A F̶l̶o̶r̶i̶a̶n̶ ̶W̶i̶r̶t̶z̶ ̶t̶r̶y̶o̶u̶t̶ top-of-the-table Bundesliga clash between Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday failed to live up to the billing, instead playing out like a fight between Tyson Fury and a piece of toast that’s been soaking in a bucket. 

It’s too early to award the title to Bayern — Borussia Dortmund still has something to say about that — but it’s not too early to give the Ballon d’Or to Robert Lewandowski. 

The 2021 Golden Boy finalists list was revealed on Friday and USMNT star Gio Reyna’s name is on the list. The Golden Boy is an annual award voted on by 30 different journalists to determine the best under-21 player in Europe. 

The Golden Boy was created in 2003 and has been won by notable names like Lionel Messi, Wayne Rooney, Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland. An American has never won the award before.

Reyna is the third American in the last four years to make the cut as a finalist for the honor. Here are the players he will be competing with this year.

BERLIN - Bayer Leverkusen are enjoying a three-game winning run in the Bundesliga and could not have hoped for a better time to meet champions Bayern Munich in Sunday's top-of-the-table clash.

Leverkusen have been superb this season, showing consistency and playing an exciting, attacking brand of football under their new Swiss coach Gerardo Seoane as they prepare to host a Bayern side who lead the table only on goal difference.

MADRID — A Madrid court has sentenced Bayern Munich and France defender Lucas Hernandez to six months in prison for disobeying a restraining order following a 2017 conviction of domestic violence against his wife.

A court document released on Wednesday said Hernandez, 25, had been denied an appeal by a criminal court in Madrid against a previous suspended prison sentence for defying the restraining order.

The document said Hernandez had been denied the appeal as he had been given two previous criminal sentences, both relating to the February 2017 incident.

The 30 nominees for the women and men’s Ballon d’Or were released on Friday with several big surprises. The Chelsea Ballon d’Or representation was at an all-time high with ten players (five women, five men) nominated for the award. 

The USMNT has another weapon in the making. Joe Scally is only 18 years old and has become a consistent and valuable starter for Bundesliga side Borussia Monchengladbach. On Saturday Scally opened his Bundesliga scoring account against Wolfsburg in stoppage time to secure a 3-1 victory.

Joe Scally Goal Vs Wolfsburg

Whilst all the attention is on Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen, Christian Streich's SC Freiburg has enjoyed an exceptional start to the 2021-22 season. 

Freiburg bid farewell to its iconic longtime home, the Dreisamstadion, last weekend with a 3-0 victory over Augsburg. With views straight out of a movie scene, the old-school stadium has long been a haven for supporters, who have seen Germany's giants stumble and fall within its walls. Just this August, Dortmund was defeated 2-1 in Freiburg. 

DORTMUND, Germany - Borussia Dortmund's Erling Haaland scored twice, including a spectacular lob, to guide his side to a 4-2 home win over Union Berlin on Sunday which lifted them to within a point of leaders Bayern Munich and Vfl Wolfsburg.

Norwegian Haaland has now scored seven times in the league this season while taking his total tally to an impressive 68 goals in 67 games in all competitions for Dortmund.

Erling. Braut. Haaland.

That is all.

No top-flight club celebrates Oktoberfest like Bayern Munich, whether it’s players getting sloshed in lederhosen or jerseys created specifically for the beeriest time of the year. This season the German giants kicked off Oktoberfest in supreme style, with a delicious Leroy Sané free kick vs. Bochum that, like a frothy Märzen, really set the mood for a 7-0 victory on Saturday.