The Highest-Graded Players in the Bundesliga So Far

Earlier this year, we were very excited to announce the expansion of our event data and player grade coverage to Europe’s top five leagues for the 2025/26 season. With the international break in full flow, it’s a good time to look at some of the highest-graded players in the Bundesliga this season.

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Passing Grade - Joshua Kimmich (97.2)

Much like in previous seasons, it has been the Joshua Kimmich show so far. His 97.2 Passing Grade ranks first across Europe’s top five leagues this season, as he continues to excel in both pressured (94.9) and unpressured passing (93.4).

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Kimmich has completed 63 line-breaking passes (2nd overall) and registered 28 passes into dangerous positions (6th). He has also created ten chances and recorded two “second assists” and two “third assists,” showing that he offers both control and end product.

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Kimmich has succeeded across all types of passing, completing 15/15 switch passes (1st), nine balls over the top (2nd), and eight through balls (9th).

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Challenge Grade - Danilho Doekhi (90.1)

Daniel Doekhi leads the Bundesliga with a 90.1 Challenge Grade, excelling in both Aerial Duels (86.8) and Defending Dribbles (90.8). The FC Union Berlin defender has won 26 of 41 aerial duels this season, with 21 of those graded above expectation. Three of those received +1.0 grades, including a vital headed clearance against Eintracht Frankfurt in the 99th minute.

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Doekhi’s dominance extends to defending dribbles, where he has won all five he has faced this season, each receiving a positive grade.

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Shooting Grade - Harry Kane (96.2)

Harry Kane has been at his dominant best recording a 96.2 Shooting Grade. An incredible 38.1% of his shots this season have been deemed “unsaveable” by the goalkeeper. To put that into perspective, the next-highest mark across Europe’s top five leagues from a player with 15 or more shots is 25% (Serhou Guirassy).

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Kane has converted 7 shots from half-chance positions into 5 shots on target and has registered 8 of 15 shots on target when pressured, showing that he not only excels in clear goalscoring situations but also tests goalkeepers from more difficult positions.

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Perhaps the most impressive statistic is this: only 14.3% of the time Kane has taken a shot in the Bundesliga this season have we judged there to be a better option. This level of decision-making ranks among the very best in Europe. For comparison, the average “better option percentage” (BO%) in the Premier League last season was 33.1%. Considering that elite strikers are expected to take most of their team’s shots, this makes Kane’s figure even more impressive.

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Ball Carry Grade - Castello Lukeba (82.3)

Castello Lukeba has been key for RB Leipzig in transition this season, with the 22-year-old often initiating attacks through his driving runs.

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Remarkably, of his 22 total ball carries, 18 have been successful, with 15 earning a positive grade (68.2%). Among players with 15 or more carries this season, the next-highest percentage of positively graded carries belongs to Luis Díaz (54.3%), highlighting Lukeba’s outstanding decision-making and execution.

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Lukeba has registered ten ball carries that break a line of defense, four more than the next-highest player in the Bundesliga and the third-most among all players in Europe’s top five leagues this season.

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