Bundesliga Team of the Season Part II #1789

Eliot Ben-Ner
7 min readMay 30, 2023

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RM:CM: LM

Right Midfielder: Julian Brandt, Dortmund

Julian Brandt at this moment in time is unquestionably the best player in the Bundesliga. He has been in my estimation player of the season. The Dortmund title race does not occur without him. So many seem to not understand that when it is about the most obvious thing of the entire Bundesliga season as a whole. Julian Brandt has made the team of the season four of the last 5 years, at least my team of the season. As we know, the Bundesliga team of the season can be a bit of a popularity contest. However, over the last 5 years you’d be hard pressed to find a more consistent player in the Bundesliga. However, this season he just took it into another place altogether. There has not been a more valuable component to Dortmund than Julian Brandt. Dortmund might have thrown away the title this season on the last day of the campaign. However, if it wasn’t for Julian Brandt They would not have been in the title race to begin with. In fact, I’ll take it a step further without Julian Brandt’s contributions to this team Leipzig would have finished second. Dortmund went on an unbelievable run that saw their title. Race ignite in a massive way over that stretch. He individually knocked Leipzig out of the conversation. Silenced Berlin and Freiburg as well. He suffered an injury in the Champions League against Chelsea. Over the three-week stretch in which he was not at 100%. Dortmund struggled to look like themselves. They blew it against the royal blues in the derby. On the one hand his individual contributions, what we have seen from the German international has been unbelievable this season. Near the end of the season he even started to pull away as the main frontrunner for the player of the season in my opinion. He’s established himself this season as the superstar he has become. In very critical games, a different points this season. He stepped up and delivered. There’s no coincidence that he’s been involved in the team of the season so often. He’s carried dortmund through a title race. While there are other contributing pieces to that. He was the vocal point of what Dortmund has done this season. Dortmund remained in the title race until the very end. Jude Bellingham has a fantastic midfield partner with Julian Brandt. No doubt about it. However, the decision to operate through Julian Brandt is why the title went down to the wire he is the cornerstone in the centerpiece of Dortmund. Everything that Dortmund does operates through Julian Brandt. He has been the best player in the Bundesliga. He is the first player in the team of the season and he is displayed excellence. He signed a new contract with Dortmund a month ago. They have built this entire thing around him because he is simply the most important piece to Dortmund in every conceivable way. On an individual level absolutely no one has been as influential and important. He is maintained his consistency he’s been one of the best players in recent times what he has done this season without Haaland just exemplifies his performances and contributions.

Central Midfield: Manu Koné, Gladbach

The vast majority of this Bundesliga team of the season is very self-explanatory at least to me. The majority of the Bundesliga fans are going to have a very similar selections. However, Central midfield is a completely different obstacle. This one is extremely difficult to decipher. I found it incredibly difficult to make a decision because the candidates for Central midfield all have had truly spectacular seasons. Only one of them can make it into this midfield. Someone’s going to be left out. I’ve had the majority of my team of the season set in stone for the last few months. However, the one that I found difficult to budge on is Central midfield. Gladbach’s Koné Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham and Bayern’s Joshua Kimmich. All three of them with a case to be included. Each individual here has had the spectacular campaign. However, there’s only one spot. As much as Jude Bellingham and Joshua kimmich was impressive this season. Koné became impossible to ignore. There are plenty that will consider this controversial. However, As you dig deep as close as may have been, it is the correct choice in my eyes. Among the three possibilities here. Koné has been far and away the most consistent over the 34 games. Gladbach did manage to finish in the top 10 but it has not been a very rewarding season for them. They’ve been humiliated on several occasions and once again have floundered under the expectations. They have some quality players but its felt as if its been Koné by himself. Ultimately, the level of consistency that he has displayed is unmatched. He is one of the best Defensive midfielders in the Bundesliga. In fact, he’s one of the up and coming players at that position in Europe. He is only trending upwards. The reason he makes this team ahead of the other two is because of consistency and impact. Not only has he been incredibly invaluable to a gladbach midfield that has at times come to the aid of a somewhat shaky defense. His best performances of the season have been against the best teams. Both of his displays against Bayern Munich were truly sensational. He is operated at a high level from the start of the season to the end. His defensive capabilities winning tackles along with his positioning and his awareness has made him such a sensation this season. He isn’t the most exciting player to watch. His traits aren’t sexy. Yet he is as consistent as any midfielder in the league. He gives you grits, toughness and intelligence. He can run a game from holding midfield and had he been surrounded by more talented players, his performance is this season will be more highlighted. He’s tough. He’s tactical He’s an underrated passer but his best asset perhaps is taking possession off of the opponent and maintaining it with great ball control and always finds the right thing to do with excellent decision making. He’s smart and he understands his role and embraces it. He’s not trying to score goals. If it happens, it happens he doesn’t have flashy stats but he has huge importances team and always stands out. It was a very difficult decision to make between the three
KONÉ When it comes down to it, the more you think about it is impossible to leave out.

Left Midfielder: Dominik Szoboszlai, RB Leipzig

The Hungarians stock is rising in Leipzig. Dominik Szoboszlai had a very productive debut season this season He took that next step forward. Quickly establishing himself as one of the best young players in the Bundesliga. Leipzig went through somewhat of a transitional season again. A relatively slow start to the campaign found themselves outside of the title race for essentially the entire season. Champions League even at one point seemed out of reach. However, when Marco Rose came in, Leipzig became a much bigger factor. They very quickly started climbing the table and eventually found themselves back into the Champions League picture. As we know now, Leipzig secured a top three finish this season. As they return to the Champions League for the fifth season in a row. Nkunku had another brilliant season as he says goodbye to German football. However, the Hungarian stepped up in a big way. The French international went through some injuries this season Leipzig needed someone to step up and keep things going. Dominik Szoboszlai was exactly that. Six goals and eight assists this season. As he continues to grow and develop into one of the leagues Most exciting players. The Hungarian international has been a breath of fresh air in Leipzig. Leipzig is top heavy with a lot of extraordinarily talented attacking pieces. He has been the forefront of that this season and if we’re being truly honest with ourselves he had a better campaign than Nkunku He stepped up throughout this season. Especially as they were ascending back into form. There’s a sense that he is just warming up. He is one of the best players in the Bundesliga and has shown that repeatedly this season. There’s countless individual performances in which he has delivered exactly what Leipzig needed in that moment. A capable goal scorer but it also well capable of supplying the ball into the box. We have seen his versatility on a full display this campaign and he deserves the credit he’s received this season. He is one of the players that is most responsible for Leipzig fighting their way back into the Champions, League picture and finishing in the top three. Nkunku will be gone next season which will put a lot of responsibility and pressure on the Hungarian. He has been one of the most reliable players on Leipzig. In difficult moments He stepped up and is becoming a superstar before our eyes. He took a huge leap this season and we can expect him to take an even bigger leap next season. He is in that conversation for young player of the year and he genuinely deserves it he has been a factor throughout.

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