Football has been put on pause amid the Coronavirus pandemic but while we wait eagerly for its return, we can take stock of the season so far.
This is an opportunity to focus on some of the new players who have burst onto the scene this term.
Here, we list the Bundesliga’s five breakthrough stars of this season, only considering players who have made a maximum of 10 appearances in one of Europe’s top five leagues.
ALPHONSO DAVIES
An obvious place to start is with the ultimate breakthrough star this season – Alphonso Davies. As far as left-backs go, David Alaba was pretty close to perfection but Davies’ exceptional talent meant the Austrian was forced to move centrally to accommodate the youngster.
The Canadian has been competent defensively and devastating in attack, registering a league-high three dribbles per game. He also ranks fourth for progressive runs. Davies has made 21 league appearances this term and has become a mainstay in Bayern Munich’s back line.
Given the Canada international’s meteoric rise and with several other clubs interested in acquiring him, it’s no surprise that after only his first season in the senior team, the Bavarians have already handed Davies a new contract until 2025.
ISMAIL JAKOBS
Capable of playing at left-back, Ismail Jakobs has largely been used further forward as a winger during his first season in Paderborn’s senior side.
He began the campaign injured but has been a regular ever since his debut back in November, bagging two goals and an assist along the way. Of course, playing for the relegation favourites rooted to the bottom of the table in your maiden season can’t be easy but Jakobs has held his own and impressed under the circumstances.
With plenty of pace and power in his repertoire, the 20-year-old also offers a significant goal threat and could be even more dangerous in a better team. He’s predominantly left-footed but is comfortable enough on his weaker side to cut in and shoot.
CHRISTOPH BAUMGARTNER
Hoffenheim believe they have a real gem on their hands in Christoph Baumgartner and going by his first season in the senior set-up, they may be right.
In his first campaign with the U19 side, the attacking midfielder bagged nine goals and 15 assists which led to then manager Julian Nagelsmann handing him a Bundesliga debut at the end of last season.
This time around, the 20-year-old started the new season slowly under new boss Alfred Schreuder but has pushed on strongly since the turn of the year. In 2020, Baumgartner has scored three times and provided two assists in eight appearances.
The Austrian’s versatility is a bonus as he’s capable of playing in every position in the final third or even in central midfield but claims his preferred role is as a number 10. He’s technically gifted, intelligent and can dribble well. In terms of style and attributes, he shares many similarities with fellow Bundesliga youngster, Kai Havertz.
RUBEN VARGAS
Ruben Vargas has broken through with a bang. Having arrived from Swiss side Luzern – also where childhood hero and current team-mate Stephan Lichtsteiner began his career – Vargas scored on his debut for Augsburg at the start of the season.
He followed that up with a brace, albeit in a 3-2 defeat, at Werder Bremen in his second outing. Since then, he’s only added another goal and assist to his tally in 20 starts this season but remains a key component of Augsburg’s attack.
The diminutive winger has pace to burn which makes him particularly dangerous on the break while his low centre of gravity means he’s always capable of evading challenges. For now, he’s more raw potential than anything else but with regular game time, the 21-year-old will only increase his output going forward.
LUCA KILIAN
Like his team-mate Ismail Jakobs, Luca Kilian is one of the few positives to emerged from Paderborn’s doomed Bundesliga campaign.
Having come through the ranks at Borussia Dortmund, Kilian signed for the newly-promoted team last summer. After a spending the first few games on the bench, the centre-back established himself in the first team, playing every minute in the league during a run of 13 games before muscle injury sidelined him for the last seven.
Collectively, Paderborn have the second worst defence in the league but Kilian has been largely impressive. Without him, the team’s win rate drops from an already modest 23 per cent to eight per cent.
Kilian has completed 2.5 tackles per game this season, putting him third among centre-backs to play more than 10 games. Despite often playing in a defence that has its back against the wall, the 20-year-old is composed in possession and boasts a pass success rate of 89.5 per cent.
