The Bundesliga is back after an international break, so here is our selection of the best Matchday 12 (MD12) options.
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GOALKEEPERS
MARK FLEKKEN (7.4m), MARIUS FUNK (1.0m)
The highest-scoring keeper over the last five matchdays (40 points) and overall this season (87 points), Freiburg’s Mark Flekken has a great defensive matchup against low-scoring Eintracht Frankfurt. Flekken is joint-second for saves made (43) and part of the best defence in the league, who have conceded just nine goals in 11 games. Frankfurt, on the other hand, have scored just 12 times and have really struggled of late, battling to a late win over Greuther Fürth on Matchday 11 (MD11).
Marius Funk should hold his place between the sticks and makes this team by virtue of being a starting 1.0 keeper, rather than being a good option. He’s managed -2 points across his last five starts for Fürth.
DEFENDERS
RAPHAEL GUERREIRO (14.6m), PAULO OTAVIO (10.6m), NIKO GIESSELMANN (4.7m), JOE SCALLY (2.9m), CHRISTIAN GUNTER (12.9m)
Raphael Guerreiro is back to full fitness and, as a result, back in the Scout Squad. The Portuguese wing-back has averaged nearly ten points per appearance in the Bundesliga this season, scoring three goals in six starts. The team need his goals more than ever with Erling Haaland still out injured and they host a Stuttgart side without a win on the road since Matchday 33 of last season.
Paulo Otavio has been one of the stars of Florian Kohfeldt’s short time in charge of Wolfsburg. He’s now picked up 21 points in just 114 minutes of football, looking dangerous against Augsburg last time out when grabbing an assist. Wolfsburg face Arminia Bielefeld, scorer of a league-lowest seven goals. Due to injuries elsewhere, centre-back Micky van der Ven (2.3m) also might start if you’d prefer a cheaper option.
Niko Giesselmann has been a mainstay of this squad and continues that role into MD12. Union host a Hertha Berlin side that can’t seem to get it right, whereas Union were unbeaten in 22 home league games before Bayern Munich came to town on Matchday 10 (MD10). Giesselmann has a goal and assist from his last two Bundesliga games and continues to be one of the best value options around.
Although selected for the USMNT over the international break, Gladbach’s Joe Scally didn’t make an appearance, so will be well-rested for the visit of last-placed Greuther Fürth. The hosts are coming into form, having only lost once in their last seven in all competitions. Scally, meanwhile, has 26 points from his last two home league games and is about to confront the team with the worst-ever Bundesliga record after 11 games. For 2.9m, he’s close to essential this week.
The game’s highest-scoring defender, Christian Günter, has seven double-digit hauls from the last nine games. As with Flekken, Freiburg’s fantastic defence are against a poor Frankfurt side. He has three Bundesliga assists and at least three points for passes-to-a-shot in his last nine games, highlighting his creative threat.
MIDFIELDERS
CHRISTOPHER NKUNKU (16.3m), JONAS HOFMANN (13.7m), THORGAN HAZARD (12.1m), LEON GORETZKA (15.3m), WOO-YEONG JEONG (5.1m)
Christopher Nkunku is playing out of his skin for RB Leipzig right now and looks set to start up front yet again for Jesse Marsch’s side for their trip to Hoffenheim. The Frenchman totalled 22 points against Dortmund in MD11 and hasn’t managed less than seven points in a game since Matchday 4 – finishing with over 20 on three occasions. Although Hoffenheim have won their last three at home and RBL are winless on the road this season, Nkunku will still have plenty of opportunities to get amongst the points.
Also in tremendous form is Jonas Hofmann. His last pair of home appearances have brought in 34 points and he starred for Germany over the international break. It can’t be overstated how poor Greuther Fürth are defensively and Hofmann will be one of Gladbach’s key men to exploit that.
Because of Raphael Guerreiro’s return, it should move Thorgan Hazard back up front, especially with Erling Haaland still injured. Thorgan scored whilst playing as a striker against Köln on MD10 and also got a recent brace against Ingolstadt in the Pokal. Dortmund have a great game against a Stuttgart side in disarray and Marco Rose has won his first six league games at home as Dortmund coach.
Leon Goretzka has finally started to come good on his underlying stats and will be helped by the absence of Joshua Kimmich. ‘Leon the Professional’ has scored in two of his last three league starts and racked up 19 points against Freiburg last time. Goretzka’s 28 shots this season puts him second amongst all midfielders, only behind Nkunku. Opponents Augsburg have conceded 20 goals from 11 games, so he should get plenty of opportunities.
Time for some more Freiburg love, as their top scorer Woo-Yeong Jeong has scored points consistently and has a great fixture this week. Given the lack of budget midfielders, Jeong is a safe pick from Christian Streich’s very well-organised Freiburg.
FORWARDS
ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI (19.4m), ALASSANE PLEA (13.6m), JONATHAN BURKARDT (7.2m)
The weekly mention of Robert Lewandowski. He has a prime, stand-alone fixture against Augsburg on Friday after bagging six goals during his last four league games – 13 in 11 overall. Incidentally, that’s four more than Augsburg have managed in total this season. Bayern have scored at least three goals in each of their last four away games and look dangerous. No player should be going without Lewandowski.
Alassane Plea hasn’t been in the best form for Gladbach but his MD10 goal and assist against Bochum showed what he can do. About to face the league’s poorest defence and seemingly guaranteed to start up top for Adi Hütter’s side whilst Breel Embolo is injured, this is a matter of fixture rather than form.
Finally, Jonathan Burkardt is in the form of his life. The Mainz striker has five goals and two assists in his last five appearances. He and strike partner Karim Onisiwo have taken the league by storm and host Köln, who have won just once in their last eight league games.
