I think majority of the people are expecting Bayern Munich to be at the first position of the table again very soon. Because honestly, Xabi Alonso does not have the resources that Bayern Munich has. And if one or two players from his team get injured, it is going to be a problem for him to replace them. But Bayern Munich does not have that kind of problem. Well, I suppose Munich also has problems if Harry Kane gets injured. Better than that many players from Bayern Munich are replaceable. But Xabi does not have a squad like that.
But at the same time, majority of the people also want to see Xabi get his team to win the Bundesliga title.
That is the fundamental difference between the two teams challenging for the Bundesliga title this season, Bayern Munchen and Bayer Laverkusen. Tuchel has an even squad depth, has rotation options, and has budget support to move actively in the transfer window, these are the differences that can be seen at a glance and can be read easily. Meanwhile, Xabi only has some of what Tuchel had with Laverkusen, but the mentality and fighting spirit they have developed has made them appear consistent throughout the 12 weeks. Xabi must think harder in arranging strategy, approach and player rotation management, in order to minimize unexpected injuries.
Apart from that, the ups and downs of performance are largely determined by injury factors, especially if the injury is long and there are more than one or two people. Of course it will be very difficult for any coach to maximize the team performance. I think if Bayern loses Kane temporarily, Tuchel will also have a headache. On the other hand, I think everyone has a favorite club, expecting Laverkusen to become champions in the Bundesliga is not a problem, and that is good for the continuity of the Bundesliga itself.