The European Leagues & Competitions Thread V2

[Vesper 27,283]

Raphael Honigstein’s Bundesliga Team of the Year

https://theathletic.com/1768666/2020/04/27/bundesliga-team-of-the-year/

Nobody knows how, when and if the rest of the season will play out but few would disagree that the individual quality in the Bundesliga has rarely been higher in recent years.

Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Monchengladbach (who are unlucky not to represented in this Team of the Year) could have easily provided three or four different top XIs. These, in a 3-4-3 formation, are the men who won my vote…

---

Goalkeeper:  Peter Gulacsi (Leipzig)

The 29-year-old did have a couple of dodgy moments in the first half of the season but then quickly improved again to provide silent, stoic excellence between the posts. The Hungary international looks more and more like prime Petr Cech (2004-2008), and not just in terms of his receding hairline. Gulacsi specialises in the unspectacular, keeping goal in a calm, technical manner that isn’t always appreciated fully in a country that likes its No 1s big and brash.

The Hereford United, Tranmere Rovers and Hull City old boy has put up some impressive numbers. His shot save percentage* of 73 per cent is identical to Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich) and Yann Sommer (Borussia Monchengladbach) but he’s vastly over-performed compared with his Bayern counterpart, conceding 3.6 fewer goals than expected (Neuer’s metric was flat). Sommer has proved even more able (or luckier), conceding 6.1 fewer goals than expected, but the Switzerland No 1 is not as proficient as Gulasci when it comes to cutting out crosses or making interventions outside the box.

Other qualities are harder to quantify but no less important. Gulacsi is the oldest of Leipzig’s regulars, less than three years younger than coach Julian Nagelsmann; a beacon of experience. And crucially, he’s shown up when it matters. Thanks to him, Leipzig have drawn home and away with Bayern this season and advanced to the quarter-finals of the Champions League.

*includes shots blocked by defenders. All stats from fbref.com

Right centre-back: Edmond Tapsoba (Leverkusen)

Can you be in the Team of the Year having played a grand total of nine games in the league concerned? Yes, you can — when you’ve played them as well as the Burkina Faso centre-back has. Tapsoba, an €18 million (plus €2 million in add-ons) buy on January 31 from Portugal’s Vitoria Guimaraes, has astonished everyone at Leverkusen with the pace of his adaptation and the quality of performances.

It only took the 21-year-old four training sessions to find a starting berth in the 4-3 win against Borussia Dortmund, the start of nine-game unbeaten run in all competitions (eight of them wins) for Leverkusen. Peter Bosz’s side, so easy on the eye in possession, have suddenly learned how to defend. It’s not much of an exaggeration to call Tapsoba’s impact on their fortunes Virgil van Dijk-esque. “It’s extraordinary to see a player getting used to a new culture, a new country, a new language, a new playing philosophy and new team-mates this quickly,” says Bosz.

Leicester City were unlucky to miss out on him because of problems with a work permit. But the way things are going, he’ll turn up at a Premier League club before too long.

Centre-back: Dayot Upamecano (Leipzig)

Few people watch football to marvel at central defenders but Dayotchanculle Oswald Upamecano, born in Normandy three months after France won the 1998 World Cup, is one of these rare players who shift the focus of attention from those tasked with scoring to those tasked with denying them.

Upamecano is a mountain. No, a mountain range. Immovable. Unsurpassable. A truly magnificent sight. Unbelievably, he’s rather slender and not even that tall for defender but every one of his 186 centimetres (6ft 1in) seems to be in multiple places at the same time. Here. There. Everywhere it matters.

By his standards, there has been the odd less-than-amazing performance since the turn of the year, when the €10 million buy from Valenciennes’s academy (via Leipzig’s Austrian Mini-Me that is Red Bull Salzburg) came back from an ankle injury, but there simply isn’t a defender that’s more fun to watch in the league right now.

Left centre-back: Mats Hummels (Dortmund)

The former Germany international — as Joachim Low would no doubt introduce him — has been somewhat overshadowed by this season’s more illustrious additions at Dortmund: Erling Haaland, Thorgan Hazard, Julian Brandt. But few could deny Hummels’ second spell at Signal Iduna Park has been success so far.

The 31-year-old has had a few outstanding performances, especially in the Champions League. He’s helped a notoriously shaky back-line improve markedly when it comes to defending set-pieces and crosses and his passing out from the back remains delightfully insolent. On top of that, he’s struck up a fine partnership with Dan-Axel Zagadou, who makes up for Hummels’ vulnerabilities in defensive transition.

Time might be against him as far as changing Low’s mind for what is now Euro 2021 is concerned but there’s still no better, more gifted and cultured German defender out there.

Right midfield: Achraf Hakimi (Dortmund)

Decent full-backs are hard to come by. It’s harder, still, to find players who can do a fine job on either side of defence and even play as wingers if need be. That’s why the Morocco international, on loan from Real Madrid, has half a dozen of clubs queuing up to take him off the Spaniards’ hands in the summer — if they can’t offer him first time football next season and do want to sell.

They’d be crazy do so, however. The 21-year-old is ridiculously fast. He loves to join the attack on overlaps or underlaps, provides assist with thrilling regularity (10 in 37 games this season in all competitions) and scores himself, too. Seven goals speak of his ability in front of goal.

A perfectionist coach such as Dortmund’s Lucien Favre would have noted a few positional mistakes without the ball but more experience at this level will lead to better decision-making.

Central midfield: Kai Havertz (Leverkusen)

The crown prince of German football had a relatively undistinguished first half of the season. Leverkusen on the whole struggled to find balance — there was no Tapsoba then, remember — and Havertz looked short of inspiration without his best football buddy Brandt, gone to Dortmund, beside him.

But normal service has resumed since January. The 20-year-old floats through space, dragonfly-style, drifts past defenders with the shrug of a shoulder, sees the killer pass three seconds before anyone else and then plays it, deliciously soft and perfect like freshly-spun cotton candy.

Havertz is a dream of a player, capable of playing anywhere in midfield. COVID-19 might make it more complicated for Leverkusen to sell for the €100 million he’s surely worth, “But such a thing is not meant to last,” as Monica Bellucci’s character Persephone had it in The Matrix movies. Not at Leverkusen, at any case.

Central midfield: Thiago (Bayern)

Almost every Bayern player has bounced back to play at the upper limit of his abilities since Niko Kovac was replaced by Hansi Flick in early November. Thiago, however, warrants special recognition as the gold-plated heart of the champions’ game.

The Spain international, 29, plays midfield football at a different level to anyone else in the Bundesliga. Not everyone has clocked onto it yet but this is now his team; perhaps more so than ever before.

Left midfield: Alphonso Davies (Bayern)

Goalimpact, devised by German engineer Jorg Seidel, is an algorithm for scouting players. In early 2018, Goalimpact predicted that Davies, a 17-year-old then playing for Major League Soccer’s Vancouver Whitecaps, would be a world-beater. It’s unclear whether Bayern were convinced by that verdict when they bought the Ghanaian-born son of Liberian refugees for $22 million that summer, but Davies has certainly exceeded all expectations.

In the space of five months, he has gone from fringe player with a habit of overhitting his crosses to the first-choice left-back, deputising so well for David Alaba that the Austrian might never return to his usual berth. “His development has been great,” coach Flick said.

Davies, the fastest player in Bayern’s squad, has grown so quickly he must be considered not just the best left-back in the Bundesliga but a one of the most effective players in his position world-wide. It’s a bit of a football fairytale, and it’s only the beginning — he recently signed a contract extension keeping him in Munich until 2025.

Right forward: Jadon Sancho (Dortmund)

You might have heard of this kid: he’s the youngest player in Bundesliga history to get to 25 goals. Look a little deeper into his numbers, however, and his impact looks even more phenomenal this season. Whenever Sancho touches the ball, things tend to happen, whether that’s his 17 all-competition goals for Dortmund this season, the 19 assists or chances for team-mates.

Sancho creates nearly five shots on goal per match for his team, and his combined expected goals and expected assists are 0.71 per league game, according to fbref.com. He is his club’s biggest difference maker, the man who may even win them the championship this season. No wonder Favre can’t afford to leave him out of the starting line-up — unless minor indiscretions like late arrival for training warrant a symbolic slap on the wrist.

Opposition defenders have figured out his “tell”: Sancho always raises his right arm before dribbling. Unfortunately, there’s not much they can do about it. The England international is too tricky, too fast. One of the league’s biggest attractions in years.

Striker: Roberto Lewandowski (Bayern)

Thirty-nine goals in 33 club games in all competitions. Do I need to say more? Even by his own standards, the Polish centre-forward has gone to a different level this season, scoring relentlessly.

There is no doubt that he’s vastly benefited from the return of Bayern’s positional game under Flick, especially its steady supply of passes and supporting players into the box. Anyone who saw him toil fruitlessly 50 metres ahead of his team-mates in the depressing Champions League round of 16 exit against Liverpool last season appreciates the importance of a joined-up game plan for any poacher.

But you still need to be in the right place, as often as he is. Having missed the last three games because of a knee injury, the Bundesliga’s COVID-19-enforced break may see him wrestle with an immortal soon. Gerd Muller holds the Bundesliga record with 40 goals in a season from 1971-72. Lewandowski has 25 with nine games to go…

Left forward: Timo Werner (Leipzig)

As an RB player and a forward who likes to, ahem, exaggerate the odd contact by a defender, Werner hasn’t exactly been the most popular player in the German top flight. A few inconsistent spells over the years have only encouraged his detractors. In this campaign, however, the 24-year-old has performed beyond reproach. There’s the superlative end-product (21 goals and seven assists in the Bundesliga) and there’s also the underlying effectiveness. Fbref.com have calculated a value of 0.99 for xG plus xA per match for him. In English: he’s basically worth one goal per game to his side. An elite forward.

Some of the credit for Werner’s form must go to coach Nagelsmann, who has come up with lop-sided 4-4-2 or 3-5-2/3-4-3 systems that leaves room for the former Stuttgart prodigy as a number nine-and-a-half/second-striker in the left half-space. That deployment has brought out the best in him. A bit of anger in his belly could have played a role as well: Werner was upset that Bayern never followed through their approach last summer to find an agreement with RB. The champions’ loss is Leipzig’s gain. Soon, it could be someone else’s.

[NikkiCFC 7,566]

HAHAHAHAHA! What is the point of sport then?

[NikkiCFC 7,566]

BATE is playing now. Where is @Vesper with her streams? 

[Vesper 27,283]

24 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

BATE is playing now. Where is @Vesper with her streams? 

I have no streams for that

[NikkiCFC 7,566]

14 minutes ago, Vesper said:

I have no streams for that

I know, I was joking. I am not interested in Belarus league lol

[Vesper 27,283]

17 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

I know, I was joking. I am not interested in Belarus league lol

well, if it was on, I would probably watch it!   lolol

ABS

Always

Be

Scouting

[MoroccanBlue 5,194]

Just had a 45 minute argument with some daft Barca fan that thinks they were just as much unfairly done as we were in our 2009 clash. 
 

Im mentally exhausted. 

[Tomo 21,681]

1 minute ago, MoroccanBlue said:

Just had a 45 minute argument with some daft Barca fan that thinks they were just as much unfairly done as we were in our 2009 clash. 
 

Im mentally exhausted. 

How does that even work as they went onto win it? Only way they could possibly have anything disguising an argument would be if they lost in Rome and Abidal's replacement had a mare.

[MoroccanBlue 5,194]

27 minutes ago, Tomo said:

How does that even work as they went onto win it? Only way they could possibly have anything disguising an argument would be if they lost in Rome and Abidal's replacement had a mare.

Ballack should of been sent off the 1st leg 

Penalty on Henry the 1st leg 

Ballack hitting Iniesta 1st leg 

Drogba hitting Pique 2nd leg 

Abigail wrongfully went off 

[Laylabelle 9,292]

That game still annoys..penalties aside..one shot on target..93rd minute and bam through they went.

[Jase 43,479]

THE BUNDESLIGA RETURNS NEXT SATURDAY, ON MAY 16!!! 

[Fernando 6,375]

4 minutes ago, Jason said:

THE BUNDESLIGA RETURNS NEXT SATURDAY, ON MAY 16!!! 

Crazy but hey what can be done. 

I don't know if the players are back to match fit. So should be crazy games like we see in the PL when season starts as teams are not match fit yet. 

[MoroccanBlue 5,194]

14 hours ago, Laylabelle said:

That game still annoys..penalties aside..one shot on target..93rd minute and bam through they went.

Drogba missed loads of chances too

[NikkiCFC 7,566]

6 hours ago, Jason said:

THE BUNDESLIGA RETURNS NEXT SATURDAY, ON MAY 16!!! 

This also means Bundesliga 20-21 will start regularly in August. Uefa plans CL for August also. So my question is if for example Willian moves to Bayern will he play for us or for them in Last 16 game? Because he is out of contract, I can not see how clubs can keep their players after June 30th.

[Jase 43,479]

59 minutes ago, NikkiCFC said:

This also means Bundesliga 20-21 will start regularly in August. Uefa plans CL for August also. So my question is if for example Willian moves to Bayern will he play for us or for them in Last 16 game? Because he is out of contract, I can not see how clubs can keep their players after June 30th.

Based on what we know so far, I would guess he can't since the Champions League season would still be the 2019/20 edition as opposed to 2020/21. It's like how Ziyech can't play for us on July 1 and beyond yet if/when the Premier League season resumes.

[Fulham Broadway 16,386]

Still fucking fuming over this, 11 years on. REFALONA 

 

[Laylabelle 9,292]

 

 

2 hours ago, Fulham Broadway said:

Still fucking fuming over this, 11 years on. REFALONA 

 

Still dont get how none of them were given. Even if they missed least showed he wasnt blind!!! Though they did have 10 men for part and one poxy shot.. think that annoyed me more. I thought it was heading over. Nope!!! 

My one and only East Lower experience...being next to the Barcalona fans for that moment...

[Fulham Broadway 16,386]

1 hour ago, Laylabelle said:

My one and only East Lower experience...being next to the Barcalona fans for that moment...

Lol nightmare ! 

 

1 hour ago, Laylabelle said:

Still dont get how none of them were given.

Shameful corruption. Ovrebo said he had ''bad night''.

Hiddink said it was the worst refereeing he'd seen in his life -and then Boswinga and Didier getting five match bans by UEFAlona !!