Bundesliga Top 11

Strikers

Most German fans may have liked Bayern's Miroslav Klose better when he was plying his trade for over-achievers Bremen. But he remains the league's premier striker (nine goals) and a team-oriented player (six assists). And with this summer's European Championship fast approaching, expect the German international to continuing using league matches to test his range.

Bochum's Stanislav Sestak faced a difficult task this season -- replacing last year's leading goal scorer Theofanis Gekas. And with eight goals and seven assists, he's passed that test with flying colors. The Slovakian has had few problems adjusting to the Bundesliga and is a main reason Bochum are spending the winter outside the relegation zone.

Honorable Mention: Luca Toni (Bayern Munich), Marko Pantelic (Hertha Berlin)

Midfield

Many Bundesliga sides seem to believe that games are won and lost in midfield, and heading the pack is Bremen's Brazilian playmaker Diego. With nine goals and seven assists, he's the league's most potent offensive threat. But what was even more impressive was how he led the team through a potentially disastrous rash of early injuries to a spot atop the table, tied on points with Bayern.

Rafael van der Vaart made negative headlines this summer with an attempt to force a transfer from Hamburg. But since he's backed off his demands for a move, he's led his side back into the top three, scoring nine goals in the process. The only problem for Hamburg is that there are now even more, bigger foreign clubs coveting the Dutchman's services.

With four goals and three assists, Bayern's Franck Ribery hasn't posted quite the numbers as his opposite numbers in Bremen and Hamburg. But the statistics in this case are deceptive since the role of this one-man highlight reel has been to break down defenses and leave his teammates to do the mopping up. And that's been crucial as the rest of Bayern's midfield has disappointed.

Newly promoted Karlsruhe are sitting pretty in sixth place this winter, and that's due in large measure to Tamas Hajnal. The Hungarian international has scored five goals and set up teammates with six assists while holding together a squad that has given much bigger opponents fits this season. Now many of those opponents are lining up the steal this expert poacher away from Karlsruhe next season.

With all this midfield firepower, we shouldn't neglect the important job of protecting the backline while moving the ball up-field. And Leverkusen's Simon Rolfes fits the bill to a tee. The German soccer magazine kicker rates him as the league's most effective player, and he's featured in all but three minutes of his side's Bundesliga matches. He's also been excellent in the UEFA Cup, notching up one goal and four assists in the tournament.

Honorable mention: David Jarolim (Hamburg), Sergei Barbarez (Leverkusen), Daniel Jensen (Bremen)

Defense

Bayern have far and away the stingiest defense of the league, having only conceded eight goals in 17 games. And the anchor of their back-line has been oft-ignored Martin Demichelis. Expected to be a substitute, the Argentine has established himself in Munich's starting 11 and has only picked up two yellow cards.

Schalke have had an up-and-down year, but their solid work at the back has put them -- albeit just barely -- in the top five. Marcelo Bordon has set the bone-crunching tone. He was also instrumental in getting the Royal Blues into the knock-out stage of the Champions League for the first time in club history.

With 13 goals conceded, Hamburg have the league's second best defense. And Joris Mathijsen has been part of that bulwark for every single minute of his club's campaigns in both the Bundesliga and the UEFA Cup. The Dutchman's consistency has been crucial in preserving a number of narrow Hamburg wins.

Honorable mention: Per Mertesacker (Bremen), Mario Eggimann (Karlsruhe), Andreas Wolf (Nuremberg)

Goal

Twenty-year-old René Adler of Leverkusen has leapfrogged a host of young colleagues and older veterans to become tops in a league known for quality between the posts. Adler has let in only 16 goals this season, and few, if any, have been his fault. He's also a master of the long ball, the first element in Leverkusen's fast-break attack.

Honorable mention: Markus Miller (Karlsruhe), Frank Rost (Hamburg).