Following every round of Bundesliga fixtures, Pulse Sports presents the most impressive performers of the matchday.
Borussia Dortmund’s lead atop the Bundesliga lasted only one week as Bayern Munich supplanted BVB after gameweek 30.
Here are some of the best performers from the weekend.
Goalkeeper
Manuel Riemann (Bochum)
Riemann’s showing between the sticks was commendable even if relegation-threatened Bochum’s 1-1 draw with title-chasing Dortmund was marred by refereeing controversy.
The shot-stopper twice denied Jude Bellingham and thwarted Youssoufa Moukoko to prevent Edin Terzic’s side from going 2-1 up.
If Die Unabsteigbaren avoids relegation, Friday’s point would have been valuable.
Defenders
Lukas Kubler (Freiburg)
Freiburg secured a hard-fought 1-0 win over Koln to keep them third in the standings, level on points with Union Berlin and two clear of fifth-placed RB Leipzig.
Kubler had to put in an admirable defensive shift, making no less than four headed clearances (seven altogether), losing none of the three aerial duels contested in the success.
Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich)
While Kubler impressed with his application without possession, Pavard thrived at centre-back for what he did with the ball in the 2-0 success over Hertha Berlin.
The Bayern Munich man completed more passes (126) than anyone on the pitch, with eight of his nine long-range passes finding their intended target.
Pavard also won two of three tackles attempted and came out on top in six of seven duels.
Matthias Ginter (Freiburg)
Like Kubler, Ginter’s performance out of possession justifies his inclusion in Pulse Sports’ selection.
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Following every round of Bundesliga fixtures, Pulse Sports presents the most impressive performers of the matchday.
The German’s passing against Koln was understandably erratic, even if he gave an outstanding account of himself defensively: making 10 clearances (six-headed clearances), recovering possession 10 times and outing his body in the way of shots five times.
Ginter won five of seven duels in total.
Borna Sosa (Stuttgart)
How Sosa ended without an assist in Stuttgart’s 2-1 triumph over Borussia Monchengladbach despite fashioning seven chances was surprising.
However, the wide defender’s creativity and menace from set pieces saw the hosts retain their threat for most of the game.
The win means Sebastian Hoeness is still unbeaten in the Stuttgart dugout after five games, and they stay 15th in the table.
Midfielders
Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
A virtuoso showing from Kimmich against Hertha was one of the season’s best performances.
The midfield man created a staggering 11 chances and was directly involved in goals for Serge Gnabry and Kingsley Coman, picking out both players with through-balls over the defence.
Bayern returned to the top of the Bundesliga following Sunday’s comfortable victory.
Kevin Kampl (RB Leipzig)
Christopher Nkunku was the match-winner in RB Leipzig’s 1-0 success over Hoffenheim, but Kampl was arguably the game’s best player.
The midfielder should have registered an assist for Nkunku but the attacker’s goal-bound effort was blocked by Ozan Kabak.
Kampl completed 10 passes into the final third and won three of four duels as Leipzig stays two points behind fourth-placed Freiburg but closed the gap on Union, who could only draw at the weekend.
Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich)
Gnabry’s diving header sent Bayern 1-0 up when Bavarians were probably starting to think they would drop more points despite creating a glut of chances against Hertha.
The attacking midfielder’s run was spotted by Kimmich, whose subsequent 69th-minute header ended a two-month drought without a Bundesliga goal.
Rodrigo Zalazar (Schalke 04)
Second-bottom Schalke scored two goals in the final minutes to turn a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 win against Werder Bremen.
The winning goal was created by Zalazar, who picked out Dominick Drexler in the second minute of second-half stoppage time to secure the points in Gelsenkirchen.
It was the Uruguayan’s third assist of the season, but it did not take Schalke out of the relegation spots due to Bochum’s draw with Dortmund on Friday.
Strikers
Jonas Wind (Wolfsburg)
Wind scored twice from two attempts in Wolfsburg’s 3-0 triumph over Mainz as the hosts raced into an unassailable lead in the opening half-hour.
The striker’s second saw him divert Ridle Baku’s wayward shot into the net, confirming the victory that took the home side into seventh place after supplanting their opponents.
Wolfsburg are two points adrift of Bayer Leverkusen, who occupy the final European slot in the league.
Serhou Guirassy (Stuttgart)
Even though he did not complete the game, Guirassy gets full marks for his improvised finish to open the scoring in Stuttgart’s victory over Gladbach.
The Guinea international fashioned two chances before his withdrawal and won five of six ground duels in under 60 minutes.
Guirassy’s eighth Bundesliga goal helped to take Stuttgart outside the bottom three, with Bochum sliding into the relegation playoff position.