This season is two months old, and no coach has been sacked yet! Last year it took only a few weeks for the first to depart. Has the league become more patient ? Or more merciful? Or simply friendlier? It’s still early days, of course ...

Top Match: Dortmund - Schalke

Dortmund vs. Schalke is arguably the fiercest of all rivalries in the Bundesliga. The spoils in the history of this fixture are currently shared, with 32 wins apiece. So will one side take the lead in the Ruhr Valley derby this weekend? Reigning champions Dortmund, who are playing at home? Or will Schalke continue their superior start to the season?

Club Confidential: Bayern Munich

Bayern are in imperious form: and winning the first eight games of the campaign would mark a new Bundesliga record. They jointly hold the current record of a seven-stright-win start together with Kaiserslautern and Mainz. Will the Bavarians prevail against Düsseldorf? We take a look at the 21-time champions.

On the Spot: Jermaine Jones

Just a few years ago, Jermaine Jones was looking like a spent force in the Bundesliga. He went through a number of lows after joining Schalke in 2007 - out on loan and long injury spells, and always a controversial figure. But his form returned when Huub Stevens became coach at the club. The German-born US national has turned from a young upstart to experienced veteran.

Off the Pitch: Szabolcs Huszti

Who currently has the best combined stats for goals and assists? Reus? Farfan? Van der Vaart? Not even close! In fact it’s Hanover’s Szabolcs Huszti. The Hungarian midfielder so far scored three goals himself and created a further seven for others. He spent three years in St. Petersburg before returning to the German side this summer. The message from fans is: welcome back!

Special Report: Who Falls in the Fall?

Kick off takes a preliminary review of the season, viewed from the bottom of the table. A number of clubs have performed far below expectations. We travel throughout Germany to assess the disappointments of 2012.

Bundesliga compact

This weekend’s schedule

• Date 19.10.12 | 00:30 - 01:00 UTC
• Broadcast times 19.10.12 | 09:03 - 09:30 UTC, 19.10.12 | 11:30 - 12:00 UTC, 19.10.12 | 15:30 - 16:00 UTC
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