2024/25 Player of the Season so far: Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala go head-to-head in final
Who is the player of the season so far? It comes down to two of the best young stars in the Bundesliga, Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala. Before you cast your final vote, take a look over their numbers so far in 2024/25...
Musiala or Wirtz? Vote now for your Player of the Season so far!
Musiala battled his way past Alexander Nübel and Jamie Gittens in the voting on his way to the final, even knocking out the red-hot Omar Marmoush in the process. The Bayern Munich star made it to the final with around two-thirds of the user votes.
Which is where he will meet his formidable opponent in the form of Bayer Leverkusen star Wirtz. Musiala's national team counter-part had little trouble breezing past a series of Bayern stars including Heidenheim loanee Paul Wanner, Michael Olise and top scorer Harry Kane as well. In the semi-finals, Wirtz was a little closer than Musiala at 62 percent.
Now, what will decide the final vote between these two super talents?
Watch: The best of Musiala and Wirtz
Musiala: Now the complete forward?
Musiala is the Bundesliga's most dangerous midfielder in front of goal. In 13 league appearances, he has ammassed an impressive 43 shots on goal, the fourth-best tally across the league. Behind Kane, he is the one Bayern player who has had the best quality of scoring chances (7.2 Expected Goals), from which he has finished nine goals — matching his personal best at this point in the season. This makes Musiala, of course, one of the Bundesliga's top 10 finishers.
Musiala scores the Goal of the Year for 2024
This season, Musiala has discovered hidden qualities somewhat unexpectedly — out of a total of 12 goals in competitive matches for Bayern and the Germany national team, he has scored five with his head. In the Bundesliga alone, he has scored two headers.
Musiala stands out from the rest thanks to his superb technique, supreme ball control and devastating dribbling. His game intelligence is exceptional — he’s creative, strong with both feet in front of goal, and shows a good instinct for the right runs, time and again. He is Bayern's most active player when it comes to engaging in duels (25 per 90 minutes), winning a strong 51 percent for an attacking player. With 16 one-twos — the second-most in the league — he loves to leave his opponents dizzy.
Watch: All of Musiala's goals and assists so far in 2024/25
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Wirtz: The creative influence from all angles
Wirtz is not easy to keep quiet. Leverkusen's superstar has picked up where he left off from last season, frequently played in his usual number 10 role, directing and managing the Werkself's attack on the pitch.
His seven goals this term, including three in the last three matches, are the second-best tally within the team, with only striker Patrik Schick surpassing him with his four-goal performance — three of those assists provided by Wirtz — on Matchday 15. It was an incredible performance by the youngster against Freiburg, with four direct goal contributions and a penalty won (though he missed it himself).
Wirtz: The return of the majestic number 10
Overall, Wirtz has scored seven goals, provided seven assists, accumulating 14 goal contributions in this first half of the season — the best tally at Leverkusen, and surpassed only by the goalscoring prowess of Kane and Marmoush, both of whom were eliminated in the semi-final vote. Whilst Musiala has scored the most goals, Wirtz has the most goal contributions of any midfielder in the Bundesliga.
In addition to his running efforts, with the second-most sprints (463) and the most intense runs (1227) at Leverkusen, Wirtz is also strong in his duels. He has been involved in the third-most challenges in the league (338) and won a solid 53 percent of them.
However, what has particularly stood out for Wirtz this season is his newly discovered crossing ability: five of his high deliveries have led to a Leverkusen goal, the best tally in the Bundesliga — Wirtz is now the king of crosses.
With 44 shots and 36 shot assists, he has been involved in the second-most shots of any player, only Marmoush has done more. This naturally makes him a top-10 initiator. His brilliant ideas and a certain playfulness also help him — Wirtz has managed to nutmeg his opponents 15 times, more than anyone else.
Watch: The best of Wirtz in 2024/25
All these numbers from Musiala and Wirtz only serve to justify their place in the final of the voting? But who will emerge as the Bundesliga player of the season so far?
Who will win the race? Vote now for Musiala or Wirtz
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