Outside90’s Ari Papas selects the standout performers from the latest round of Bundesliga action for our Team of the Week.
Loris Karius – Goalkeeper – FSV Mainz
After a disappointing defeat to Ingolstadt, Mainz reacted perfectly by besting Borussia Monchengladbach 1-0 at home. Gladbach have set the league alight under new coach Andre Schubert, but faced a second consecutive defeat when Loris Karius expertly denied the away side with a number of saves. Mainz only had 37% of possession, yet managed to cling onto their slender lead with the excellent presence of Karius in goals.
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Marvin Plattenhardt – Left-back – Hertha Berlin
Hertha Berlin’s excellent season has seen them sit in the heights of third spot on the table but their search for European football hit a snag as they threw away a two goal advantage in a 3-3 draw against Werder Bremen. Despite the scoreline, left-back Plattenhardt had an individually excellent performance where he scored an impressive free kick. On top of his goal, the 24-year-old bombarded the left-flank with mazy runs and attacking flair.
Leon Balogun – Central-defender – FSV Mainz
Balogun was another key defensive player in Mainz’s narrow 1-0 win over Monchengladbach. The away side’s attack is usually outstanding, however, they were quietened by the 27-year-old, who won over 90% of his aerial duels and tackles. The German is establishing himself as an unbeatable presence in front of the Mainz goal, also using their sparing possession wisely with an 85% pass completion rate.
Dominic Maroh – Central-defender – FC Cologne
FC Cologne continued VfL Wolfsburg’s woeful run of form by holding them to a 1-1 draw at the Volkswagen arena. The Wolves have assembled a costly strike force, including names like Max Kruse, Julian Draxler and Andre Schurrle who were all kept quiet by Maroh and his teammates. A lapse of concentration saw Draxler open the scoring, but Maroh kept his head and ensured that his side would take home a point after Anthony Modeste equalised. The 28-tear-old won over 90% of his tackles and had a passing accuracy of 88%.
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Philipp Lahm – Right-back – Bayern Munich
Bayern’s captain was heavily involved in their routine 2-0 win over Hoffenheim. Lahm was allowed to play higher up the pitch and was more ingrained in Bayern attacks as he took part in the tiki-taka passing rhythms of the team. The 32-year-old also assisted Robert Lewandowski for the crucial second goal, which finished off Hoffenheim in the closing half-hour. The World Cup winner also boasted an astounding passing accuracy of 95% in this match.
Hakan Calhanoglu – Left-wing – Bayer Leverkusen
Leverkusen clawed their way back into the Champions League spots on the table with a destructive 3-0 win over Hannover 96. Leverkusen’s strike-force was on fire with Calhanoglu owning the left-flank. The Turk assisted Stefan Kiessling’s opening goal and was unlucky not to score himself when he hit the post early in the second-half. The 21-year-old harassed Hannover endlessly until they finally collapsed to a heavy defeat, his pace and passing skills simply too much for them to handle.
Max Meyer – Central-midfield – FC Schalke
Schalke got their quest for Champions League football back on track with a morale boosting 2-0 win over Darmstadt. An outstanding performer on the night was youth product Meyer, who recorded a goal and an assist. The 20-year-old engaged himself with every Schalke attack and opened the scoring with a composed finish – his first away goal of the campaign. Meyer put his side in the driver’s seat when he sent a perfectly weighted pass for Leroy Sane to send to the bottom-corner.
Kevin Kampl – Central-midfield – Bayer Leverkusen
Since moving to Leverkusen from Borussia Dortmund, Kampl has shown signs of promise and has had some moments of brilliance, including his excellent performance in their 3-0 drubbing of Hannover. The Slovenian showed why he deserves a starting spot at Leverkusen by using his 90% passing accuracy to dominate the midfield, also showcasing a willingness to go forward when he assisted Javier Hernandez’s second goal with a clever pass.
Christian Clemens – Right-wing – FSV Mainz
Mainz had to work hard for their 1-0 win over Monchengladbach and Clemens’ outstanding goal helped his side defend their way to victory. The hosts looked happy to simply keep out Gladbach’s scintillating attacks, but the gameplan changed when Christian Clemens stunned the Foals with a corker from outside the box. The 24-year-old’s goal changed the complexion of the game and allowed Mainz to steal three points. Despite having a rather average overall performance, Clemens’ incredible and important goal was worthy of a spot in the Bundesliga Team of the Week.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – Striker – Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund were made to run ragged by a tough Ingolstadt side, but it was the 2015 African Player of the Year Aubameyang who scored a late brace to secure victory for the Westphalians. The Black and Yellows did not have much to go on in a physical encounter with the newly promoted side and it seemed as though Ingolstadt’s incredible defence would hold out for a draw, until Aubameyang scored twice in the final 15 minutes. The Gabonese international now has reached his target of 20 Bundesliga goals and is now hunting Gerd Muller’s ancient record of 40 goals in a single season.
Stefan Kiessling – Striker – Bayer Leverkusen
Leverkusen’s swashbuckling win over Hannover had a number of star performers, but Stefan Kiessling was the man of the match on the day. Kiessling threatened as early as 11 minutes into the game when his header struck the post, yet the German would not be denied in the dying minutes of the first-half as he smashed home a corner to open the scoring for Leverkusen. Despite his age, the 32-year-old was as spritely as ever, linking up with Hernandez and Kevin Kampl to devastating effect while his team tore apart Hannover’s defence.
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