Created by the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga in cooperation with the Bundesliga's official licensing partner, EA SPORTS FIFA 19, the prize is decided through a two-stage selection process that considers both the players' individual performance data and a vote by fans and experts.
James Rodriguez, Robert Lewandowski, Milot Rashica, Max Kruse, Filip Kostic and Marcel Halstenberg have all been nominated for the Bundesliga Player of the Month for March.
Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Even given his own ridiculous Bundesliga scoring record down the years, it is safe to say Lewandowski has hit top form in March; netting six goals in just four league matches. No player has scored more this month, with the 30-year-old on the scoresheet in each of Bayern’s three wins against Borussia Mönchengladbach, Wolfsburg and Mainz, as well as the draw against Freiburg. And by Matchday 24, the Pole was on pole for a fourth Bundesliga top-scorer crown. He ends the month with 19 league goals in 26 appearances, three ahead of Borussia Dortmund's Paco Alcacer and Eintracht Frankfurt’s Luka Jovic, who are tied in second-place.
It is no coincidence that the 30-year-old’s upswing in form - one that has seen Lewandowski score nine goals in his last 10 matches - has come while Bayern have closed the gap on league leaders Dortmund. Nine points behind BVB at the end of Matchday 15, the Bavarians regained top spot on Matchday 25 thanks to Lewandowski’s brace in the 6-0 mauling of the Wolves. Now two points back from Dortmund, Bayern will be hoping they can go on to retain the Bundesliga title and, if they do, Lewandowski will likely take home the Torjägerkanone for a fourth time, too.
Max Kruse (Werder Bremen)
Lewandowski’s March efforts are remarkable but they aren’t unrivalled; Werder Bremen captain Kruse also notching six goals in four games over the course of Matchdays 24-27. The 31-year-old has also contributed three assists. It is a stunning improvement for Kruse, who had scored four times in 23 appearances prior to his March heroics.
Kruse’s efforts have seen the Die Grun-Weißen go unbeaten this past month, picking up 10 out of a possible 12 points and moving into the league’s European places in the process. "Max is doing a great job on and off the pitch. He creates the balance between relaxing and total focus of the team for the match," said Bremen coach Florian Kohfeldt after Kruse struck twice in the 3-1 win over Mainz on Matchday 27.
James Rodriguez (Bayern Munich)
Week-by-week, James is developing into one of Bayern’s key men. Since returning from injury at the turn of the New Year, Rodriguez has featured in all 10 of Bayern’s league games, suffering just one defeat in the process and starting each of March’s four unbeaten outings. The month started with James providing an assist against Gladbach, before scoring his first Bundesliga goal since October by registering in that 6-0 win over Wolfsburg. A week later, James became the first Colombian in Bundesliga history to score a hat-trick, scoring three times in Bayern’s second successive 6-0 victory. "He did extremely well - not only because he scored the three goals," said coach Niko Kovac at the time. "He demanded the ball, altered the game, kept the opponent moving. That's what we needed."
Only Lewandowski and Kruse scored more in March and James trumped the two in terms of efficiency in front of goal, scoring with every 2.5 shots and converting the only key chance he was given - the best ratio among the unerring trio. In addition to his goal record, the 27-year-old stood out in his usual role as both Bayern ball magnet (on average, he touched the ball 92.8 times per 90 minutes) and pass machine (255 passes per game, completing 87 per cent of them).
Filip Kostic (Eintracht Frankfurt)
Frankfurt have been a joy to watch this season, their remarkable attacking threat firing them into the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League and fourth-place in the Bundesliga with the aim of securing UEFA Champions League football next term. There have been plenty of positives for Adi Hütter and his men, few more positive than Kostic who has been sensational from their left-wing. In March alone, Kostic has provided three goals and two assists as Frankfurt won all four of their matches.
In Hütter's 3-4-3 system, Kostic’s role is pivotal both in adding width to the side and also tracking his opposite number the other way. Offensively, the Serbian international has registered a league-high 119 crosses, creating 11 clear chances for the likes of Ante Rebic, Sebastian Haller and Luka Jovic to feed off. Four of those came in March alone. "The applause that broke out when he was replaced speaks volumes. He’s been giving everything to this club for months," said Hütter after Kostic received a standing ovation for his Matchday 27 brace against old club VfB Stüttgart.
Milot Rashica (Werder Bremen)
Werder enjoyed a superb run in March, but captain Kruse was not alone in making it happen. Erstwhile attacking partner Rashica also pushed him hard for Man of the Match awards week on week. Like James, Rashica scored four goals in as many March matches and the Kosovo international is now delivering the kind of consistency that Bremen fans dreamt of when he signed for the club in January, 2018. "We want to win every game," said the 22-year-old after scoring in the 3-1 win over Mainz on Matchday 27 that moved Bremen into a Champions League spot. "Then we'll see where that leads."
Having featured as a left-winger for the majority of the season, Rashica has moved into a central position in his last three appearances. Here, in support of Kruse, Rashica can open up his legs and put fear in opposition defences with the blistering pace that has seen him reach a top speed of 21 mph in March. It has clearly all resulted in a major boost to Rashica’s confidence. "I used to hang my head if I missed," said Rashica after scoring against Bayer Leverkusen on Matchday 26. "However, I’ve learned to live in the present, to focus more on the next game than to look back. Maybe that's a mental development I've had in the past few months."
Marcel Halstenberg (RB Leipzig)
Halstenberg is one of those tireless full-backs that is both dizzying and exhausting to watch, let alone play against; shuttling up and down the RB Leipzig left-flank with the fitness of a marathon runner. But it is not only Halstenberg’s lung busting efforts that impress, his delivery is among the best in the league and the 27-year-old has already provided six assists for his teammates so far this season. In March, Halstenberg showed off yet another of the many strings to his bow, proving he is as good defensively as he is offensively. Leipzig managed four clean sheets from four this past month, with Halstenberg a key component in shutting out their opposition. Halstenberg won 70 per cent of all challenges, while the 6’1” defender was dominant in the air; winning 81 per cent of his headers.
His strong performances led to Germany coach Joachim Löw handing Halstenberg his first cap since his debut in November 2017. His performance in this month’s friendly match against Serbia was encouraging and could well pave the way for Halstenberg to make the spot his own. "Being called up again was definitely a very nice sign," Halstenberg told Sport1. "I want to show in the coming weeks and months that I can be the right person for this position."