Bundesliga midseason awards: RB Leipzig's fairy tale run shows no signs of ending

After 17 matches, here's a look at the best, and worst, of the Bundesliga season so far.

Story of the Season: RB Leipzig

A look at the summit of the table doesn't yield any surprises at the midway point of the 2017-18 Bundesliga campaign with Bayern Munich in poll position.

That wasn't the case in the weeks leading up to the winter break as Bayern found itself trailing an unlikely adversary for a majority of the opening months.

Few could have predicted that Bundesliga newcomers RB Leipzig would even challenge for a place in Europe, let alone turn up the heat on the Bavarians.

Yet, as the cold weather rolled in, Ralph Hasenhuttl's men continued to churn out positive results until a showdown with Bayern eventually usurped Leipzig from its perch atop the standings.

Barring a second-half collapse or a rash of injuries, one has to think that one of the league's last hopes of producing an intriguing title race will continue to produce the brand of football that's propelled Leipzig into uncharted territory.

Best Player: Thiago Alcantara

The central figure to Bayern's success in the first half had to be Thiago Alcantara.

Like a fine wine, Thiago's impact on the club grew as the months wore on, with his success in the midfield aided by his ability to play in a more advanced position where his vision and creativity were on full display.

His sustained presence in the heart of Bayern's midfield was likely a breath of fresh air as the Spain international managed to go injury-free and exhibit the types of performances that supporters expected when Pep Guardiola brought him over from Barcelona.

Unfortunately, a training ground injury earlier this month has threatened to derail his positive momentum.

Biggest Disappointment: Borussia Monchengladbach

There won't be a fight for a place in Europe this season as Borussia Monchengladbach finds itself in the thick of a battle to avoid relegation.

Few could have predicted Borussia Monchengladbach's downfall a year ago when the club rebounded from a miserable start to eventually earn a place in the Champions League.

However, there's little to no chance that Gladbach will dig itself out of the colossal hole the club finds itself in with just 17 points accumulated through 17 games.

Biggest Surprise: Fight for Europe

The Bundesliga table was turned on its head when it comes to the fight for places in next season's European competitions.

Teams accustomed to controlling European places have been supplanted by the likes of RB Leipzig, Hoffenheim, Hertha Berlin, and others

Meanwhile, perennial top-five clubs, such as Schalke, Wolfsburg, and Bayer Leverkusen face an arduous fight in order to reclaim their places in Europe's lucrative tournaments.

Breakout Star: Timo Werner

It's almost a slight to a handful of RB Leipzig players after a superb start to life in Germany's top flight, but Timo Werner's success at such a young age has played a prominent role in vaulting the club up the standings.

At just 20-years-old, Werner's composure in attack aided Leipzig in producing one of the top scoring records in the league. He also ranks as the youngest scorer among the league's top 10 with 10 goals in 17 appearances.

Best Signing: Ousmane Dembele

It's almost blinding how bright Ousmane Dembele's future looks after his opening act in Germany with Borussia Dortmund.

The 19-year-old impact was immediate upon his arrival from French side Rennes when he bagged a goal in his first match against Manchester United during a preseason friendly.

The promising young forward continued to dazzle when the season rolled around, going on to become one of the few players to standout during an otherwise lackluster first half for a Dortmund side struggling to remain in the top four.

With Dembele in the fold alongside the likes of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Marco Reus, one has to think Dortmund will eventually overcome its domestic deficiencies and round into form in the finals months and weeks of the season.

Biggest Bust: Julian Draxler

Things got ugly during Julian Draxler's final days in a Wolfsburg strip as the club's prize summer signing edged towards the exits following his disastrous start with Die Wolfe.

Public spats with Wolfsburg officials, along with jeers from his own supporters, marred the 23-year-old's final weeks with the club before Wolfsburg agreed to ship Draxler off to France.

To add insult to injury, his departure must have been particularly frustrating for Wolfsburg supporters after Draxler bagged two goals in his opening two matches with PSG after the Germany international went 14 matches without finding the back of the net.

Favourite Moment: Leipzig edges out Leverkusen in 5-goal thriller

Ten matchdays without a loss, RB Leipzig's unbeaten run was under threat when the team visited Bayer Leverkuses.

After the visitors opened the scoring four minutes into the contest, Leverkusen responded with two goals shortly before and after halftime.

Few could have blamed Leipzig for playing out the match and leaving with a point after Emil Forsberg brought the match level. But Ralph Hasenhuttl's men continued their fairy tale run when Willi Orban's header secured all three points 10 minutes before the final whistle.

Best XI

It's almost worth putting together a Bayern-free team considering the amount of places members of the Bundesliga leaders take up in the best XI. However, it'd be egregious if the likes of Robert Lewandowski, Manuel Neuer and other Bayern stars were left off simply because they belong to a club with a seemingly bottomless pool of talent. There is, however, room to focus the spotlight on stars from around the league, such as Anthony Modeste after his first-half scoring feats put the pressure on Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang for top spot on the scoring list.