Ranking the Bundesliga's best goalkeepers and centre-backs of 2018
Kicker has ranked the best Bundesliga goalkeepers and centre-backs of the first half of 2018.
Every six months Kicker releases a ranking of the best players in the Bundesliga as well as the best German players abroad, dividing them into four categories: 'World Class', 'International Class', 'In the Wider Circle' and 'Field of Vision'.
Today, the German sports magazine has released the first part of the rankings based on the performances in the first half of 2018. So far, the Bundesliga's best goalkeepers and centre-backs have been named, ranked and divided into the four categories.
According to Kicker's evaluation, Borussia Mönchengladbach's Yann Sommer was the best keeper of the second half of the 2017/18 season while Bayern München's Mats Hummels was the best central defender.
Here are the rankings:
Goalkeepers:
World Class:
None.
International Class:
1. Yann Sommer, Borussia Mönchengladbach
2. Koen Casteels, Wolfsburg
3. Jiri Pavlenka, Werder Bremen
4. Sven Ulreich, Bayern München
In the Wider Circle:
5. Peter Gulacsi, RB Leipzig
6. Lukas Hradecky, Eintracht Frankfurt (now Bayer 04 Leverkusen)
7. Timo Horn, FC Köln
8. Ron-Robert Zieler, VfB Stuttgart
9. Bernd Leno, Bayer 04 Leverkusen (now Arsenal)
Field of vision (ranked alphabetically):
Oliver Baumann, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
Marvin Hitz, FC Augsburg (now Borussia Dortmund)
Centre-backs:¨
World Class:
None.
International Class:
1. Mats Hummels, Bayern München
2. Naldo, Schalke 04
3. Jerome Boateng, Bayern München
4. Salif Sané, Hannover 96 (now Schalke 04)
5. Jonathan Tah, Bayer 04 Leverkusen
6. Benjamin Pavard, VfB Stuttgart
7. Benjamin Hübner, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
8. Niklas Süle, Bayern München
In the Wider Circle:
9. Matthias Ginter, Borussia Mönchengladbach
10. Niklas Moisander, Werder Bremen
11. Kevin Vogt, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
12. Thilo Kehrer, Schalke 04
13. Abdou Diallo, Mainz (now Borussia Dortmund)
14. Manuel Akanji, Borussia Dortmund
15. Sven Bender, Bayer 04 Leverkusen
16. Jannik Vestergaard, Borussia Mönchengladbach (now Southampton)
17. Waldemar Anton, Hannover 96
18. Jeffrey Gouweleeuw, FC Augsburg
Field of Vision (ranked alphabetically):
David Abraham, Eintracht Frankfurt
Kevin Akpoguma, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
Makoto Hasebe, Eintracht Frankfurt
Martin Hinteregger, FC Augsburg
Matija Nastasic, Schalke 04
Karim Rekik, Hertha BSC
Ömer Toprak, Borussia Dortmund