Bundesliga round-up: Dortmund, Frankfurt and Gladbach impress while Bayern flop
Borussia Dortmund are seriously threatening to end Bayern Munich’s hold of the Bundesliga after opening up a six-point lead at the top of the table at the midway stage. Lucien Favre’s side have been immense this season, losing only one of their 17 league matches. They are the league’s top scorers (44 goals), while only RB Leipzig (17) have conceded fewer goals than BVB (18). Dortmund actually play away to Leipzig in their first match back after the winter break and will hope the long wait between games doesn’t kill their momentum and let Bayern back into the title race.
Player of the season so far: Thorgan Hazard (Gladbach) - 7.71 rating
Bayern Munich’s woes this season has opened the door for others to flourish in the Bundesliga. While Borussia Dortmund top the standings, there has arguably been no finer performer than Gladbach’s Thorgan Hazard. The 25-year-old has been in superb form this term and has already played a direct hand in the same number of goals he managed during the entirety of last season (15), doing so in half as many games. Hazard has registered the most key passes from set-pieces in the Bundesliga this season (18) and also created the most clear-cut goalscoring chances (10). He is also the only player to have racked up five WhoScored Man of the Match awards in the Bundesliga this term.
2nd - Sebastien Haller (Frankfurt), 3rd - Kerem Demirbay (Hoffenheim)
Young player of the season so far: Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund) - 7.35 rating
Jason Sancho has been a revelation for Borussia Dortmund this season and is the highest WhoScored rated player aged 21 and under at the halfway point. Sancho has helped inspire Dortmund to top spot in the league this term and six points clear of Bayern Munich. Only Sebastien Haller (8) has registered more assists than the 18-year-old (7) in the Bundesliga this season and Sancho has also contributed six goals in his 17 league appearances. Furthermore, no player has attempted more dribbles than the teenager (66) despite the fact seven of his appearances have come from the bench.
2nd - Dan-Axel Zagadou (Dortmund), 3rd - Luka Jovic (Frankfurt)
Signing of the season so far: Paco Alcacer (Borussia Dortmund) - 7.22 rating
Paco Alcacer’s performances this season have been nothing short of extraordinary. Despite the fact seven of his 12 league appearances have come from the bench this season, Alcacer is the the joint-top scorer in the Bundesliga with 12 goals. The Spain international averages a goal every 41.9 minutes of league action and Dortmund have already made his loan switch from Barcelona permanent just a few months after arriving. Incredibly, Alcacer has scored his 12 league goals from just 14 shots on target and his goals have helped Dortmund establish a six-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga at the midway stage of the Bundesliga campaign.
2nd - Achraf Haikimi (Dortmund), 3rd - Axel Witsel (Dortmund)
Surprise Package: Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt have been one of the most refreshing sides in Europe’s top five leagues this season. Adi Hutter has admirably juggled Frankfurt’s league and European campaign, positioning them superbly in both competitions. Frankfurt were one of just two sides to win all six of their Europa League group matches, while they are only four points off the top four in the Bundesliga at the midway point. Hutter has formed one of the most exciting strike partnerships in the division in young hotshot Luka Jovic alongside the towering figure of Sebastien Haller. Combined, they have scored 21 goals, while Haller has provided the most assists in the division (8). Gladbach ran Frankfurt close for this category but Frankfurt’s unbelievable European achievement, along with their domestic form, requires acknowledgment.
Underachievers: Bayern Munich
Despite the fact Bayern Munich are second in the league, this season has been a disaster for the defending champions. This is the first year since 2010 when Bayern will not be top of the Bundesliga at Christmas and they went on to finish third that season. Bayern led the table by 11 points at this point last season but will go into 2019 six behind leaders Borussia Dortmund. This is Niko Kovac’s first season in charge of Bayern and it would be a huge surprise if he got a second. Bayern have already lost three league matches this season, one short of their tally from the entirety of the last campaign. It’s no surprise they are planning a mass-squad overhaul over the next two transfer windows.
