Bundesliga Team of the Week: Matchday 5
Borussia Dortmund shone again, Hoffenheim left it late to record a memorable win and James Rodriguez stole the show for Bayern - but who made it into the Official Fantasy Bundesliga Team of the Week following an action-packed, midweek Matchday 5?
Goalkeeper
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Lukas Hradecky (Eintracht Frankfurt, 14pts)
Hradecky played a key role as Frankfurt equalled a club record by making it three consecutive away clean sheets on Matchday 5, beating Cologne 1-0 at the RheinEnergieStadion. The Finnish stopper's six saves were influential in his side's triumph, with only Borussia Dortmund's Roman Bürki (five) returning more shut-outs so far this term.
Defenders
Nico Elvedi (Borussia Mönchengladbach, 13 points)
Revitalised this season under Dieter Hecking, the Swiss full-back's four crosses were the most of any player on his team. One such centre led to Raffael's first goal, a crucial strike that unlocked a dogged Stuttgart rearguard in the 2-0 win at the Borussia-Park.
Ömer Toprak (Borussia Dortmund, 15 points)
Toprak underlined his growing influence at the heart of Dortmund's perfect defence by assisting a goal for the first time in black and yellow, creating Shinji Kagawa's opener in the 3-0 win in Hamburg. Elsewhere, the Turkey international had the highest percentage (85) of successful one-on-one duels.
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Dan-Axel Zagadou (Borussia Dortmund, 13 points)
Solid as a rock at the back, Zagadou continues to grow in stature in this Dortmund unit. The French defender, signed from Paris Saint-Germain this summer, has excelled out of position at left-back and is developing into a threat going forward, too: the 18-year-old twice fired in powerful shots.
Midfielders
Mathew Leckie (Hertha Berlin, 14 points)
Three games in Berlin, four goals: Hertha's Australian newboy is loving life in the capital. After opening the scoring with a stunner in the Old Lady's 2-1 win against Bayer Leverkusen, Leckie has now netted the first goal in every game at the Olympiastadion this term. Sitting joint-third in the scoring charts with four goals, the attacking midfielder has managed to pull in that haul from only nine shots. Sharpshooting indeed!
Watch: Leckie explains his Arjen Robben-esque opener on Matchday 5!
Nadiem Amiri (Hoffenheim, 15 points)
Told by coach Julian Nagelsmann earlier this season that he needed to up his game, Amiri has responded in style. Scored Hoffenheim's first goal at 2-0 down to bring his side back into contention before the break, a strike that inspired the dramatic late win at Mainz. Involved in five of his side's chances at the Opel Arena, the 20-year-old is suddenly on top of his game.
Lukas Rupp (Hoffenheim, 14 points)
If Amiri's filigree touch provides the silk in the Hoffenheim midfield, then Rupp's high-octane style provides the steel. The midfielder was everywhere in the win at Mainz, his 18 successful one-on-one duels the second-most on the field, and has also begun to contribute going forward: the assist for Wagner's equaliser was his first of the season.
James Rodriguez (Bayern Munich, 15 points)
The man who has turned every Colombian into a Bayern fan showed exactly what the hype is about with a regal display at Schalke. Involved in all three goals in the Bavarians' 3-0 win, James drew the penalty that Robert Lewandowski converted, scored himself (his first for the club) and then set up Arturo Vidal for the third. Possessing that rare attribute of making other players around him look better, James was also involved in seven of Bayern's 13 shots in Gelsenkirchen (two shots, five chances created).
Forwards
Yoshinori Muto (Mainz, 14 points)
Back to his best in front of goal, Muto scored Mainz's second in the eventual 3-2 defeat to Hoffenheim. That was the Japan international's second goal this term (both have come on home turf), while his all-round game underlined his importance to the 05ers: the 25-year-old sent in four shots and created a further four openings for his team-mates.
Sebastien Haller (Eintracht Frankfurt, 16 points)
The Frenchman's first Bundesliga goal proved decisive: Haller made it 1-0 from the spot just before half-time in Cologne, with Frankfurt holding on throughout the second half to take all three points. The summer signing put in a robust performance up top, showing promising signs in his link-up play with Kevin-Prince Boateng, but most satisfyingly for the Eagles is that they appear to have found a new penalty taker: before Haller's strike, Niko Kovac's side had missed four of six penalties.
Watch: Haller reflects on the relief of scoring his first Bundesliga goal
Raffael (Borussia Mönchenglabach, 14 points)
Another revitalised Gladbach star under Hecking, Raffael confirmed his return to form by scoring two goals in a game for the first time in over a year. The Brazilian was brilliant in the win against Stuttgart, involved in everything his side produced going forward and taking his chances – his first goals of the season – with aplomb. So influential to the Foals' recent success, a fit and firing Raffael is good news for those of a Gladbach persuasion.