The Bundesliga has reached a new height of competitiveness this season with Bayern not seemingly running away with the league title like they’ve done over the past four years. Cologne has caught the eye with their resilience and their decent performances thus far, and the pick of players within the Billy Goats’ ranks is undoubtedly Anthony Modeste.
The 28-year-old Frenchman is yet to be capped by the French national team due in large part to the number of skilled French forwards consistently performing for their respective club sides. But with Modeste in a rich vein of form, Didier Deschamps could look to call him up ahead of the upcoming international break.
More often than not, the race for the Bundesliga golden boot award tends to be between Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski and Dortmund’s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang as was the case last term.
Anthony Modeste though has come into the fray in spectacular fashion as he currently leads the goal charts with 11 goals (71 minutes per goal). He led the Billy Goats to an emphatic home win over Hamburg last time out as he bagged a hat-trick. Modeste could have taken his tally to four goals in the game, but he failed to convert a spot-kick in the first half.
The win against Hamburg can be attributed to Anthony Modeste and could potentially see Cologne climb the table to 2nd place should they secure a victory against Frankfurt in their next league outing, and other results go their way.
In comparison to last season, Modeste finished 5th on the scorer’s charts having amassed a tally of 15 goals with three of them coming via penalties. So far he’s bagged 11 in just nine games, so it’s fair to say he’ll be popping up with more goals as the season progresses.
Modeste can be considered as a late bloomer as most of his success as a footballer has come within the last three years starting with a loan move at Bastia which more or less put him on the map. He had previous stints with Nice, Angers Bordeaux and Blackburn but his tally for those sides is a far-cry to the sort of numbers he’s hit in the last few years.
His time with Bastia saw him score 15 goals in 36 league apps he then secured a move to Hoffenheim but he saw a decline in his league performances scoring just 19 goals in 55 Bundesliga apps. Then Cologne came calling in the 2015/16 campaign, a season in which he scored 15 goals.
He’s an ideal target man for any side – Modeste also does his fair share of defensive work as he tracks back to help his teammates defend against counter-attacks.
The 28-year-old is a powerful striker with a big frame as he stands at 6ft1inches tall hence providing him with the ability to challenge for balls in the air – his style of play also features some physicality as he’s able to hassle the opposition defenders to win balls in and around the 18-yard-area.
Cologne’s Bundesliga ascent has certainly got Anthony playing like a world-class striker. The Billy Goats currently sit fourth on the Bundesliga table with 18 points, five points adrift of the top of the table.
Across Europe’s top leagues Modeste has bagged the most goals (11), Dzeko and Cavani come close with ten goals apiece thus far.
