Minnows Paderborn, with a budget of five million euros (3.93 million pounds) -- smaller even than that of many second division clubs -- have shot out of the blocks to top the table on eight points with two wins and two draws.
At the other end of the table 2007 Bundesliga champions VfB Stuttgart are in last place, behind former European champions Hamburg SV and Schalke 04, who compete in the Champions League this season.
"Bundesliga leaders, wow," said Paderborn's Moritz Stoppelkamp, who scored a record 83-metre goal in their 2-0 win over Hanover. "But that is just a nice snapshot. For us it was more about the three points in our fight to avoid relegation."
Paderborn know full well their current Bundesliga dominance will likely be very brief with Bayern awaiting on Tuesday. With double matchdays this week, a lot could have changed by Sunday.
"But even there in Munich we want to perform well and step on the gas," said Paderborn coach Andre Breitenreiter. "The boys should enjoy the game. The result is secondary for me."
INJURY WOES
Bayern, also on eight points but fourth on goal difference, have been paying the price for a star-studded team with more than half a dozen still recovering from World Cup fatigue while more have been sidelined with injury.
Without inspirational Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben for most of the games and with Bastian Schweinsteiger, Thiago Alcantara, Holger Badstuber and Javi Martinez still out injured, they have yet to replicate last season's form that saw them win the title in record time.
A goalless draw at Hamburg confirmed they are still struggling for form with coach Pep Guardiola saying they will take more time.
Dortmund, on six points in 10th place having lost twice already, have their own injury bad luck and are missing their entire first choice midfield with Marco Reus, Nuri Sahin, Jakub Blaszczykowski and Ilkay Guendogan injured.
They were joined on Saturday by Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who will be out for four weeks after the attacking midfielder injured his foot in their 2-0 defeat to Mainz 05.
"That is the price you pay when you compete on several levels. It (injuries) is not a Borussia problem," Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke told Reuters days ago when asked about their growing injury list.
For Schalke, who along with Bayern, Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen, play in the Champions League, it has been a dismal start with no win so far.
They looked strong coming from two goals down against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday but had both Kevin-Prince Boateng and Julian Draxler sent off, further limiting coach Jens Keller's options against Werder Bremen on Wednesday.
Hamburg have fared even worse, having failed to score a goal in the league despite spending more than 25 million euros ($32.13 million) to bring in players like Lewis Holtby, U.S. international Julian Green, Swiss Valon Behrami, Nicolai Mueller and Brazilian central defender Cleber.
The club parted ways with coach Mirko Slomka last week and successor Joe Zinnbauer at least managed a point against favourites Bayern though they still have to score their maiden league goal.
(Reporting by Karolos Grohmann, editing by Sudipto Ganguly)
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