The Bundesliga returns! Remembering the in-form players pre-lockdown

 

We are only four days out from the return of the Bundesliga and it's starting to feel very real again that we could finally see some live football. The last few months have been devastating all around the world following the deadly coronavirus outbreak but there are signs in certain countries of life returning back to some sort of normality.

 

The various governing bodies in Europe have applied some degree on pressure for the major leagues to complete the 2019/20 campaigns where possible and the Bundesliga is the first to try and do so, starting on Saturday. It's been more than two months since the last Bundesliga fixture was carried out and there is genuine intrigue to see how teams and players come back after such an unprecedented break.

 

As we revealed last week, some teams were flying before the break and others, like Schalke were not. Did the break come at the wrong time for some but was welcomed by others? What about the players? Which players were at the peak of their powers before football was suspended? We assess the top-10 using our unqiue form guide.

 

10. Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich) - 7.53 form rating

Next Opponent: vs Union Berlin (A)

 

After a fairly underwhelming first half of the season by Bayern Munich's high standards, they really clicked into top gear in 2020, dropping only two points in eight matches. Alphonso Davies has been one of their surprise packages this season, emerging as a star performer for the club at left-back despite being a winger. Davies has provided four assists in the league this season and two came in his final six appearances before the break. The Canadian youngster also averaged 2.8 dribbles per game in that period, as well as 3 tackles and interceptions combined per game.

 

9. Achraf Hakimi (Borussia Dortmund) - 7.54 form rating

Next Opponent: Schalke (H)

 

What the two-month break has triggered is plenty of transfer speculation and a lot has been said about Borussia Dortmund's 21-year-old loan signing Achraf Hakimi. Will he or won't he return to Real Madrid for next season? The Morocco international has been a revelation for Dortmund in 2019/20, reaching 10 assists in the Bundesliga from full-back thanks to his powerful runs to the byline. Four of those have come in his last six league appearances and he even scored his first Bundesliga goal since October in Dortmund's final game before the break. His four assists came from just six key passes in that time.

 

 

8. Mark Uth (FC Koln) - 7.55 form rating

Next Opponent: Mainz 05 (H)

 

FC Koln were one of the teams in the best form in the Bundesliga prior to the league being suspended. Four wins from six elevated Koln to 10th and 10 points clear of the drop, with Mark Uth playing an integral part in their resurgence. The 28-year-old proved an inspired piece of January business with eight goals and assists in his first seven league appearances for the club. Across Koln's last six outings, Uth netted four times and provided three assists. His goal involvements helped earn Koln an additional three points.

 

7. Renato Steffen (Wolfsburg) - 7.57 form rating

Next Opponent: Augsburg (A)

 

After an extremely underwhelming start to the season, Renato Steffen found some form prior to the break and managed to work his way into the first-team picture on a regular basis for Wolfsburg. The 28-year-old scored three times in Wolfsburg's last six matches, including a brace in a 4-0 win at home to Mainz. He picked up his first WhoScored Man of the Match award of the season as a result. Steffen also claimed his first assist of the league campaign over that period.

 

6. Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund) - 7.65 form rating

Next Opponent: Schalke (H)

 

Borussia Dortmund now feel that Jadon Sancho could end up staying at the club for another year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and it would certainly be to their benefit, as the England international has developed into one of the best players in the world in the last 12 months. Sancho has been in frightening form all season, particularly in the lead up to the Bundesliga being suspended. The 20-year-old scored or assisted in each of Dortmund's last six matches, playing a direct hand in seven goals in that time (3 goals, 4 assists). He started that sequence of games with a season-best six completed dribbles against Union Berlin and averaged 2.2 key passes per game in that time.

 

5. Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich) - 7.67 form rating

Next Opponent: Union Berlin (A)

 

It didn't seem like Thomas Muller had a long-term future at Bayern Munich at the start of the season but that is exactly what he now has after extending his contract during the break. Muller has rediscovered his best form in 2019/20 and is now expected to see out his career at his boyhood club. The 30-year-old ranks joint top in Europe for most assists (16) for the campaign and four of those fell in his last six outings in the Bundesliga. He started his sequence of six matches with a goal and ended it in the same way before the league was stopped. Across his last six league appearances, he averaged 2.7 key passes per game.

 

The Bundesliga returns! Remembering the in-form players pre-lockdown

 

4. Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund) - 7.81 form rating

Next Opponent: Schalke (H)

 

With so much focus on the likes of Jadon Sancho, Achraf Hakimi and Erling Haaland at Borussia Dortmund it's easy to forget about some of the support case. In fact, left-back Raphael Guerreiro was actually the most in-form player at Dortmund prior to the break. The Portugal international hit season-best form across his last six league outings, helped by two goals and one assist. The 26-year-old registered a pass success rate well in excess of 90% in five of those six appearances and averaged 4.2 tackles and interceptions combined per game in that time. Guerreiro also succedded with 2.5 dribbles per game, proving decisive at both ends for Dortmund.

 

3. Thiago (Bayern Munich) - 7.96 form rating

Next Opponent: Union Berlin (A)

 

Any murmurs of Thiago's potential departure this summer were put to bed during the break, as the Spaniard followed in the footsteps of Thomas Muller to sign a new long-term deal with the club. Thiago was on the verge of entering the final 12 months of his previous terms but Bayern wisely sought to secure his best remaining years. The 29-year-old has been in sparkling form all season but played above his season average in his last six appearances. He scored once in that time and averaged 5.2 tackles and interceptions combined per game. Not only capable of retriving possession for Bayern, he helped drive them up the pitch with an average of 4 completed dribbles per game.

 

2. Kai Havertz (Bayer Leverkusen) - 7.98 form rating

Next Opponent: Werder Bremen (A)

 

Kai Havertz exploded into form at the turn of the year to make up for a seriously poor first half of the campaign. The 20-year-old is now back on the radars of Europe's elite clubs and Bayer Leverkusen should brace themselves for offers in the summer, particularly if the Germany international can pick up where he left off when the season resumes this weekend. Across Leverkusen's last six league matches, Havertz has two goals and three assists. He registered an assist in three straight league matches up until the league was stopped. Not only that, but Havertz averaged 2 key passes per game, 2.2 successful dribbles per game and 2.7 aerials won per game across those matches.

 

1. Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig) - 8.09 form rating

Next Opponent: Mainz 05 (A)

 

Christopher Nkunku was in and out of the first-team picture at RB Leipzig at the beginning of the campaign but was a regular by the time football was suspended. The former Paris Saint-Germain starlet has remarkably racked up 15 assists for the Bundesliga season and five of those fell in his last six outings. Nkunku picked up four assists in a single game in that period, the only player to manage the feat in one of Europe's top five leagues this season. As well as scoring in that run, Nkunku also averaged 4.7 key passes per game and 2.3 successful dribbles per game. The 22-year-old headed into the break as the most in form player in the Bundesliga.

The Bundesliga returns! Remembering the in-form players pre-lockdown