The 2019/20 season isn’t officially concluded but given its suspension because of COVID-19, its continuation – should it resume – would almost feel like a new mini-campaign to check off the remaining fixtures.
As such, it seems only fair to acknowledge the players who have performed admirably during the course of the normal campaign.
In this edition, we picked 22 of the best performing players in the Bundesliga and, with your help, narrow it down to the best XI.
Using polls on our Instagram Stories, we pit players in each position against each other and let you decide who deserves to make the cut.
League leaders Bayern Munich dominate the team with six players featuring in our XI, but there were some huge omissions as well.
Follow our Instagram page to get involved. Here’s what our Bundesliga Team of the Season looks like:
GK: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)
After revolutionising the goalkeeping position with his ability as a sweeper, Neuer’s stock has taken a dip in recent years. However, the Germany international has begun to rediscover some of his best form this season, racking up a league-high 10 clean sheets and leading Bayern to the top of the table.
RB: Achraf Hakimi (Borussia Dortmund)
No one in Germany’s top flight has registered more sprints than Hakimi’s 841. That speaks volumes of the full-back’s desire to get forward, reflected in his tally of three goals and 10 assists this season. He’s forged a devastating partnership with Jadon Sancho on Borussia Dortmund’s right flank.
CB: Dayot Upamecano (RB Leipzig)
He’s one of the most sought after centre-backs in football and his performance this season has only seen interest in him grow. Upamecano has been at the heart of the joint-best defence in Germany alongside Bayern’s, succeeding in 79.04 per cent of his duels. He’s contributed massively with the ball too, ranking second in the division for ball progressions with 7.27 per minute.
CB: David Alaba (Bayern Munich)
The man Upamecano trails in terms of ball progressions is Alaba who has managed 7.51 per minute. In fact, the Austrian has carried the ball 6.4kms this season, further than any other player in the league. Alaba has been key to Bayern’s build-up play, also ranking top for progressive passes with 310. Not bad for a left-back forced to move into the middle of a back four.
LB: Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich)
Alaba has long been regarded as a complete left-back, but he’s been displaced due to a special talent in Davies. The Canadian has been the breakthrough player of this season. He’s competent at the back but devastating in attack, registering a league-high three dribbles per game. He also ranks fourth for progressive runs.
CM: Thiago Alcantara (Bayern Munich)
Bayern are bursting at the seams with quality all over the park, but Alcantara is the central cog that keeps this dominant machine ticking over. His average of 82.93 passes per 90 minutes is, unsurprisingly, the best in the league. He’s also blessed with terrific agility and close control, leading to an average of three dribbles per game – on par with Davies as the league’s best.
CM: Kai Havertz (Bayer Leverkusen)
When Leverkusen have needed something a bit special, it’s often Havertz who’s come up with the goods. The 20-year-old is a magician in the final third, popping up in space as if appearing out of thin air and leaving defences scrambling. He has six goals and five assists this season, while his 2.3 key passes per game is testament to his influence on Leverkusen’s attack.
RW: Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund)
One of the hottest properties in world football at the moment and with a league-high 29 direct goal contributions, who can argue? His 14 goals puts him third in the rankings and he’s second for assists with 15. He also tops the list for second assists with eight, making it clear that he’s always in the thick of things when Dortmund go forward.
CAM: Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund)
It hasn’t been his best season, but at 30-years old the Dortmund skipper is still making huge contributions, even adapting well when deployed as a centre forward. He missed most of January through injury, but has still racked up 11 goals and five assists. He boasts a healthy average of a direct goal contribution every 93.87 minutes.
LW: Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich)
This season has seen Gnabry come of age with his immense talent now translating into goals and assists – 11 and nine for the league season. Following the departures of Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery, Bayern have been a little short in wide areas but it seems as if Gnabry has now assumed responsibility in that department.
ST: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Timo Werner has had a phenomenal season at Leipzig with 21 goals and Erling Haaland has made a massive impact at Dortmund, scoring nine already as the new kid on the block. But at 31, Lewandowski is showing no signs of slowing down and is still king of this jungle. The Bayern marksman leads the scoring charts with 25 goals and is the busiest of all Bundesliga strikers with 105 shots.
