Lewandowski in, Haaland out: Bundesliga Team of the Season

Karan Tejwani

• Updated: 16 May 2022 12:13 BST
• 6 min read

Another Bundesliga season came to an end over the weekend, with Bayern Munich winning their 10th straight title, Borussia Dortmund finishing in second and Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig claiming the final two Champions League spots.

Elsewhere in the league, Freiburg, Union Berlin and Koln were pleasant surprises, while Stuttgart required some heroics on the final day to secure survival in the top-flight and Hertha Berlin proved that money alone doesn’t guarantee success as they head to a relegation play-off.

With that, here is the Bundesliga Team of the Season, after another enthralling campaign in Germany.

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Formation: 4-2-2-2

Gregor Kobel - Borussia Dortmund

The Swiss goalkeeper had a stellar debut season in the Borussia Dortmund net, and even though the team conceded 50 goals this season, Kobel was able to maintain his form and consistency throughout.

Of all the talent in the Dortmund squad, Kobel is the one fans would like to see staying at the club for a long time, and he has enjoyed two fine seasons in the Bundesliga, following on from the last campaign with Stuttgart.

Jeremie Frimpong - Bayer Leverkusen

The competition for this place was between Bayer Leverkusen’s Frimpong and Union Berlin’s Christopher Trimmel, and it’s the former who takes it.

The Dutch full-back’s contributions on both ends of the pitch has been vital to Leverkusen’s success this season – he’s bagged eight assists to back it, and it’s possible he moves abroad following an excellent season.

Nico Schlotterbeck - Freiburg

In his final season with Freiburg, Schlotterbeck helped the club to European football and earned a deserved move to Borussia Dortmund, where he will be playing Champions League football.

The 22-year-old has grown impressively over the last season, and even earned a place on Hansi Flick’s German national team, with a place on the World Cup squad looking possible.

Josko Gvardiol - RB Leipzig

Another player who only joined their club earlier this season, Croatian defender Gvardiol proved his quality this campaign as Leipzig found their way to the Champions League.

The 20-year-old showed maturity beyond his years, playing in two different positions at the back and forming a strong back-line with Willi Orban.

Christian Gunter - Freiburg

Another Freiburg player at the back, left-back Christian Gunter did well this season in his role, proving to be a threat down his side as the club challenged the league’s best.

The Freiburg captain scored twice and provided 10 assists over the course of the season, and it’s a great return for a player so important to the team’s set-up.

Ellyes Skhiri - Koln

A player playing for a fine Koln team, Skhiri made a huge name for himself this season in the defensive midfield role and contributed to the team’s solidity.

Having the ability to make a driving run forward and progressing the ball, Skhiri didn’t quite attract the same attention as his team-mates but he was still a crucial aspect of the side.

Jude Bellingham - Borussia Dortmund

The crown jewel in the Borussia Dortmund team following the departure of Erling Haaland, Bellingham had a brilliant second season in the Bundesliga.

With six goals and 13 assists across all competitions, Bellingham showed his maturity and even ended the season by saying he’s looking forward to staying at Dortmund for at least another year.

Thomas Muller - Bayern Munich

Surprisingly the first Bayern Munich player on this list, the club’s chief creator carried on his excellent assist record with 18 across the league season.

He also signed a new contract earlier in May, confirming his loyalty to his boyhood club and giving him the chance to add more silverware to a shiny CV.

— GOAL (@goal) May 8, 2022

Christopher Nkunku - RB Leipzig

Arguably the league’s best player this season, Nkunku had the year of his life with RB Leipzig, despite the club’s troubles early in the season.

A record of 20 goals and 15 assists made him one of the league’s finest, and he could wrap up the season with some silverware, should Leipzig beat Freiburg in the DFB Pokal final.

Patrik Schick - Bayer Leverkusen

Bayer Leverkusen’s primary goalscorer enjoyed a fine second season with the club, carrying on from his Euro 2020 performances as he helped the club return to the Champions League.

He scored 24 goals over the course of the season, only behind the magic of Robert Lewandowski, and there’s optimism he can carry that into next season as well.

Robert Lewandowski - Bayern Munich

Once again, Lewandowski was the league’s top scorer, and at one point, had the chance to break his own single-season scoring record that he set in the previous campaign.

A record of 35 league goals this season carried the club to another league title, but he admitted he hasn’t signed a contract extension – could that be his last?