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In a world where everyone takes a shot at rating players after matches, nobody does it quite as well as Kicker. Lucky for us, the magazine has taken the time to rate the goalkeepers, centerbacks, and fullbacks in the Bundesliga. The players are rated solely on how they performed in league matches during the Hinrunde.
Yes, that means big "names" that have performed poorly (We're looking at you, BVB.) aren't given the benefit of the doubt.
Goalkeepers
As expected, Manuel Neuer is the highest ranked goalkeeper in the Bundesliga and the only one labeled "World Class". We've covered Neuer's exploits throughout the Hinrunde, and it's quite obvious that he has no equal in the Bundesliga. In fact, Bayern's number one is in a elite class of "one" worldwide.
Here is the complete goalkeeper ranking.
| World Class | Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich) |
| International Class | Ralf Fährmann (Schalke), Yann Sommer (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Ron-Robert Zieler (Hannover) |
| Bundesliga Class | Bernd Leno (Bayer Leverkusen), Diego Benaglio (Wolfsburg), Roman Bürki (Freiburg), Loris Karius(Mainz), Felix Wiedwald (Eintracht Frankfurt) |
| Honorable Mention | Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim), Jaroslav Drobny (Hamburg), Marwin Hitz (Augsburg), Timo Horn (Köln), Thomas Kraft (Hertha Berlin), Lukas Kruse (Paderborn), Roman Weidenfeller (Borussia Dortmund. |
Centerbacks
Kicker has decided that, like goalkeepers, there is only one "World Class" centerback in the Bundesliga, and his name is Jerome Boateng. Now that his elite performances are consistently happening, he's separated himself from the rest of the centerbacks in the league.
Mehdi Benatia and Dante were both given "Honorable Mention" rankings for their Hinrunde efforts.
Here is the complete centerback ranking.
| World Class | Jerome Boateng (Bayern Munich) |
| International Class | Naldo (Wolfsburg), Martin Stranz (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Sokratis (Borussia Dortmund) |
| Bundesliga Class | Nicklas Süle (Hoffenheim), Omer Toprak (Bayer Leverkusen), Benedikt Höwedes (Schalke), Tony Jantschke (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Emir Spahic (Bayer Leverkusen), Uwe Hünemeier (Paderborn), Kevin Wimmer (Köln) |
| Honorable Mention | Mehdi Benatia (Bayern Munich), Emin Bicakcic (Hoffenheim), Niko Bungert (Mainz), Dante (Bayern Munich), Marc-Oliver Kempft (Freiburg), Ragnar Klavan (Augsburg), Robin Knoche (Wolfsburg), Dominic March (Köln), Tobias Strobl (Hoffenheim), Heiko Westermann (Hamburg) |
Fullbacks
This is where it gets interesting. Kicker doesn't believe that any fullback merited "World Class" designation for their Hinrunde performance, and only one is even classified in the "International Class". That ranking, of course, goes to FC Bayern's David Alaba.
Both Juan Bernat and Rafinha find themselves in the "Bundesliga Class", just one rung beneath Alaba.
Here is the complete fullback ranking.
| World Class | None |
| International Class | David Alaba (Bayern Munich) |
| Bundesliga Class | Ricardo Rodriguez (Wolfsburg), Alvaro Dominguez (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Juan Bernat (Bayern Munich), Paul Verhaegh (Augsburg), Rafinha (Bayern Munich), Atsuto Uchida (Schalke), Pawel Olkowski (Köln) |
| Honorable Mention | Abdul Rahman Baba (Augsburg), Andreas Beck (Hoffenheim), Christian Günter (Freiburg), Tin Jedvaj (Bayer Leverkusen), Lukasz Piszczek (Borussia Dortmund), Jens Wemmer (Paderborn), Oscar Wendt (Borussia Mönchengladbach) |
What are your thoughts on the rankings? Agree? Disagree?