Team of Week 27: Artistic Wirtz, commanding De Ligt, Haidara, Skhiri excel

BUNDESLIGA Team of Week 27: Artistic Wirtz, commanding De Ligt, Haidara, Skhiri excel

Seye Omidiora 11:30 - 10.04.2023

Following every round of Bundesliga fixtures, Pulse Sports presents the most impressive performers of the matchday.

Bayern and Borussia Dortmund are still neck-and-neck in the Bundesliga, with both teams picking up victories over the weekend.

With round 27 done and dusted, we highlight some of the best displays.

Pulse Sports Bundesliga Team of Week 27

Goalkeeper

Jiri Pavlenka (Werder Bremen)

In a game that saw four goals scored in the final 10 minutes (including second-half stoppage time), Pavlenka made no less than eight saves for Bremen.

The shot-stopper conceding twice in the 2-2 draw should not diminish a praiseworthy showing for the visitors at Mainz.

Defenders

Silvan Widmer (Mainz)

The wide defender must have thought he set up the game’s winning goal after assisting Ludovic Ajorque in the 85th minute, but it was not to be as Bremen twice fought back from a goal down to draw 2-2.

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Widmer fashioned four chances altogether, with two falling into the clear-cut chance category.

Interestingly, this weekend’s assist was the wide defender’s first of the season.

Julian Chabot (Koln)

Apart from his assist for Ellyes Skhiri’s goal, Chabot seldom lost his duels in the 3-1 win at Augsburg, winning 11 of 12 altogether, with his aerial dominance especially striking.

In possession, the 25-year-old centre-back sent passes into the attacking areas when necessary, while he was not shy to clear the ball from danger when the situation called for that approach.

Matthijs de Ligt (Bayern Munich)

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Thomas Tuchel’s team could have surrendered top spot a week after regaining it, but De Ligt’s goal six minutes after the restart saw the Bavarians seal a 1-0 success at Freiburg.

The Dutchman may have had mixed results in his duels, but his recovery of loose balls and positive inclination in possession were commendable.

Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund)

Guerreiro got his 11th assist in this year’s Bundesliga after setting up Donyell Malen to open the scoring in the eventual 2-1 win over Union Berlin.

The Portugal international created two big chances, played 10 passes into the final third and made crucial interventions intermittently as BVB returned to winning ways.

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Midfielders

Ellyes Skhiri (Koln)

The Tunisian opened the scoring for Koln after seven minutes and produced a good showing in the 3-1 triumph at Augsburg.

Skhiri could have had an assist after fashioning a great chance, but he did admirably with his defensive shifts in the success.

Amadou Haidara (RB Leipzig)

Haidara scored somewhat fortunately for Leipzig against Hertha Berlin at the weekend, with Mohamed Simakan’s presence disrupting Oliver Christensen in the Hertha goal.

It was timely of the midfielder to score only his second goal of the season, as it allowed RBL to move back into the Champions League positions after leapfrogging Freiburg.

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Kingsley Schindler (Koln)

The wide attacker had an impressive showing for Koln in their victory over Augsburg, setting up Eric Martel to double the visitors’ lead for his first goal contribution in 2022-23.

Schindler always wanted to put the ball in the positive, attacking areas and was ready to put in the hard yards without possession.

Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)

Two assists for Wirtz in Leverkusen’s 3-1 success over Eintracht Frankfurt took the 19-year-old to six for the season, and the attacker, who returned from a cruciate ligament rupture this year, is making up for the lost time.

The teenager created five chances, more than anyone on the pitch, completed the game’s most dribbles (four)and won more duels than anyone in the victory.

Alassane Plea (Borussia Monchengladbach)

Plea played confidently in Gladbach’s 2-0 success over Wolfsburg, setting up Marcus Thuram for his ninth assist of 2022-23.

The 30-year-old’s showing helped Daniel Farke’s 10th-placed side close the gap on their opponents in ninth to four points with seven games to play.

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Forward

Marcus Thuram (Borussia Monchengladbach)

Plea’s Gladbach teammate was in fine form at the weekend, scoring and assisting in the win against Nico Kovac’s men to take his Bundesliga tally to 13 goals in 26 appearances.

Only Bremen’s Nuclas Fullkrug (16) has scored more than Thuram, whose return is more admirable when you consider none have been from 12 yards.

That might be to his detriment in the golden boot race, but the Frenchman’s showing at the weekend outdid most of the frontmen he is competing against to end as Bundesliga's top scorer.

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