"Ones to watch" for Bundesliga Matchday 18 | OneFootball

1. Leroy Sané (Bayern Munich)

Has he finally found his form? Leroy Sané has been through a lot of up-and-down phases since he joined Bayern in the summer of 2020. A lot of times he looked like the superstar forward Bayern hoped he would become - but then he sadly either suffered injuries or couldn't keep up his form.

Many Bayern players are currently being closely watched, because of their expiring contracts; some, like Sané, even have to perform and get back to their best to have a chance of renewing them. That's why I suggest you should closely follow the 29 year old in the coming matchdays and weeks.

Sané has played one of, if not his best game of the season so far during the week on matchday 17 against Hoffenheim (5-0 win). “He finally stopped thinking too much about it and just played like he is able to”, commented Bayern icon Thomas Müller on Sané's 2 goals in the match. If he keeps performing like that he just may get his wish and will be able to stay in Munich.

Bayern is coming up against Wolfsburg on matchday 18 of the Bundesliga - a tough, but managable match-up for the Bavarians. The last time Bayern lost against Wolfsburg was 10 years ago, in the summer of 2015. Let's see if Bayern can keep this streak going with an in-form Leroy Sané in their squad!

2. Xavi Simons (RB Leipzig)

We are once again witnessing why Xavi Simons was so important to Leipzig and their way of playing - he alone was the reason Leipzig were able to compete in the first two games of 2025! 2 goals against Bremen (4-2 win) and 1 assist against Stuttgart (1-2 loss) - Xavi Simons is right back to where he was before his injury mid-season!

But he will have an even greater task infront of him on matchday 18 of the Bundesliga: because Leipzig's striker partnership of Sesko and Openda are both out with red cards and cannot play! While Rose will surely rely on either Poulsen or Silva (or both) to lead the line against Bochum, it will be very important for Simons to be the creating force in this Leipzig team.

Xavi Simons already has 7 goal contributions in the 9 games he's played in this season. He will make sure to postion himself back in the spotlight he had on him just before his injury - let's not forget that he is also playing to get himself the best possible transfer in the summer (he's only on loan at Leipzig).

3. Nuri Şahin (Borussia Dortmund)

What an unsatisfying season so far for Dortmund. Place 10 in the Bundesliga after 17 out of 34 games is far less than what all Dortmund officials, players and fans were hoping for after the Champions League final last season. They did have good performances in the Champions League in 2024/25, but the mood in Dortmund right now after their 4-2 loss against Kiel on matchday 17 is not good.

In general, Dortmund have only won 1 game out of their last 7 and are experiencing a huge down-phase right now. No matter who plays, everybody seems to be struggling to motivate themselves throughout the whole match, leading to simple errors in their game. Perfomances like those against Kiel leave nothing but questions about the team and the coach after the game.

Sporting director Sebastian Kehl promised his coach job security, but how long can Dortmund keep on playing like in recent weeks without there needing to be a shift and change in the team? As per recent reports, Erik ten Hag has been in the stadium for Dortmund matches, leading many to believe he's eyeing up a possible stint in Germany.

Dortmund are playing Frankfurt on matchday 18 of the Bundesliga. In some weeks, this would have been a definite win for the surprise team Franfurt with the goalscoring machine Omar Marmoush - but he might not even play today because of his pending transfer to Manchester City. This game has not only the potential to be exciting, it could lead to a managerial change in one of the biggest clubs in Germany - therefore stay tuned and keep an eye on Nuri Şahin for MAYBE one of the last times as Dortmund coach.