Interesting stats on the 2022/23 season so far.
There are still two matchdays left before the season reaches the halfway point, but the winter break is nevertheless a good time to take a comparative look at some statistics from the season. One thing can be said from a VfL point of view: when it comes to running in particular, Niko Kovac’s men boast strong numbers.
Top Wolves stats
Runs: The Wolves have won their last four games and are unbeaten in eight, and have the chance to extend this good sequence in the new year. Only Bayern have managed more consecutive wins so far this term (six). VfL have also collected nine points (W2 D3) from losing positions, a figure bettered only by 1. FC Köln (12).
Playing time: Along with goalkeeper Koen Casteels, there’s another ever-present in the VfL squad in Micky van de Ven, who’s played every minute of the 15 Bundesliga matches this season. It’s an impressive record for the 21-year-old rising star, who was initially deployed as a left-back before nailing down a regular role in the centre of defence. Ridle Baku, Maximilian Arnold and Omar Marmoush have also featured in every league fixture.
Top speed:Van de Ven has made it into the top 10 in the league in another category. He brings unbelievable pace for a centre-back, making him almost impossible to outrun. His top speed was clocked at 35.87 kilometres an hour, putting him seventh. The fastest player in the Bundesliga is Frenchman Moussa Diaby of Bayer 04 Leverkusen at 36.52 km/h.
Assists: Paolo Otavio also finds himself in the top 10 in the league, with his four assists ranking eighth. Summer signing Patrick Wimmer is in 12th place with three, while Eintracht Frankfurt’s Randal Kolo Muani leads the way with nine.
Goalkeepers: Casteels has again proven himself as one of the safest pair of hands in the league in the first 15 games of the 2022/23 campaign. With 55 shots saved, he’s second within the league behind Bochum keeper Manuel Riemann (64).
Distance covered: The Wolves certainly can’t be described as lazy. Kovac’s charges have racked up 1,723 kilometres, a sign of the well-known emphasis the VfL boss places on discipline and physical fitness. That puts them fourth in the league – Union Berlin are top with 1,757 kilometres. The Green-and-Whites’ best individual runner is captain Arnold, whose 164.5 kilometres mean he’s fifth among all Bundesliga players. The winner in this category is Bayern’s midfield engine Joshua Kimmich (171.6 km).
Intensive runs and sprints: VfL lead the way in both these running-related categories. Their total of 11,480 intensive runs is considerably more than even second-placed Bayern (10,775), while the Wolves are also ahead of the record champions and current leaders when it comes to sprints (3,852 compared to 3,695). Right-back Baku is a particularly strong runner, topping the league for sprints (479) ahead of Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong (465) and sitting third for intensive runs (1,264), where Frankfurt’s Mario Götze is just in front (1,307). Otavio is also among the top 10 sprinters in ninth (405).
