The Bundesliga team of the season

The best Bundesliga season ever (don’t @ me) is quickly coming to an end. With Leverkusen having hoisted their first-ever Meisterschale earlier this month, the season is all but over for most teams in Germany’s top-flight, who have little to play for outside of Leipzig and Dortmund jockeying for the final Champions League spot with four games remaining.

So why not get our post-season awards underway a bit early, starting with the best 11 from the 2023-24 Bundesliga season? Shockingly, it’s not just Leverkusen players.

🧤 GK: Lukáš Hrádecký (Leverkusen) The 34-year-old Finn had the best season of his long career, leading the Bundesliga in clean sheets (14) and save percentage (78%). It’s not all just sitting behind the league’s best defense, either; Hrádecký has made countless impressive reflex saves this season.

💨 RB: Jeremie Frimpong (Leverkusen) The Dutchman’s bombing runs down the right flank were a terrifying sight for opponents, and were crucial in creating overloads in wide areas of the pitch for Leverkusen’s central playmakers to exploit. He’s second in the league in goal contributions as a defender with 15 (8G, 7A).

🧱 CB: Odilon Kossounou (Leverkusen) The 23-year-old has excelled in his duties starting on the right side of Xabi Alonso’s preferred three-man back line, and was perhaps the most reliable figure in a defense that has conceded only 20 goals this season. Kossounou bears all the characteristics of well-rounded, modern CB that make him an easy inclusion on this list, despite missing time for the AFCON with Cote d'Ivoire.

💪 CB: Maximilian Mittelstädt (Stuttgart) Told you it wasn’t only Leverkusen players who made the cut. Yes, Mittelstädt is a left back (who even plays left wing at times), but his performance this season has been too good to not warrant an inclusion in this team. With two goals and four assists, he’s played his way into regular minutes in a Stuttgart side that has vastly overachieved expectations this season.

😎 LB: Alejandro Grimaldo (Leverkusen) By far the easiest inclusion in this back line, the Portuguese has been a sensational addition to Leverkusen after signing for free from Benfica last summer. He leads the league in assists (13), and is first among defenders in goals (9) and average match rating per WhoScored? (7.66). Now that’s great business.

📈 CM: Xavi Simons (Leipzig) The Dutch phenom is developing into a world-class player before our eyes, notching his best-ever season with seven goals and ten assists while on loan from PSG. At just 21 years old, he has made himself indispensable for fourth-place Leipzig, starting every match but one (yellow card suspension) and playing the second-most minutes in the squad.

⚙️ CM: Granit Xhaka (Leverkusen) Sure, his stats (2G, 0A) aren’t the sexiest, but Xhaka has played an integral role in Die Werkself’s incredible run since signing from Arsenal in the offseason. The 31-year-old has played more minutes than anyone else in the squad, and his passion, work-rate, and willingness to do the dirty work have rubbed off on his younger teammates, who lacked a veteran presence to learn from before the Swiss’s arrival.

🚀 RM: Florian Wirtz (Leverkusen) Europe’s top clubs are fawning over Wirtz like Drake does underage girls, and for good reason. The German has been Leverkusen’s primary creative outlet this season, with 11 goals and 11 assists despite being only 21 years old. His consistency is especially remarkable at such a young age.

⚡ LM: Jamal Musiala (Bayern) If Wirtz isn’t the next big thing in the soccer world then it’s Musiala, who was third at the club in goal contributions (10G, 6A) despite being on a minutes restriction to protect his health. His out-of-this world technique and close ball control have earned him the highest of praise from the sport’s very best, and clubs like Man City are already knocking on Bayern’s door for his signature this summer.

🌪️ ST: Harry Kane (Bayern) Far and away the easiest inclusion in this team, Kane’s historic first season in the Bundesliga was overshadowed only by Leverkusen’s brilliance. The trophy curse may continue for the Englishman, but he proclaimed himself as the best striker in the world this season, shattering Bundesliga records with 33 goals in 30 games (1.1G per 90’) to lead an otherwise underwhelming Bayern to a likely second-place finish. He’ll need eight goals in the remaining four matches to tie Robert Lewandowski’s single-season record with 41. A tall task, but if anyone’s up for it, it’s Kane.

Dude is literally outproducing entire teams… 🤯 

🎯 ST: Serhou Guirassy (Stuttgart) If you find yourself saying “Where the fuck did this dude come from?” you’re not alone. The 28-year-old Guinean was a revelation for Stuttgart’s attack, scoring 25 goals in only 24 appearances at his first season with the club. If it wasn’t for Kane, Guirassy would be the leading scorer in Europe’s top five leagues – outproducing names like Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, and Lautaro Martínez with a fraction of the hype.