were on their game Saturday evening. Lastly, the broader questions about the premise that there is in fact a title race at all are discussed, as well as the mentalities of the two teams who would comprise it. As always, listen below, on iTunes or wherever you get your podcast by simply searching "Rekordmeister"

The Gang reunite for 45' of high-octane podcasting, covering everything from FC Bayern's tactics against Juventus to the 2010 Werder Bremen squad. First up, naturally, is the (2:2) draw in Turin, where Bayern excelled for the better part of an hour before Juve got into the game themselves. Tactically speaking, discussion is held over what led to die Roten's dominance, and then eventually their noose on Juventus falling apart just when the Italian champions looked finished. In the second half of the show the crew go over Bayern's win over VfL Wolfsburg, where somewhat opposite of what happened in Turin, the team only got into their groove after about an hour. Manuel Neuer was forced into the most saves he has ever made in red, and Wolfsburg were a potent attacking threat almost the entire match. How did Bayern maintain a clean sheet and parlay their defense into two second-half goals? The gang go into the tactical ins and outs. As always, listen below or wherever you get your podcasts by simply searching for "Rekordmeister".

Scott and Susie are joined by Mia San Rot's Tobi (@redrobbery on Twitter) to go over all the action since the winter break.Most importantly, Joshua Kimmich has been thrown into a makeshift backline, and has performed admirably. Still, doubt remains if this will work come time for the Juventus tie, as well as against other very good teams.Next, it has been amazing to watch Robert Lewandowski ride his astonishing run of form in the new year, but are Bayern becoming over-reliant on the striker? Is the team having a problem finding other goalscorers or will they in the near-term future? Thomas Müller and Arjen Robben factor heavily into this part of the discussion, because they have seen their roles impacted as well.Bayern's central midfielders have been impacted by the shorthanded backline a lot themselves, which means Xabi Alonso and Thiago have had to be more aggressive in their distributive and defensive responsibilities. Their impact has been felt in 2016, but is it enough moving forward into the Champions League knockout rounds? Lastly, the changing roles of the wingers is analyzed, because we have seen Kingsley Coman get reduced playing time, not to mention Douglas Costa seeing time in a withdrawn, central role of late. Arjen Robben's changing style is also discussed here.As always, listen below or on iTunes or Stitcher. Don't forget to visit our FanShop as well:

Bayern Central's resident podcast discusses the attempted extension of Pep Guardiola's contract to no avail, and the successful effort to bring in another big name to replace him before next season.The managerial carousel has brought about many conversations about where the club stands in Europe among the continent's elites, as well as some more existential questions about the way the board sees the club. There is a consensus that the club's identity is changing and that this may be the price that must be paid for continued success, if financial competitiveness is necessary.With the Guardiola news, and also now that the winter break is upon us, hotly renewed discussions about the overall impression we have gotten of Pep's time with the club resurfaced in every alleyway of the Bayern-verse. The Rekord Pod is no different this week, as we step back for a little perspective.And of course halfway through we get bogged down by a discussion about food, or in this case beer.

As Michel is still at the UN climate summit (billed as humanity's last chance to avert the most serious consequences of climate change- no pressure Michel) we welcome Conor Garratt (@kohlsalat) into the Rekord Pod studios to discuss the three matches since the international break. These include wins over Schalke, Olympiakos and Hertha Berlin.Also included in this episode is more talk about the other Bundesliga teams than usual, especially those clubs in the tightly-packed upper-middle portion of the table. Perhaps most importantly, the gang debate the best form of egg preparation, Bayern's next goal song (Scott sings three separate times), who gave Toni Kroos the nickname "wet potato", and much, much more.As always the show is available on iTunes, Stitcher for Android users, and can be downloaded or simply listened to in the player below:

Bayern have had a very good few matches dating back to the embarrassment Arsenal endured in Munich. The team's form has been top-notch and we would like to explain why.It is no secret, Bayern have been on fire lately. Or as the Spanish say, en fuego. FCB are finally putting together Pep's grand strategy of scoring lots of goals while giving up very few, and we see this as reason to have another podcast.The first half of the show consists largely of analysis of the Arsenal game, before the second half of the program implodes into a vicious argument over Mexican food. As usual you can listen below, on iTunes, or on your droid phone through the various podcast apps there.

The crew is back to break down the latest in the world of FC Bayern, and for this show they welcome DW's Jonathan Harding into the fold.The Köln and Wolfsburg matches are analyzed, but more importantly we find out about everyone's favorite fruits and vegetables. Many were possibly looking for Wolfsburg to pose a challenge as they are defending Pokal champions, but they didn't. Bayern played them off the pitch. Tactically, many interesting things occurred and we review as many as possible. As always, you can listen to the show on iTunes, Stitcher, or in the player below: