Bundesliga Team Of The Week | Matchday 1 2021/22

GK, Yann Sommer (Borussia Mönchengladbach): Robert Lewandowski did manage to score once in Bayern Munich’s 1-1 draw with Gladbach, but he would have had a hat-trick had it not been for Sommer. The Swiss international remains one of the most consistent and reliable goalkeepers in the Bundesliga.

RB, Kevin Mbabu (Wolfsburg): Wolfsburg’s victory over 10-man Bochum was harder than it should have been, but they got the job done. On the right side of the back four, Mbabu provided another all-action performance as he helped his side to victory.

LB: Borna Sosa (Stuttgart): Stuttgart’s preparations were thrown into chaos for a number of reasons, but they remained far too good for Greuther Fürth on Saturday. Sosa, who provided 10 Bundesliga assists last season, created three goals here during his side’s 5-1 victory. No wonder Germany were desperate to nationalise him earlier this year.

CB, Moussa Niakhaté (Mainz): It is a minor miracle that Mainz picked up all three points against Leipzig despite being without 10 squad members due to an internal coronavirus outbreak. Fortunately, Niakhaté was available and, not only was he a colossus at the heart of Bo Svensson’s back four, he netted the only goal of the game. After a wonderful Ruckründe last season, this result shows Mainz mean business once more.

CB, Marc Oliver Kempf (Stuttgart): While Stuttgart did concede against newly-promoted Fürth, it is impossible to omit Kempf from this team given he twice found the back of the net. His three clearances indicate he played an important role at the back, too.

CM, Florian Kainz (Köln): Kainz had a nightmare last season as he missed seven months of the campaign due to knee surgery. He appears to have put that behind him, though, and his brace was crucial for Köln against Hertha as the Billy Goats came from behind to win 3-1.

CM, Florian Neuhaus (Borussia Mönchengladbach): At 24 years of age, Neuhaus has been tipped as a future Bayern stalwart, and it is not hard to see why. New Gladbach boss Adi Hütter – and indeed Julian Nagelsmann on the opposite bench – will have been impressed with the midfielder’s composed performance against the Bundesliga champions.

AM, Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund): Dortmund are well-known for their youthful talents, and it is Reus’ job, along with one or two others, to lead by example and show what is required. He did exactly that during Die Schwarzgelben’s 5-2 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt, scoring one and picking up two assists.

RW, Moussa Diaby (Bayer Leverkusen): The departure of Leon Bailey means Diaby has an even bigger role to play for Die Werkself this term. Against Union Berlin, he rose to the challenge, netting his side’s equaliser and proving to be a real attacking threat for Leverkusen throughout the 90 minutes.

ST, Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund): Haaland kicked off his campaign with a hat-trick in the DFB Pokal last weekend, and he picked up another two in Dortmund’s hammering of Frankfurt. Not only that, he managed three assists, showing his all-round game continues to improve. As long as the Norwegian is in this form, Dortmund have the ability to mount a real title challenge.

LW, Andrej Kramaric (Hoffenheim): Die Kraichgauer may have had a quiet transfer window in terms of new arrivals, but they have so far pulled off one of the deals of the summer in holding on to Kramaric. While the Croatia international did not get himself on to the scoresheet, he created three of his side’s four goals in a 4-0 rout of Augsburg. Few teams in the Bundesliga are as reliant on one player as Hoffenheim are on Kramaric, but he has already proven he can shoulder that burden.

Jon Radcliffe

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