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
FSV Mainz pulled off the shock of the season, beating Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena 2-1. The home side, as per usual, dominated proceedings with 75% possession and 16 shots. As a result, Loris Karius was called into action a number of times as he prevented Bayern from scoring with five confident saves. The 22-year-old you could nothing about Arjen Robben’s incredible equaliser, but he managed to keep the Bavarians from scoring another to hold out for a memorable win.
Santiago Garcia – Left-back – Werder Bremen
Werder Bremen was another team that caused a shock, beating Bayer Leverkusen 4-1. Leverkusen have some of the quickest players on their side, the likes of Karim Bellarabi and Hakan Calhanoglu causing a number of problems for teams all over Germany, however, Santiago Garcia did an outstanding job of containing the pace. The 27-year-old has a near perfect tackle success rate and won all his aerial duels to nullify the talent of Leverkusen.
John Brooks – Central-defence – Hertha Berlin
Hertha Berlin cemented their spot in third on the Bundesliga table with a professional 2-0 win over Eintracht Fankfurt. Hertha’s defensive solidity has launched them into the heights of a Champions League place and John Brooks was the shining example of this mindset against Franfurt. The American won 90% of his defensive duels and had a passing accuracy of 80% that he used to help Hertha dominate the game and walk away with a comfortable three points.
Dante Bonfim – Central-defence – VfL Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg showed attacking and defensive fluidity that the fans have been dying to see all season against Hannover in a 4-0 victory. Dante was a standout performer, showing his class that he’d picked up from his years at Bayern Munich. The Brazilian won all his tackles and had a passing accuracy of 96%. It was a perfect all round display from the defender that many fans will be hoping he replicates in the Champions League.
Danny da Costa – Right-back – FC Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt solidified their position safely away from the relegation spot with a respectable 1-1 draw against FC Cologne. The 22-year-old did well to contain Cologne’s attacking force and even assisted Lukas Hinterseer’s goal in the first half. The youngster showed a lot of promise throughout the match and is one of Germany’s rising talents.
Jairo Samperio – Left-wing – FSV Mainz
Samperio was one of Mainz’s key figures in their incredible 2-1 win over Bayern. The narrow win was Bayern’s first loss at the Allianz Arena in 17 games and it all began through Samperio’s cool finish in the first half. The 22-year-old only had a single shot on target the entire game, but he took it well as he finished of a lightning fast counter attack to slam the ball past Manuel Neuer to punish the home side. Samperio’s vital goal put his side on the way to an astounding victory.
Max Meyer – Central-midfield – FC Schalke
Schalke are a hotbed of German talent and the latest brilliant youngster to climb through their ranks is Max Meyer. The 20-year-old was a major catalyst in Schalke’s narrow 3-2 victory over Hamburg, scoring a cracking goal and assisting the winning one. The young German was a shining point of Schalke’s attack for the whole match, with a 92% pass completion rate gelling together Schalke’s forward movement. The German completed his excellent night with a sensational effort from range and a neat assist to wrap up an important victory for the Royal Blues.
Zlatko Junuzovic – Central-midfield – Werder Bremen
Junuzovic had a starring role in Bremen’s shock 4-1 pummelling of Bayer Leverkusen. The Serbian dominated the midfield with strength and poise as he won all his tackles to nullify Leverkusen attacks. The 28-year-old also maintained a passing accuracy of 80% to work around the midfield duo of Christoph Kramer and Hakan Calhanoglu. The midfielder’s incredible work was key for Bremen’s fantastic win and he topped his night off by assisting Claudio Pizarro’s third goal of the night.
Thorgan Hazard – Right-wing – Borussia Monchengladbach
Thorgan Hazard’s rise to form has been one of Monchengladbach’s key factors in their search for Champions League football next season. The 22-year-old showed all the signs of a calm and classy winger as he opened to scoring for Gladbach in their 4-0 win over VfB Stuttgart. The tricky number 10 harassed Stuttgart endlessly, aside from his goal he had five shots that tested the Stuttgart defence. While his brother Eden Hazard is enduring a miserable season at Chelsea, Thorgan is enjoying life as Gladbach’s key playmaker.
Claudio Pizarro – Striker – Werder Bremen
It’s a name that’s been around for so long in the Bundesliga that it seems as though Claudio Pizarro will never go away. The Peruvian striker extended his record as the highest foreign goal scorer in Bundesliga history with a classic hat trick against Bayer Leverkusen. Despite his age, he scored his first by picking up the ball way outside the penalty area and dribbling in to chip Bernd Leno. Pizarro then added a penalty kick and headed goal from a corner to his collection to seal the deal for Bremen. The Bundesliga Evergreen had a goal with his left foot, his right foot and his head – a perfect hat trick.
Andre Schurrle – Striker – VfL Wolfsburg
Andre Schurrle has been one of Wolfsburg’s most criticised players in what has been a bitterly disappointing season for them so far. Since his move from Chelsea he has failed to show the skills that led him to winning the World Cup in 2014. Against Hannover he was deployed as a striker, a move that paid off as the German scored a brilliant hat trick. The German was allowed time and space on the ball, letting him play his natural game. The 25-year-old showed the Wolfsburg fans what he is capable of and he needs to replicate this if the Wolves have any hope of qualifying for the Champions League.
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