17 games in and the Bundesliga is all set for an exciting second part of the year as teams from across Germany battle it out for their own respective ambitions.
Borussia Dortmund lead the way at the top of the table with Bayern Munich starting to recover from a terrible start to the season.
It looks to be a battle of the top six to occupy the top-four places come the end of the season, with just four points between the bottom four places.
Having looked at those who have been in fantastic form in the opening half of the 2018/19 campaign, here is our Bundesliga team of the Hinrunde.
We have limited ourselves to only picking a maximum of three players from one club so we avoid listing the Dortmund starting line-up.
GK: Peter Gulacsi
Club: RB Leipzig
Games played (starts): 17 (17)
The former Liverpool goalkeeper has been in fantastic form for RB Leipzig this campaign as they look to consolidate their place in the top four. Leipzig have conceded the fewest amount of goals so far this season and that is largely down to the ability of Gulacsi between the sticks.
Key Hinrunde stat: The Hungarian has conceded just seven goals in 17 matches, averaging 3.1 saves per 90 minutes.
Honourable goalkeeping mentions: Frederik Ronnow (Eintracht Frankfurt), Gregor Kobel (Hoffenheim), Thomas Kraft (Hertha Berlin) and Yann Sommer (Borussia M.Gladbach).
RB: Joshua Kimmich
Club: Bayern Munich
Games played (starts): 17 (17)
The versatile 23-year-old has impressed in a Bayern side who took their time to turn up for this season. The German international has played the majority of the season at right-back but has been moved to a centre-midfield role in recent weeks – he looks soon to be a master of both.
Key Hinrunde stat: Kimmich has provided seven assists in 17 games and has a pass success rate of 91.5%.
CB: Nico Elvedi
Club: Borussia Mönchengladbach
Games played: 14 (14)
Currently playing for the third best team in the division, Elvedi is a rock at the heart of the Mönchengladbach defence. At just 22-years of age, the Swiss centre-back has seen his form transfer internationally, playing some great stuff for his country in the Nations League.
Key Hinrunde stat: Elvedi makes 4.6 clearances per 90 minutes in a bid to keep his side hot on the heels of Bayern.
CB: Ibrahima Konate
Club: RB Leipzig
Games played (starts): 13 (12)
Just 19 years old, the presence of the young centre-back has become vitally important for Leipzig. His partner in crime, Dayot Upamecano is just 20 years old, but the two have combined to form the meanest defence in the league.
Expect big clubs to notice him if his form continues.
Key Hinrunde stat: Konate lost just 16 of his 60 aerial duels contested during the Hinrunde.
LB: Jérôme Roussillon
Club: VfL Wolfsburg
Games played:15
The 25-year-old has established himself as one of the league’s most solid left-backs as his side aim to crack the top-four places. The Frenchman may be looking get himself noticed by France boss Didier Deschamps at some point in the not-so-distant future.
Key Hinrunde stat: Roussillon has averaged 2.1 clearances per match for his side who currently only have five sides who have conceded fewer goals (22).
Honourable defensive mentions: Dominik Kohr (Bayer Leverkusen), Martin Hinteregger (Augsburg), Wendell (Bayer Leverkusen) and Lukasz Piszczek (Borussia Dortmund), Aaron Martin (Mainz).
CM: Thiago Alcántara
Club: Bayern Munich
Games played (starts): 14 (11)
Thiago’s talent has never been in question and it is his tidiness on the ball and incredible reading of the game off it that has helped Bayern claw their way back to second place.
With above 90% success for both passing and dribbling this season, the Spanish international is starting to strut his stuff as the chief midfield orchestrator.
Key Hinrunde stat: Thiago completed 33 out of his 35 attempted take-ons during the first half of the Bundesliga season.
CM: Kerem Demirbay
Club: Hoffenheim
Games played: 11 (9)
Dubbed a “complete midfielder” by the scout that brought him to Hoffenheim in 2016, Demirbay’s creative juices are flowing again after having to overcome an early-season injury.
Reportedly a January target Liverpool, the German has averaged a league-high 3.3 chances created per game this season.
Combine that with 2.4 successful take-ons, 2.5 tackles made as well as 2.4 shots per game and it becomes clear why the 25-year-old is attracting plenty of interest.
Key Hinrunde stat: Demirbay created more chances (36) than any other teammate in the Bundesliga Hinrunde.
RW: Jadon Sancho
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Games played (starts): 17 (10)
The form of the electric Englishman saw him brought into Gareth Southgate’s England side, with his reputation as one of the most promising creative players in European football reaching the Three Lions boss.
Only our Team of the Season forward provided more assists than the 18-year-old during the Hinrunde, but Sancho has contributed to a goal once every 78.8 minutes on average.
Key Hinrunde stat: Sancho completed more take-ons (41) than any other player during the first half of the Bundesliga season.
AMC: Marco Reus
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Games played (starts): 17 (17)
What a season this man is having. 11 goals from a man who only managed seven last season while also providing five assists. Dortmund are six points clear at the top of the table and it is players like Reus who make the difference in title-challenges.
Key Hinrunde stat: Reus has been directly involved in more goals (16) than any other player for table-topping Dortmund.
LW: Thorgan Hazard
Club: Borussia Mönchengladbach
Games played: 17
With his big brother dominating headlines in the Premier League, the younger Hazard’s excellent form might just be going under the radar in the Bundesliga.
The apple clearly does not fall far from the tree, as Thorgan, just like Eden, leads his teammates for chances created, successful take-ons and fouls won – as well as contributing to 15 goals overall.
Key Hinrunde stat: Hazard scored nine goals and provided six assists during the first 17 games of the season.
Honourable midfield mentions: Joelinton (Hoffenheim), Florian Neuhaus (Borussia M.Gladbach), Axel Witsel (Borussia Dortmund), Jonathan de Guzman (Eintracht) and Max Kruse (Werder Bremen).
ST: Sébastien Haller
Club: Eintracht Frankfurt
Games played (starts): 17 (15)
Quite frankly, Haller has been ridiculous so far. With nine goals and a league-high eight assists in 15 league starts, the Frenchman has been sensational. Frankfurt may have to field a few calls in the January transfer window.
Key Hinrunde stat: Haller was directly involved in more goals (17) than any other player during the first half of the season.
Honourable forward mentions: Luka Jovic (Eintracht Frankfurt), Timo Werner (RB Leipzig) and Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich).
Super Sub: Paco Alcacer
Paco Alcácer has scored in every league substitute appearance for BVB this season:
☑️ vs. Eintracht
☑️ vs. Leverkusen
☑️ vs. Augsburg
☑️ vs. Bayern
☑️ vs. Mainz
☑️ vs. Freiburg
☑️ vs. DüsseldorfThe first player to score 10 goals as a substitute in a single Bundesliga season. pic.twitter.com/3rZbzceijx
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) December 18, 2018
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Games played (starts): 12 (5)
Now, it may have seemed odd not to have the league’s joint-top scorer leading the line. However, when you consider Haller’s incredible stats as well as the fact that 1o of Alcacer’s goals have come off the bench, we decided to make a special exception for Dortmund’s record-breaking super sub.
Key Hinrunde stat: Paco Alcacer is the first player in history to score 10 goals as a substitute in a single Bundesliga season.
The post Squawka’s Bundesliga Team of the Hinrunde: the best players from the first half of 2018/19 appeared first on Squawka News.
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