1.Tom Rothe (Union Berlin)
Beginning off this week’s checklist is a participant solely Bundesliga (or 2. Bundesliga) specialists had on their radar earlier than the beginning of the season: Union Berlin’s new leftback Tom Rothe. After a superb season for Kiel within the Germany’s 2nd tier in 2023/24, through which Rothe contributed to 11 objectives (!), he was prepared for the subsequent step and common enjoying time within the Bundesliga.
His youth membership Borussia Dortmund nonetheless didn’t envision Rothe of their first workforce and could not promise him any recreation time – that is why Rothe made the choice to hitch Union Berlin who simply got here from an underwhelming marketing campaign through which they completed within the fifteenth spot.
And after simply 7 video games within the Bundesliga, Dortmund are doubtless regretting letting Rothe go: he fought his method into Union Berlin’s beginning line up and already has 3 purpose contributions to his title. It is also because of Rothe that Union Berlin are at the moment the facet with the most important enchancment by way of ranks within the league out of the highest 5 leagues in europe! (From fifteenth to 4th → +11 ranks!)
After his purpose and help in Union Berlin’s 2-0 victory over his former facet Kiel final week, Rothe will probably be espacially motivated to maintain this upward pattern going. Subsequent up: Bundesliga’s third largest shock workforce this season… Eintracht Frankfurt. Which means it is the battle between the 2nd finest protection (Union Berlin, 4 objectives conceded) towards the third finest assault (Frankfurt, 15 objectives) – let’s have a look at who will prevail.
2.Robert Andrich (Bayer Leverkusen)
Bayer Leverkusen are seemingly struggling to seek out consistency this season thus far: 3 attracts within the final 5 video games usually are not sufficient the brand new expectations of Xabi Alonso’s facet. Whereas some gamers have a tough time discovering their type of final season, others saved going like nothing occurred. Considered one of these gamers is Robert Andrich.
He is been the important thing man in Leverkusen’s battle towards Frankfurt final week, finally crowning his stellar efficiency with a purpose in his facet’s 2-1 victory. (If you happen to’re a fan of tiki-taka soccer, you must take into account rewatching Andrich’s purpose earlier than matchday 8!)
Leverkusen come up towards Werder Bremen on Saturday within the Bundesliga’s match of the week; the explanation for it is placement may need to do with the final three outcomes: Leverkusen have crushed Bremen 3-2, 3-0 and 5-0 since March 2023, which means that this match-up is more likely to embrace many objectives once more.
Bremen have proven a “by no means hand over” mentality of their video games towards Wolfsburg (4-2 win after falling behind) and Hoffenheim (4-3 win after falling behind) – Andrich would be the excellent man for giving Leverkusen stability and safety in midfield and protection, in order that Bremen will not additionally come again towards “die Werkself”!
3. Vincenzo Grifo (SC Freiburg)
As talked about earlier, Union Berlin and Frankfurt are two of the most important shock groups of the Bundesliga thus far. The one workforce to prime them is SC Freiburg. No person would have anticipated Freiburg to perfrom this effectively after legendary coach Christian Streich has departed them on the finish of the 2023/24 season.
Nonetheless, his successor (and very long time participant) Julian Schuster made certain that Freiburg followers will not should look into the previous for superb occasions: Freiburg are at the moment third within the Bundesliga, above Leverkusen, Dortmund, Stuttgart and Frankfurt! Though it is troublesome to offer one participant extra credit score than others, I’ve determined to focus on the (already) membership legend that’s Vincenzo Grifo.
The Italian winger is as soon as once more proving to be one of the persistently good performing gamers within the Bundesliga: 7 purpose contributions in 7 video games are excellent, even for him! His distinctive type has given Freiburg the flexibility to seemlessly combine youth gamers into their facet over time who’ve now turn into confirmed Bundesliga gamers.
Grifo alone has been chargeable for over a 3rd of Freiburg’s present factors tally (15) along with his direct purpose involvements (5/7 of his purpose involvements led to Freiburg getting 6 factors). This makes him one of the influential Bundesliga gamers proper now.
Freiburg come up towards RB Leipzig, towards whom Grifo has scored of their final match-up (1-4 loss). Let’s have a look at if he will help his workforce make the soar over Leipzig to doubtlessly 2nd or 1st place within the Bundesliga.
4.Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich)
Bayern Munich discover themselves in a troublesome spot: they play excellent attacking soccer, rating many objectives which thus far have led them to 1st place within the Bundesliga. Alternatively, their new technique has additionally left them defensively uncovered, resulting in them being far behind their expectations within the Champions League.
It looks as if Bayern’s opponent play a significant position of their succes this season: towards sturdy sides, Bayern weren’t in a position to succeed as they hoped to (1-4 loss aginst Barcelona, 3-3 draw towards Frankfurt, 1-0 loss towards Aston Villa, 1-1 draw towards Leverkusen).
In terms of “weaker” opponents nonetheless, Bayern appear to seek out a whole lot of success with their attacking soccer (5-0 win towards Bremen, 9-2 win towards Zagreb, 6-1 win towards Kiel, 4-0 win towards Ulm).
Whereas candidates like Kane, Olise and Musiala have carried out outstandningly effectively thus far on this season, I’ve determined to focus on a participant who will need to get again to his finest type over the subsequent few weeks: Serge Gnabry.
A superb begin to the season with 4 purpose contributions in his first 4 video games have seemingly made Gnabry get again a number of the confidence he had in his earlier years in Munich. Whereas the previous couple of weeks have not been a fantastic success for Gnabry and Bayern, Kompany nonetheless places his belief within the German winger and lets him begin in many of the video games.
Bayern have a historical past of scoring many objectives towards their upcoming opponent, VfL Bochum: 20 objectives within the final 4 video games are a transparent signal of dominance. This might effectively be the sport through which Gnabry can tank some confidence for the upcoming challenges!
5.Maximilian Mittelstädt (VfB Stuttgart)
After final week’s 0-4 loss towards Bayern Munich, many followers feared for his or her membership of their recreation towards Juventus Turin within the Champions League. However towards many expectations, Stuttgart have been in a position to win the sport 1-0!
This enhance in morale could be what the “Vizemeister” wanted to lastly get going within the 2024/25 season. Just like Leverkusen, Stuttgart are on the again of an unimaginable season through which they’ve completed 2nd. The membership has misplaced some key gamers (Ito, Anton, Guirassy) to direct opponents, however Stuttgart are nonetheless in a position to play their enticing fashion of soccer week in week out – solely the outcomes have been lacking thus far.
Stuttgart discover themselves in tenth spot within the Bundesliga – far behind the place they need to be. One participant who was in a position to sustain his type into this season has been leftback Maximilian Mittelstädt – sure, the checklist began with a German leftback and it’ll finish with one! To this point Mittelstädt was in a position to assist his facet with 3 assists within the league: 2nd within the Bundesliga.
His constant perfomances give Stuttgart newly fashioned protection a whole lot of stability and head coach Sebastian Hoeneß know what he has in his beginning leftback. Stuttgart now come up towards Kiel who’re but to get a victory on this Bundesliga season. A stat which has been talked about earlier than within the “Ones to look at” articles is that Kiel have conceded at the very least 2 objectives in each leage recreation thus far – this stays true after their final two video games towards Union Berlin and Leverkusen (0-2, 2-2).
Since Rothe was in a position to be the star performer towards Kiel from leftback, do not be stunned if Mittelstädt achieves the identical on Saturday.