Top striker who can't find the net: Bundesliga's most underrated key player

Strikers are judged by their goals. A goal scorer who doesn’t score loses value for his team. That’s the usual conclusion drawn from this truism. Yet, in contrast, there’s a striker in the Bundesliga who impresses even opposing coaches, despite having exactly zero goals this season.

“I’ve rarely seen that against Jeff Chabot,” marveled VfB coach Sebastian Hoeneß after his Stuttgart side faced Union Berlin last weekend: “Ilic won a lot of headers.” By repeatedly outmuscling the defensive powerhouse (1.95 meters, 95 kilograms), the iron-clad center forward once again helped Berlin secure a point.

And once again, it wasn’t him who scored for FCU to make it 1-1. Yet he’s been on the pitch for almost every Bundesliga game for Union this season. He only missed matchday eleven against Bayern due to a minor injury that healed quickly. It certainly wasn’t for lack of effort.

📸 THOMAS KIENZLE - AFP or licensors

No other player in Germany’s top flight who is still goalless has a higher xG value than the Serb. With his 5.28 expected goals, he even ranks eleventh among his already successful colleagues, ahead of strikers like Andrej Kramaric, Said El Mala, or Yan Diomandé. His 30 shots on goal also place him in the upper third of the league.

Another number sheds a bit more light: seven. That’s how many assists Ilic has already provided in the Bundesliga in 2025/26. Only Michael Olise (13) and Luis Diaz (9) have more. But Ilic doesn’t get as much attention, since he doesn’t dribble as spectacularly as Bayern’s high-flyer. Ilic may fly under the radar, so to speak, but on the pitch he earns respect with his aerial dominance. Especially from his boss, Steffen Baumgart.

“Andrej is, in my view, the most important striker we have,” the former forward declared in a media round in October 2025. That’s ancient history in the fast-paced football business? Just about two weeks ago, after the 2-2 draw against Mainz, Baumgart repeated his vow of loyalty. And that was even though Ilic had missed an open goal earlier. The striker had done “such an awesome job that it’s not worth making a tragedy out of it.”

How can a striker—with such a goal drought—still be an offensive key player? “He brings something in certain important situations that isn’t immediately obvious,” Baumgart tried to explain the seemingly inexplicable last autumn.

Fortunately, we can spare ourselves a detailed video analysis of the rather pragmatic football played by the Köpenickers. Because once again, a few facts point us in the right direction. Baumgart’s football relies heavily on high and second balls. Here, Ilic is dominant—not even the six-centimeter-taller Jeff Chabot could deny it.

According to ‘Opta’, no Bundesliga striker has won more aerial duels than the Iron Ones’ number 23 (68). No one has entered as many aerial duels as the 25-year-old (181). He also loves to help out passionately on defense.

In one of his rare interviews with the Union club media last spring, Ilic was asked how he sees his role in the team. Dutifully, he replied that he always wants to help the team. In striker PR school, the next line should be “of course, with goals.” But Ilic thinks of something entirely different first: “I try to win the ball in our own half and jump a lot.” Every coach likes to hear that—and will forgive a longer goal drought now and then.

Still, it’s about time the full-time striker repaid his coach’s trust with some goals. He and his team certainly shouldn’t be lacking in confidence this evening. Borussia Dortmund are visiting the Stadion An der alten Försterei, where BVB have rarely looked good. Since Union’s promotion to the Bundesliga in 2019, the Köpenickers have won four of six home duels—and as we know, Ilic knows how to stay on top.

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

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