Bundesliga 2012-13: Jefferson's Top Eleven
Six Bayern players made it into DW sports writer Jefferson Chase's top eleven. Tell us whether you agree with his selection english@dw.de
Trapp trumps competition
Germany has a lot of excellent goalkeepers, so it’s quite an achievement for Kevin Trapp to make our best-of list. The 23-year-old’s many stupendous saves were a main reason Frankfurt did so well this season. After Trapp went out injured, Eintracht were lucky to finish in the top six.
Alaba makes big breakthrough
The 20-year old left back can no longer be described as a promising young player. Over the course of the season, he established himself as a regular in the best Bundesliga team in history. His thrusts forward created nightmares for opposing defenses.
Dante puts the fun back in Munich
When central defender Dante moved to Bavaria from Möchengladbach last summer, most people expected him to be a squad player, but after Holger Badstuber went out with a knee injury, the good-humored Brazilian quickly became the anchor for Bayern’s record-setting defense. He’s gotten a call-up to the Selecao.
Ginter takes Freiburg to next level
The main reason Freiburg will be playing in the Europa League next season is their defense, which was third-best in Germany. And the man in the middle for the Southern Germans during their run-in was Matthias Ginter, who’s only 19. Dortmund reportedly now have an eye on the prodigious youngster.
Lahm rules on the right
Philipp Lahm has been so good for so long it's easy to take him for granted. This season he was back at his absolute best – the right-winger racked up an amazing 11 assists. Often criticized as being too nice to win, Lahm also personified Bayern’s take-no-prisoners ruthlessness when it came to the Bundesliga.
Schweinsteiger shines in the middle
He was the rudder on the team that racked up 91 points in one season, so there’s no way we could leave Bastian Schweinsteiger out of our Bundesliga top XI. Like Philipp Lahm, Schweinsteiger clearly set out to show his critics that he is indeed a winner. His resurgence bodes well for the German national team.
Gündogan gets going again
After spending his first season in Dortmund finding his feet, Ilkay Gündogan lived up to his potential in 2012-13, also in the national squad. He was the midfielder no one wanted to be marked by and easily staved off competition from 2010-11 MVP and prodigal son Nuri Sahin. What a recovery for a player considered a bust!
Ribery rips up the league
On the left wing is the consensus choice among pundits for the 2012-13 most valuable player. It was next to impossible to stop Franck Ribery this season. The mercurial Frenchman hit opponents for ten goals and fifteen assists and was by far and away the top rated player by kicker magazine. Chapeau!
Müller shows no mercy
Bayern’s Thomas Müller is arguably the most versatile athlete in the Bundesliga, capable of playing any position, including goalkeeper! But he’s at his best in the central offensive midfield right behind the center forward. That’s where he spent most of this season. The result: 13 goals and 13 assists.
Reus makes a successful return
Completing our midfield on the right wing is Marco Reus. It was difficult taking him over his soon-to-be ex-teammate Mario Götze, but Reus gets the nod because he had to adjust to moving back to Dortmund, his boyhood club, at the start of the season. 14 goals and 9 assists aren’t too shabby, and he’s not leaving for Munich either.
Kiessling finally gets some respect
Stefan Kiessling is probably never going get a shot for Germany, but he can say he gave it his all. His league-leading 25 goals and 10 assists were a major reason why Leverkusen cruised to third place and to a Champions League spot. That gives him the edge over Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowski.