Outside90’s Ari Papas selects the standout performers from the latest round of Bundesliga action for our Team of the Week.
Ralf Fahrmann – Goalkeeper – FC Schalke
FC Schalke’s hopes of reaching the Champions League next season were given a significant boost as they leapfrogged Borussia Monchengladbach into fourth with a 2-1 win at the Veltins-Arena. Gladbach were not out of form by any means, as the Royal Blue custodian Ralf Fahrmann had to produce a number of saves to keep out the visitors’ incredible strike force. Schalke had to survive a few nervy moments as Raffael struck the post, but Fahrmann did enough to ensure his side took an immensely important three points.
Santiago Garcia – Left-back – Werder Bremen
Werder Bremen took an important step closer to top-flight safety as they rose a point above the relegation zone with a 1-1 draw against Mainz. One of Bremen’s standout performers was Santiago Garcia, who kept the away side’s attacking players at bay with an outstanding defensive effort. Garcia controlled the left of the field with ease and won all his attempted aerial duels. The 27-year-old had a wonderful night in his position and helped Bremen to a crucial point.
Andre Ramalho – Central-defence – Bayer Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen finally snapped their dreadful form and strung two wins together in the Bundesliga by defeating VfB Stuttgart 2-0. A significant factor in this important win was the defensive efforts led by Andre Ramalho. Winning 90% of his aerial and physical challenges, Ramalho was integral to a well-earned clean sheet. The 24-year-old has only made six appearances in the Bundesliga this season, but his performance against Stuttgart made a strong case to be considered for selection in the next round of Germany’s top division.
Ermin Bicakcic – Central-defence – Hoffenheim
Hoffenheim’s miraculous return to form under new head coach Julian Nagelsmann continued with a 3-1 win over Hamburg that could prove vital in the race to escape relegation. Ermin Bicakcic was instrumental to their victory as he won over 75% of his tackles. The 26-year-old managed to contain Hamburg’s attackers and now Hoffenheim are just a point away from safety.
Frederik Soerenson – Right-back – FC Cologne
Cologne were dreaming of a shock victory over Bayern Munich, but despite a valiant performance fell 1-0 to the Bavarians. One of the positives from this match for the hosts was the immense performance of Frederik Soerenson. The 24-year-old faced a daunting challenge attempting to contain Bayern’s hot-shot Douglas Costa, but he met the challenge with aplomb. The right-back won an astonishing 15 challenges as he rendered Costa almost useless and forced Pep Guardiola to substitute the Brazilian in favour of Franck Ribery. Despite the loss, Sorenson’s incredible performance should not be glossed over.
Kevin Volland – Left-wing – Hoffenheim
Kevin Volland has been a shining light in Hoffenheim’s dreary season and he showed why with a stellar showing in a 3-1 victory over Hamburg. The German was outstanding as he scored and assisted to put his side in the driving seat for a priceless victory. The 23-year-old was impeccable from kick-off until the final whistle, he harassed and attacked Hamburg throughout the game and showed the Hoffenheim fans that his performances could be key to their survival this season.
Christoph Kramer – Central-midfield – Bayer Leverkusen
Another key to Leverkusen’s much-needed win over the weekend was their solidity and dominance in the midfield. Christoph Kramer had proved himself as a top Bundesliga midfielder on loan at Monchengladbach and showed why he is an extremely valuable player with a dominant performance in the middle of the park. The 25-year-old had a passing accuracy of 78% and won over 90% of his challenges, these stats show how vital he was to Leverkusen’s triumph against Stuttgart.
Luiz Gustavo – Central-midfield – VfL Wolfsburg
VfL Wolfsburg have been in a downward spiral out of the Champions League places this season and barely held onto their slim hopes of qualification with a dramatic 1-1 draw with Darmstadt. The Wolves performed well throughout the match as Luiz Gustavo controlled the affair. With a pass success rate of 85% and 80% of his challenges successful, the Brazilian was outstanding even though his side could not convert their chances. Wolfsburg had to rely on a dramatic stoppage time equalizer to steal a point from Darmstadt.
Henrikh Mkhitaryan – Right-wing – Borussia Dortmund
Mkhitaryan was the centre of attention yet again as Borussia Dortmund ran out 3-1 winners at the WWK Arena. The Black and Yellows were hot favourites to beat Augsburg, yet they found themselves a goal down and on the ropes within 16 minutes. Dortmund did not step back and they pushed until Henrikh Mkhitaryan equalized for his side right before halftime. The Armenian was involved in a lovely build-up to the goal and made a number of key passes and dribbles throughout the game, as he put on a show for the Augsburg supporters.
Robert Lewandowski – Striker – Bayern Munich
Robert Lewandowski always finds himself among the top performers of the week, but this time his contribution was absolutely crucial for Bayern Munich as he scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over Cologne. Bayern were far from their usual selves against Cologne, who put in a brave performance that almost worked. Lewandowski himself was relatively unimpressive, mostly due to the poor service from the players behind him. Nevertheless, world-class strikers always find a way to change the game and the Polish international latched on a defensive error to score a vital goal. His quick thinking has put Bayern in pole position to retain the Bundesliga title.
Adrian Ramos – Striker – Borussia Dortmund
Adrian Ramos endured a woeful first season at Borussia Dortmund last year and it was looking as though he was on his way out the exit even in the early months of the 2015-16 season, however, he has shown that he has turned his form around as he stepped in for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and won the game for Dortmund against Augsburg. Being Aubameyang’s understudy would never be an easy task, but Ramos took the most of his opportunity by scoring and assisting to put Dortmund up 3-1 in the second half. The 30-year-old put in a spritely performance and proved the Thomas Tuchel that he is just as reliable a starting striker as he is a rotation player.
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