We have almost reached the end of the Bundesliga season, and unlike the recent campaigns, the title race is going all the way to the death. Bayern Munich may have made a shift into pole position over the past month or so, but the six-time defending champions only lead Borussia Dortmund by two points with three games remaining.
RB Leipzig have joined the top two in Champions League qualification for next season, but the battle for fourth is fierce. Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Monchengladbach, Bayer Leverkusen, Hoffenheim and Wolfsburg are all within a five-point stretch, and one side will miss out on European football altogether.
The season may be almost up, but with so much to play for the performances have been delivered by some of the Bundesliga’s finest this past month. A shortlist will be drawn up for the Player of the Month and be put a public vote, with the winner also receiving a boosted POTM card on FIFA Ultimate Team. This can only be unlocked for your Ultimate Team by going through the various Squad Building Challenges (SBCs), making the MOTM cards incredibly lucrative.RealSport looks at who could be Bundesliga Player of the Month on Ultimate Team.
Ishak Belfodil (OVR 76 – POTM 87)
The first half of the season was dominated by Borussia Dortmund with Marco Reus (three) and Jadon Sancho (one) sharing the first four MOTM awards, but since the turn of the year we have three players from three different clubs, and it looks that could be four in a row thanks to Hoffenheim’s Ishak Belfodil. The striker netted five goals in April thanks to a hat trick against Augsburg (4-0) and a brace versus Schalke (5-2) as well as chipping in with two assists.
Belfodil’s 76 overall could improve considerably to an 87 POTM rating, with his base card priced at 450 coins on PlayStation 4 and 550 on Xbox One in Ultimate Team. A 77 Champions League item costs 600 on PS4 and 700 on Xbox One, with an 81 in-form from TOTW 30 worth 15,000 on PS4 and 16,000 on Xbox One.
Jean-Phillipe Mateta (OVR 71 – POTM 85)
Mainz may find themselves in mid-table obscurity, but they had an eventful month with two wins and two losses. Jean-Phillipe Mateta matched Belfodil’s efforts by scoring five over the month, with a hat trick coming against Freiburg (5-0) and a brace in the 3-1 win over Fortuna Dusseldorf.
Mateta’s 71 overall would increase dramatically to 85 if he is named the Player of the Month, with the forward’s base card worth 85 coins on PS4 and 1,000 on Xbox One. A 78 in-form from TOTW 30 costs 13,000 on PS4 and 13,500 on Xbox One.
Kai Havertz (OVR 81 – POTM 90)
The biggest home-grown talent in the Bundesliga, Kai Havertz is flexing his muscles for Bayer Leverkusen. The 19-year-old scored four goals in April as Leverkusen bounced back from three straight losses to win three on the bounce and keep their top four hopes alive. Havertz bagged two against RB Leipzig (2-4) before one each against Stuttgart (1-0) and Augsburg (4-1).
Havertz’s 81 overall rating should improve to 90 if he is named Player of the Month, and his position would also move from attacking midfield to right wing. His base card is worth 700 coins on both consoles with an 84 Europa League TOTGS priced at 23,500 on PS4 and 21,000 on Xbox One. An 86 in-form from TOTW 15 costs 78,000 on PS4 and 73,000 on Xbox One whilst his 90 Future Stars item will set you back 400,000 on PS4 and 385,000 on Xbox One.
Timo Werner (OVR 84 – POTM 92)
Timo Werner could be a popular choice in the public vote due to his electrifying pace (93) and the likelihood of his rating if he is selected. RB Leipzig had a fantastic month with four victories guaranteeing them Champions League football for next season, and they have striker Timo Werner to thank. The forward scored and assisted against Bayer Leverkusen (4-2) as well as strikes against Wolfsburg (2-0) and Freiburg (2-1) to take his tally to 15 for the season, but the question remains whether he will be at the club after the summer.
Werner’s 84 overall should improve to 92 if he claims the prize, with his base card valued at 3,800 coins on PS4 and 3,600 on Xbox One. An 88 third in-form item will set you back 169,000 on PS4 and 165,000 on Xbox One, and an 89 Headliner card is priced at 360,000 on PS4 and 340,000 on Xbox One.
Serge Gnabry (OVR 82 – POTM 89)
Bayern Munich have the run-in their hands, with three victories all that separates them from a seventh consecutive Bundesliga title. Serge Gnabry was the star in April, with three goals and two assists bringing FCB to within touching distance of the title. The big one was a 5-0 win over Borussia Dortmund to take them top, with Gnabry bagging a goal and an assist before repeating the trick in a 4-1 win over Fortuna Dusseldorf. The club may have missed the chance to go four points clear after drawing 1-1 win Nurnberg, but another Gnabry goal ensured they took a point.
An 82 overall for Gnabry could rise to an 89 POTM card, with his base rating costing 1,300 coins on PS4 and 2,000 on Xbox One. An 83 Champions League item costs 7,100 on PS4 and 6,700 on Xbox One and an 84 RM in-form from TOTW 12 is worth 62,000 on PS4 and 54,000 on Xbox One.