Bundesliga team of the week - matchday 29
Six-point games and top-of-the-table upsets made matchday 29 a compelling round in the Bundesliga. Here is who DW thinks performed the best over the past weekend.
Goalkeeper: Bernd Leno
Leverkusen scored two great goals in their 2-0 win in the Rhineland derby, overshadowing a tremendous outing by Bernd Leno at the other end of the pitch. Cologne had several strong efforts on goal, but Leno swatted them all away to keep an impressive clean sheet.
Defender: Stefan Bell
Mainz's defense benefits greatly from the way Martin Schmidt sets up his team, but Bell was vital in keeping Mainz in the match against Wolfsburg. Andre Schürrle ran at him the whole game, but the defender stood strong. He also helped set up the equalizer as Mainz remained in the Champions League hunt.
Defender: Benjamin Hübner
Returning to action after a ban due to yellow cards, Hübner (bottom) was back at his best, helping to contain a Gladbach attack that had exploded for five goals a week earlier. He stopped the Foals from gathering momentum early in the first half, when as the last man back, he lunged to prevent André Hahn from walking in alone on goal.
Defender: David Alaba
Between Champions League legs, Bayern Munich were not at their best, but Alaba (right) put in a good showing against Stuttgart. He was played a big part in Bayern's domination of possession of the ball, and he made an incisive run to score the winning goal.
Midfielder: Shinji Kagawa
On a day when Thomas Tuchel rested a number of regulars ahead of Dortmund's second-leg against Liverpool, Shinji Kagawa was a strong, unchanged presence in their 2-2 draw with Schalke. He combined well with his young teammates, and his interplay with Moritz Leitner set up a fantastic opening goal.
Midfielder: Manuel Schmiedebach
Schmiedebach's performance against Hertha Berlin was one of the rare reasons that Hannover fans have had to celebrate this season. Not only did he help Hannover keep Hertha's attackers under control, but also scored one himself in the 2-2 draw.
Midfielder: Daniel Didavi
Stuttgart fell behind half an hour into this one, but Didavi did his best to keep them in the game. He attacked Bayern's defense in every way he could, making runs, getting on the end of set pieces, making things happen in the final third. He got his reward in the 63rd minute; when lying on the ground, he produced a lovely lob into the top corner.
Midfielder: Caiuby
Augsburg have given away leads a lot this season, but Caiuby made sure they came back in the club's six-pointer against Werder Bremen. Normally known as a shifty player, Caiuby won 13 balls in the air, and picked out Alfred Finnbogason for the equalizer in the second half.
Forward: Karim Bellarabi
The Leverkusen winger left the match after less than an hour, after picking up a knock against Cologne. However, Bellarabi (right) fueled Leverkusen's first-half success. He was the one making the dangerous runs behind the stingy Cologne defense, and provided the assists on Leverkusen's two goals.
Forward: Vedad Ibisevic
Hertha Berlin did not have a good night against Hannover, but Ibisevic (middle) did. He not only scored the opener, but also directed two dangerous volleys towards Hannover's goal. The Bosnian also sustained a facial fracture 15 minutes into the match, but played on despite his injury.
Forward: Andre Schürrle
He ran all over Real Madrid's defense in midweek, and seems not to have stopped running since. Schürrle took the game to Mainz, taking several dangerous shots before scoring the opening goal in the second half.