Florian Grillitsch wins 2023 Bundesliga Goal of the Year!
Florian Grillitsch’s stunning strike from the halfway line for Hoffenheim against Cologne has been voted by fans as the Bundesliga’s Goal of the Year for 2023.
Out of a total of 997 goals scored in the Bundesliga in the 2023 calendar year, bundesliga.com picked out 15 of the very best and put it to you - the fans - to select the Goal of the Year.
You voted in your thousands across the Bundesliga's website, app, social channels and on YouTube - and there was one clear winner in Grillitsch.
A total of 13,929 of you chose the Hoffenheim man's finish from inside his own half against Cologne on Matchday 4 of the 2023/24 season, curling the ball inside the right-hand post of the unguarded net on the bounce.
You can watch the goal in all its glory and enjoy it from all angles in the video above.
The midfielder faced stiff competition among the other 14 contenders, including a similar strike from halfway by Harry Kane. That finish in Bayern Munich's 8-0 hammering of Darmstadt earlier this campaign - one of three Kane contenders since coming to Germany in August - came second in your votes with 10,323.
Third place went to Xavi Simons' September curler for RB Leipzig with 9,970 votes.
You can watch all 15 strikes again in the video below and also read more about each contender once more.
Goal 1: Harry Kane
Kane scored a hat-trick in Bayern's comfortable 8-0 win over Darmstadt, but the pick of the bunch - and possibly the season? - came from a distance of almost 60 yards (54.8m). That is right - Kane scored from within his own half!
Goal 2: Marco Reus
Fans of direct free-kicks, cast your votes now! Marco Reus underlined his reputation as a set-piece specialist with this effort over the Hertha Berlin wall and into the top right-hand corner.
Goal 3: Xavi Simons
Before Kane started to dominate the Goal of the Month category, winning from October to December, Xavi struck one of the sweetest goals of the season in September, to put Leipzig on their way to victory in the capital. He placed it like a postage stamp in the top right-hand corner, kissing the underside of the crossbar on its way into the Goal of the Year reckoning.
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Goal 4: Matthijs de Ligt
Who said he is a defender? Dutchman de Ligt delivered one of the strikes of the season with a venomous effort from outside the area against Freiburg in April.
Leroy Sané did the dirty work to tee up Kane for another of his Goal of the Year contenders, this curled in from just inside the box after turning on a pfennig in the win over Heidenheim in November.
Goal 6: Alejandro Grimaldo
Another superlative set-piece strike, this time from Bayer Leverkusen's Alejandro Grimaldo to stun the Allianz Arena in September as Die Werkself snatched a draw.
Goal 7: Nico Schlotterbeck
Another defender-by-trade hitting a goal any striker on the planet would be proud of, with Schlotterbeck's rocket helping Dortmund beat Union in October.
Goal 8: Kingsley Coman
Just don't claim it was a cross... Coman curled in a right-wing effort which flew into the far corner of the Freiburg goal in October.
Goal 9: Florian Wirtz
Some of the Freiburg defenders are still complaining of dizziness after being led a merry dance by Florian Wirtz in October.
Goal 10: Joshua Kimmich
If Joshua Kimmich is within 30 yards of your goal, watch out. He pulled the trigger from that distance against Cologne to rescue a draw in January when Bayern needed something extra special to avoid defeat.
Goal 11: Florian Grillitsch
Harry who? Bayern's No9 was not the only player to score from within is own half in 2023. In fact, he probably took inspiration from Florian Grillitsch's strike for Hoffenheim against Cologne.
Goal 12: Harry Kane III
Another Goal of the Year contender from Kane, this one curled in against Wolfsburg from just outside the penalty area. Actually, does he ever score from inside the box?
Goal 13: Benjamin Pavard
A drop-kick? volley? Or was Pavard just looking to emulate the Bundesliga logo? Whatever it was, the Frenchman's goal against Augsburg in March takes some beating.
Goal 14: Jan-Niklas Beste
There is a clue in his name... Heidenheim's Beste thread the needle for the club's first ever Bundesliga goal in September. It was well worth the wait.
Goal 15: Jamal Musiala
Only Musiala can see gaps between legs that nobody else can, and thread the ball through them as he did against Cologne in May - a goal which earned Bayern the title, no less!
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