In Focus: Bundesliga stars of the season so far

The Bundesliga has seen plenty of twists and turns with shock early contenders Union Berlin, Freiburg and Bayern Munich all trading places at the summit. 

Bayern once again lead the way, however — four points ahead of second-placed Freiburg, while RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt round off the top four spots. 

As the German top flight pauses to make room for the World Cup, LiveScore picks out the five best Bundesliga performers so far.

Randal Kolo Muani

Randal Kolo Muani is not your archetypal No9 — he prefers to drift across the front line or drop deep to receive the ball. 

He then uses his imposing physicality and quick feet to breeze past defenders and get into dangerous positions, where he has the composure to lay off a pass to his team-mates. 

No player in the Bundesliga has more assists than the Frankfurt forward (nine) — which have all come from open play. 

Kolo Muani's finishing ability also deserves credit, with the forward notching five league goals.

His performances have been rewarded by France boss Didier Deschamps, who has called him into the World Cup squad after Christopher Nkunku suffered a tournament-ending injury.

Jude Bellingham

Since joining Borussia Dortmund in July 2020, Jude Bellingham has excelled at every turn — and he has developed into one of the most sought-after midfielders in Europe. 

Ahead of BVB's match with Manchester City last month, Pep Guardiola spoke glowingly about Bellingham's mentality and ability as an all-round player. 

The City boss said: "Borussia Dortmund is the perfect place for young talent to come. Maybe if he went to a top Premier League club, he wouldn't have got the minutes. The best thing for young players is to play minutes. 

"It's not just about the quality, it's about how he was leading and kicking and going to the referee. This guy is something special and has the mentality. He already is one of the captains [at Dortmund]. The whole package is really good. 

"He's already in the national team for England at 19 years old, we know the quality he has."

Bellingham has already made his mark in Qatar as he rose to nod home England's first goal of the tournament in a masterful performance against Iran.

Jamal Musiala

Jamal Musiala has more goal contributions than any other player in Bundesliga this season (15), a testament to his sparkling form with league leaders Bayern. 

The 19-year-old is one of the most fluid dribblers of the ball, completing 22 take-ons so far — which ranks 10th in Bundesliga. 

In the box, he shows composure beyond his years to either finish himself or play a killer pass into a team-mate. 

As a result of his performances, the youngster has earned himself a well-deserved spot in Germany’s World Cup squad.

Mitchell Weiser

After dropping a division to join Werder Bremen last year for playing time, Mitchell Weiser is now proving his worth back in the German top flight.

The German wing-back has stepped up a level from last season's promotion-winning campaign, providing six assists and creating 11 big chances this term — more than any other Bundesliga player. 

In addition to his creativity, Weiser has been busy defensively, completing an impressive 42 tackles. 

Now that he is being given the minutes to flourish, he is finally starting to fulfil the potential he promised at the beginning of his career.

Vincenzo Grifo

Freiburg's set-piece specialist Vincenzo Grifo has carried his fine 2021-22 form into this year's Bundesliga campaign. 

The Italy international has already matched his league goal tally from last season (nine) and chipped in with two assists — helping his side climb to second in the league. 

Grifo enjoys cutting on to his right foot to either curl a shot past a goalkeeper or whip a cross into the path of a team-mate — and his quality makes Freiburg more dangerous from dead-ball situations.

They will be desperate for Grifo to continue his form in their pursuit of Champions League football — which they let slip from their grasp last term.