Bundesliga on top: Europe's most dangerous defenders in front of goal | OneFootball

Scoring goals in football is actually the main task of the strikers, but the role of defenders here should certainly not be underestimated. In fact, they are there for the exact opposite, but in times of set-piece coaches and perfectly choreographed free-kick routines, they are becoming more and more important in this area as well.

But which defenders are actually the most dangerous in front of goal in Europe’s top 5 leagues? We took a closer look. 

Denzel Dumfries (3 goals)

Just barely making it onto the list is Inter’s Denzel Dumfries, with one goal in Serie A and already two in the Champions League across a total of 14 matches. As a right-back, the Dutchman regularly poses a goal threat for the Nerazzurri. Incidentally, his teammate Federico Dimarco on the left side has also scored twice, so it’s clearly a system at Inter.

📸 JOHN THYS - AFP or licensors

Charlie Cresswell (3 goals)

The young Englishman Charlie Cresswell also has three goals to his name, which he scored in eleven league games. He has already netted three times for FC Toulouse, who are currently mid-table in Ligue 1. One of those goals was even against champions Paris Saint-Germain, though he couldn’t prevent the eventual 3-6 defeat.

Danilo Doekhi (6 goals)

How to help your team earn points with goals was demonstrated yesterday by Union Berlin’s Danilo Doekhi, who scored twice against Bayern Munich. In the end, it was only enough for a 2-2 draw, but for the Iron Ones, earning a point against the previously flawless Bayern is still a huge success.

He also scored a brace in the 3-1 win over Gladbach and found the net twice in the cup, including the winning goal in extra time against Bielefeld. Six goals in 12 games—impressive! Incredible!

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Micky van de Ven (6 goals)

Similarly hungry for goals and important for his team has been Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven. The former Wolfsburg player has already scored three times in the Premier League across 16 matches, twice in the Champions League, and even in the now somewhat forgotten UEFA Super Cup against PSG (5-6 on penalties). Not only a rock in central defense, but also a key factor in front of the opponent’s goal.

Grimaldo (7 goals)

First place is probably not much of a surprise, is it? Leverkusen’s Grimaldo is as dangerous as ever and has already scored an incredible seven goals in 15 matches across league, cup, and Champions League. His trademark, of course, remains his inimitable free kicks, of which he has already converted four. Add to that two penalties and even one goal from open play. 

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇩🇪 here.

📸 Maja Hitij - 2025 Getty Images