The Bundesliga has been a very fun league to follow so far this season, despite FC Bayern already running away with the title race.
We have seen a lot happening so far: coaching changes after just two matchdays, a historic start to the season by Harry Kane, a very tight midfield battle, and multiple teams battling for qualification to the UEFA Champions League.
In this article, I would like to shift the narrative a bit and not look at the obvious and big stories, but rather highlight three players who have played a very good season so far, but have not gotten the media coverage they deserve.
Leopold Querfeld is a young centre-back for Union Berlin who has surprised everyone this season by being one of the leagues best pure defenders.
Wouter Burger has joined TSG Hoffenheim from Stoke City in the Championship and instantly made the transition from second-tier relegation battle to being one of the best midfielders in the Bundesliga.
Christoph Baumgartner is in his third season after an expensive transfer from Hoffenheim to RB Leipzig.
While his first two seasons were somewhat disappointing, the attacking midfielder has taken the Bundesliga by storm in the first 15 games of the season.
So, in this Bundesliga player analysis and scout report, we will take a look at these three players: what abilities make them special, how they help their team win games, and what to expect from them in the second half of the season.
Leopold Querfeld Scout Report 2025/2026: Aerial Dominance
We are going to start at the back and move forward from there; therefore, Leopold Querfeld will be the first player we will take an in-depth look at in this piece.
The Austrian centre-back is playing his second season in the Bundesliga after joining Union Berlin from his boyhood club Rapid Wien in the summer of 2024 for a measly €3m, and now has really found his stride this season.
Querfeld has played every single minute possible so far this season and has been the backbone of a very decent Union defence under Steffen Baumgart.
What separates Querfeld most from his peers is his strength and aerial ability.
The 22-year-old is incredibly robust in every single duel he takes; he uses his body well, is very obnoxious to play against, wins pretty much every infight, and, in general, can be described as a very traditional centre-back.
His aerial ability is a genuine weapon, and we will take a look at it now.
In this situation, the opposing goalkeeper was forced into a long ball, which is the main objective for Union when pressing high.
Querfeld quickly realises the situation and steps up, following the striker into the area where the ball will come down.
No
