Curtains closed on the 2019/2020 Bundesliga season with Bayern Munich claiming their eighth league title on the bounce, but the thrilling performances and results along the course of the season are still fresh in our memories.
Regardless of the past, everyone deserves a shot at redemption. Below, we look at the top five Bundesliga players who took that shot and have upped their game a notch, coming out of the shadows to steal the show.
Most Improved Bundesliga Players
4. Milot Rashica
Perhaps the only positives in a disappointing season for Werder Bremen, who faced serious relegation threats for the first time in 40 years, is young Kosovo international Milot Rashica.
After his break-out season last campaign, Bremen’s poor season has not hindered the 23-year-old, who picked right where he left off. With eight goals and five assists, he shouldered 30% of the club’s 42 league goals.
The winger’s ability to slip past opponents could be attributed to his stocky build and low centre of gravity, coupled with agility and pace which makes him a serious threat to any opposition.
His excellent form has not gone unnoticed as he’s caught the eyes of various top clubs across Europe, including Premier League winners Liverpool.
3. Christopher Nkunku
After graduating from the Paris Saint-Germain youth academy, Christopher Nkunku never broke into the first team. Though he’d make 78 appearances for the club, registering 11 goals and four assists, most of them were off the bench.
In 2019, he opted for a move to RB Leipzig for £13.5 million, bringing an end to a disappointing spell in the French capital.
Since his summer switch to Leipzig, the midfielder has turned on the style in Germany. Playing in the heart of the midfield, he operates with a certain level of confidence and elegance, constantly gliding through the opponent’s midfield.
Nkunku’s eye for setting up goals was evident in their 5-0 thrashing of Schalke 04 in February, where he broke the record for most assist in a single Bundesliga game, providing four assists in less than an hour.
The 22-year-old France international has been directly involved in 18 goals in 21 starts in the Bundesliga, finishing third on the assist chart with 13 assists.
2. Thomas Muller
Thomas Muller has, over the years, been criticized for losing his goal-scoring threat. This season, however, the Bayern Munich veteran has found new heights to his game with his scintillating creative touch.
En route to winning the league title with the Bavarians this season, Muller smashed the Bundesliga assist record with his 21 assists.
1. Florian Niederlechner
From playing in the sixth tier of German football to becoming one of the top scorers in the Bundesliga this season, Florian Niederlechner has risen through the ranks. Following a switch from Freiburg to Augsburg in 2019, the 29-year-old is experiencing a late bloom.
Arguably the most improved player this season, his sixth sense of being in the right place at the right time and making excellent runs makes him pivotal for his side. With a goal every 210 minutes, the German is joint-fifth top-scorer in the league with 13 goals, his best top-flight tally.
The deep-lying forward’s ability to not only score but create chances has also gone up a notch. He is in the top ten in the league for big chances created with 13 goals and six assists, four more than in any of his previous Bundesliga campaigns.
In December, he assisted three of Augsburg’s four goals and won the penalty leading the fourth in their 4-2 win at Hoffenheim.
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