Outside90’s Ari Papas selects the standout performers from the latest round of Bundesliga action for our Team of the Week.
Rene Adler – Goalkeeper – Hamburg SV
Hamburg lifted themselves into 10th place with an edgy 3-0 away win over Hannover. Despite the emphatic score line, the hosts registered seven more shots on goal than Hamburg, requiring an outstanding performance from Rene Adler. The German made eight saves to keep a clean sheet, allowing his side to run away as victors on the night. It was a routine win in truth, but one that leaves Hamburg comfortably away from the relegation zone.
Danny da Costa – Right-back – FC Ingolstadt
FC Ingolstadt put in one of their finest performances of the season as they dispatched FC Schalke to the tune of 3-0. One of the top performers of the match was young Danny da Costa, who assisted two goals to kill off the game. The 22-year-old was an immense presence on the right-flank as he calmly dealt with the attacking talent of Max Meyer. The German was brilliant for the whole 90 minutes as Ingolstadt collected one of their biggest scalps of the campaign.
Nico Elvedi – Central-defence – Borussia Monchengladbach
Borussia Monchengladbach gave themselves an excellent chance of reaching the third Champions League spot on the table by dismantling Hertha Berlin in a surprising 5-0 thumping. Gladbach’s defensive performance on the night was second to none, as Nico Elvedi and his partners shut up their half of the pitch with a dominant performance. The Swiss defender won five aerial duels and four tackles to contain Hertha’s attacking threats.
Cleber – Central-defence – Hamburg SV
The Brazilian defender broke the deadlock against Hannover in Hamburg’s eventual 3-0 victory. Cleber boasted a success rate of over 80% for tackling, but his ability to keep the defensive line strong was not his only contribution to Die Rothosen. The 25-year-old scored a thumping header to put his side a goal to the good, opening the flood gates to allow Hamburg to score two more and seal a comfortable win.
Daniel Brosinski – Left-back – FSV Mainz
Mainz’s dream of European football is slowly becoming a reality as they beat Augsburg 4-2 to leapfrog Schalke into a Europa league spot. Daniel Brosinski provided a well-rounded display with defensive solidity and attacking flair. The 27-year-old won over 90% of his defensive challenges and managed to assist Mainz’s important third goal of the night. The German barely put a foot wrong throughout the match.
Lukas Hinterseer – Right-wing – FC Ingolstadt
Lukas Hinterseer was a star performer as Ingolstadt defeated Schalke 3-0. The hosts were on the back foot for the first-half until Hinterseer stepped up in stoppage time to score a well-taken goal to heap the pressure on Schalke. The 25-year-old’s goal completely crushed the opposition’s confidence and allowed Ingolstadt to record to a comfortable three points.
Mahmoud Dahoud – Central-midfield – Borussia Monchengladbach
Mahmoud Dahoud was yet again in the spotlight as Gladbach dismantled Hertha Berlin 5-0. The midfielder was outstanding as he connected attacking plays together and assisted two goals. The 20-year-old dominated his area of the pitch and dismantled Hertha’s defence with ease. Dahoud maintained a passing success rate of 86% and also won six tackles to keep the Die Fohlen lines together.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan – Central-midfield – Borussia Dortmund
Henrikh Mkhitaryan was deployed in central-midfield as Dortmund snatched a thrilling 3-2 victory against Werder Bremen. The Armenian maintained his usual passing proficiency and assisted two of Dortmund’s goals, one of which was a dramatic late winner by Adrian Ramos. The 27-year-old has now registered 12 assists and 10 goals in the Bundesliga, one of only two players to achieve double figures in both categories this season.
Pablo De Blasis – Left-wing – FSV Mainz
While there were a number of excellent performers for Mainz in their 4-2 win over Augsburg, the star of the show was Pablo De Blasis, who scored a brace. The 28-year-old was busy all night as he registered five shots on the opposition’s goal. The Argentine winger went on to complete his first ever Bundesliga double with a goal either side of halftime, putting Mainz in pole position for the three points.
Javier Hernandez – Striker – Bayer Leverkusen
It is not often that a substitute is on the team of the week, but Javier Hernandez appeared against VfL Wolfsburg for only 30 minutes in which he made an incredible impact in Leverkusen’s 3-0 win. The Mexican striker scored a sensational goal 12 minutes after coming on to put the hosts 2-0 up against the Wolves, and not long after the Manchester United cast-off then went on to assist the third goal of the night to put the match to bed.
Thorgan Hazard – Striker – Borussia Monchengladbach
Thorgan Hazard was in red-hot form as his brace sunk Hertha Berlin in a 5-0 win. The 23-year-old had a brilliant night up front, his intelligent passing and movement caused hell for Hertha’s defence. The Belgian scored twice for his first brace of the Bundesliga season and was constantly involved in Gladbach’s attacking movements. Hazard’s attacking play was, at times, a joy to watch.
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