Prior to this weekends enticing Bundesliga fixture between Vfl Wolfsburg and Bayer Leverkusen, Outside90’s Tim Roberts selects the best XI consisting of players from both sides.
Wolfsburg sit fourth and have collected seven points in the past five matches, while Leverkusen are sixth and are slowly climbing the table after gaining 11 points in the past five domestic outings.
In previous encounters, the Wolves have held the upper-hand, winning the last three matches. In those meetings, they hit the net 12 times in total, however, circumstances have since changed as both teams recruited well in the previous transfer window.
Bernd Leno (Leverkusen) – The German shot-stopper has been consistent this season, yet he is guilty of a couple of errors – in particular, the own-goal blunder against Augsburg. The Leverkusen No.1 has produced glimpses of brilliance, providing the audience with a slight insight into the incredible potential he possesses. Wolfsburg shot-stopper and captain, Diego Benaglio has performed well, but his quality has been inferior to Leno.
Christian Trasch (Wolfsburg) – The right-back has been fantastic so far, winning the most tackles (28) for the Wolves. Consistency is the strongest aspect of his game right now after ousting Sebastian Jung from the fullback position.
Naldo (Wolfsburg) – The Brazilian started this season in great fashion, picking up where he left-off after 2014-15, a campaign which saw Naldo thrive in his side’s second place finish. He was awarded a spot in the team of the season for his efforts, yet so far he has not reached the same heights this time around. Nonetheless, Naldo has still been one of the more superior defenders this season. Omer Toprak has played only two matches, which is far from enough to make a judgement, while Kyriakos Papadopoulos has not reached the level of Naldo despite some impressive outings.
Johnathan Tah (Leverkusen) –The 19-year-old has simply dazzled with his outstanding displays this campaign. Has not missed a single second of action so far, only compatriot Leno and Wolfsburg’s Naldo join him in that department. The future looks bright for the towering youngster and honestly, Tah has outshone new Wolves signing Dante.
Ricardo Rodriguez (Wolfsburg) – Another 2014-15 team of the season star and if the early stages of this run are anything to go by, then the Swiss international is on track to reach that feat once again. So far, Rodriguez is the most impressive defender out of both sides.
Joshua Guilavogui (Wolfsburg) – Presently in his second year at Wolfsburg after being loaned out by Atletico Madrid last year, the French holding-midfielder has been nothing short of solid. A pass percentage of 90%, 4.3 average interceptions and 2.2 average tackles is what his potent starter consists of.
Lars Bender (Leverkusen) – Whenever the Bayer captain plays he puts in an outstanding shift and at times he is the glue that holds the midfield together. He attempts to look for the bold and creative options when attacking, refusing the simple passing outlets.
Daniel Caligiuri (Wolfsburg) – Another consistent performer for Wolfsburg, the Italian has impressed with a combined three goals and three assist in the primary competitions, the Champions League and Bundesliga. Along with Julian Draxler, Caligiuri is a huge source of creativity for his side.
Hakan Calhanoglu (Leverkusen) – The vast source of creativity for Leverkusen, the Turkish international is a huge talent and despite performing far from his best at this point, Calhanoglu has still demonstrated exceptional technique and quality. Notably, the last few weeks in all competitions has seen positive growth in the midfielder’s form. Scoring a total of three goals and engineering three assists across Europe andt he domestic competition.
Julian Draxler (Wolfsburg) – Another youthful Bundesliga prodigy; the German completed his switch from Schalke 04 to Wolfsburg after playing the first three games of the season in Blue and scoring one goal. Since arriving to the Wolves, Draxler has already exceeded his previous season efforts, scoring once in the UCL and providing three assists in the Bundesliga.
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Bas Dost (Wolfsburg) – The Dutchman’s inclusion is a no brainer after his six goals so far this season, a continuation of his 16 goal haul in 17 starts during 2014-15. He is equal fourth in the scoring charts and boasts an average of 3.3 aerial duels won, the second most in his side. Although Javier Hernandez has made a decent start to life in Leverkusen with two league goals, his contributions have not been as influential as Dost’s impact.
Honourable mentions
Max Kruse (Wolfsburg) – Has been impressive this season, the last few weeks in particular. The centre-forward has netted five times and registered three assists in all competitions.
Admir Mehmedi (Leverkusen) – The Swiss international was rather deprived of minutes early on in 2015-16 proceedings, Mehmedi has received more game-time in recent weeks and has performed exceptionally, scoring a late equaliser in the 4-4 draw with AS Roma and an 89th match winner against VfB Stuttgart resulting in a 4-3 score-line.
Wendell (Leverkusen) – Brilliant performances from the young Brazilian have seen him largely gratified for his efforts. Always working hard and is constantly involved with the Leverkusen attack, making sure he tracks back to complete his defensive duties.
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