Bundesliga Team of the Week: Matchday 27
Borussia Dortmund's Michy Batshuayi was at it again on Matchday 27, joined in the Bundesliga Team of the Week by two of his team-mates and an inspired Ishak Belfodil. Check out our all-star XI in full below!
Goalkeeper
Ralf Fährmann (Schalke, 17 points)
For the second week running, the last line of the Royal Blues' defence was the toughest in the Bundesliga. Had it not been for Fährmann's penalty save from Paul Verhaegh – his ninth Bundesliga penalty save of his career – Schalke might not have celebrated their fifth straight win against Wolfsburg, and it was he who coach Domenico Tedesco raced to hug at the final whistle.
Watch: Tedesco delighted with Fährmann following Wolfsburg win
Defenders
Lukasz Piszczek (Borussia Dortmund, 20 points)
Seventeen Bundesliga appearances this season and still no defeat for Dortmund when Piszczek has been on the field. It is starting to get too much to be just a coincidence as the Pole put in another solid shift at the back, winning an awesome 20 tackles as the North Rhine-Westphalians managed another clean sheet and three more points at home to Hannover.
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Benjamin Hübner (Hoffenheim, 14 points)
Hoffenheim defender Hübner made a game-high 19 tackles in his side's dramatic 3-3 draw at Borussia Mönchengladbach, with his 13th-minute strike setting the tone for what was to come. His overall points tally would have been even better had he not picked up a yellow card for a late challenge on Thorgan Hazard, but Hübner nevertheless stars at the heart of defence.
Naldo (Schalke, 14 points)
Calls for Naldo to get on a plane to Russia this summer are only going to intensify following yet another exemplary performance from the veteran Royal Blues stopper. With 16 tackles won and one attempt on goal, he was once again lively at both ends of the field for Tedesco's side, who further cemented their place in the top four with a narrow victory at the Volkswagen Arena.
Midfielders
Andre Schürrle (Borussia Dortmund, 16 points)
Continuing to shine since Peter Stöger took charge of Dortmund, Schürrle's corner was converted by Batshuayi for the only goal of the game against Hannover. As well as having five attempts on goal himself, the Germany international also won 12 challenges and assisted eight of BVB's 27 attempts as the hosts cemented their place in the top four with a narrow victory.
Watch: Schürrle: Batshuayi strike "the perfect goal"
Naby Keita (RB Leipzig, 12 points)
With a goal and an assist in Leipzig's first ever victory over Bayern Munich, Keita was a worthy winner of this week's Man of the Matchday honour. The Guinean magician turned on the style against the runaway Bundesliga leaders, firing into the top corner to cancel out Sandro Wagner's opener before setting up Timo Werner with a perfectly weighted pass. Leipzig's 2-1 win also means Ralph Hasenhüttl's side have won all 11 league games in which Keita has scored.
Forwards
Florian Kainz (Werder Bremen, 12 points)
Kainz embodied Werder's renewed confidence in the Green-Whites' 3-1 win over Augsburg. The 25-year-old Austria international not only teed up Belfodil for the opening goal at the WWK Arena, he also won 12 of his attempted tackles to help Florian Kohfeldt's side climb to 12th in the standings - eight points clear of the Bundesliga's bottom three.
Ishak Belfodil (Werder Bremen, 25 points)
Up until Matchday 27, Bremen's Algerian forward had found the back of the net just once in 21 Bundesliga games. That changed dramatically at the WWK Arena on Saturday as he scored a brace and set up a third for Max Kruse in the northern giants' third win out of their last five games. Belfodil also had seven attempts at goal against Augsburg - more than any other player on the pitch.
Mario Gomez (Stuttgart, 18 points)
With two goals in Stuttgart's 2-1 win at Baden-Württemberg rivals Freiburg on Friday night, Gomez took his tally to six goals in 10 appearances for VfB, making him the Bundesliga's highest-scoring German in 2018. His brace not only strengthened his claim for a place in the Germany squad at the World Cup this summer but also gave the in-form Swabians hope they could qualify for Europe next season. Super Mario indeed!
Watch: Gomez on his Germany call-up
Michy Batshuayi (Borussia Dortmund, 15 points)
Batshuayi's goal proved the difference once again for Dortmund against Hannover, his audacious back-heeled finish at the near post from Schürrle's corner enough to earn the black-and-yellows all three points and extend BVB's unbeaten league run under Stöger to 12 matches. The Chelsea loanee has registered six goals and an assist in his first seven league outings – an outstanding start to 'Batsman's' Bundesliga career.