5 Players to Watch in the Bundesliga This Weekend

After a long absence, football finally came back to our TV screens over the weekend when the Bundesliga made its eagerly anticipated return. 

It might not have looked quite how we remember given the lack of fans, distancing between substitutes and a range of new-look celebrations, but it did give us a great insight into how the rest of the season could pan out.

It wasn’t always going to be easy after a long time away from the pitch but some players showed that the break was anything but an inconvenience, putting in some fantastic individual performances and showing they have what it takes to finish the season strong. 

There are still some huge fixtures to be played and this weekend will give a host of players an opportunity to make a big statement.

Here, we will look at five players to watch in this weekend’s Bundesliga fixtures.

Marcus Thuram is certainly making a name for himself in the Bundesliga.

The 22-year-old swapped Guingamp for Borussia Monchengladbach last summer and has spent his first season in Germany setting the league alight. The attacker’s six goals and five assists in the early stages of the season helped his new side to sit at the top of the table when December came round. Unfortunately, the Frenchman failed to score from the first of December onwards and as Thuram’s form wavered, so did his club’s. 

The recent break offered an opportunity to rest and revaluate and after last weekend’s return to the league, it looks like Thuram used his break wisely. In his first game back, the attacker got back amongst the goals, scoring against Frankfurt after just seven minutes.

The win put Gladbach up to third in the table, setting them up for a tasty encounter with fifth-placed Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday. The Frenchman bagged a goal and an assist as his side beat Leverkusen 2-1 in their last meeting and he will be looking for more of the same this time around. 

Thuram has regained his form at just the right time and is worth keeping an eye on at the weekend, and in truth, for the remainder of the campaign.

Thuram won’t be the only player looking to impress at Borussia Park this weekend. Kai Havertz made his return to football an explosive one on Monday, scoring a brace as Leverkusen ran out 4-1 winners against Werder Bremen. 

It has to be said that the German has had something of an underwhelming year in front, failing to reach last season’s heights where he scored 17 league goals. However, he is still an incredibly talented individual and if there was ever a time to get back amongst the goals, it was when all eyes were on him last week against Bremen.

With Leverkusen fighting for a spot in the top four, the goalscoring playmaker will be looking to continue his form in Saturday’s meeting with Gladbach, and aim for league goal number nine of the season. Not only will a good performance help his side’s chances of a Champions League spot, but also act as another audition for Havertz.

There are a host of European clubs interested in signing the young German and another good performance from Havertz will show that he is more than worth the fee that Leverkusen will likely demand. 

Julian Brandt was arguably the most impressive player as football returned last weekend, starring in Dortmund’s 4-0 dismantling of Schalke.

The German may not have got on the scoresheet himself, but he did bag two assists and was at the centre of everything great that Dortmund did. With their chief creative force Jadon Sancho on the bench, it was Brandt’s time to shine and he duly delivered and proved he is one to watch moving forward.

The midfielder showed that Sancho isn’t Dortmund’s only creative force as he grabbed his fourth and fifth assists of the campaign, whilst constantly threatening to produce more throughout.

Saturday’s meeting against Wolfsburg will give Brandt another chance to impress. BVB beat Die Wolfe 4-0 last time and Brandt will be eager for another similar performance so that he can influence again.

Sancho and new signing Erling Haaland have received most of the praise for Dortmund this season, but Brandt showed that he can be just as influential and is worth keeping an eye on this weekend.

Matheus Cunha spent the first half of the season as a bit-part player for RB Leipzig, limited to few minutes in a side including the likes of Timo Werner and Yussuf Poulsen. However, the exciting Brazilian was snapped up by Hertha Berlin in January and has impressed in the capital since. 

Due to the Bundesliga’s lengthy break he has been limited to just five appearances. However, in that time the attacker has an assist and three goals, including one in Hertha’s win over Hoffenheim at the weekend which extended his goalscoring run to three games. 

This weekend brings the much anticipated Berlin derby at the Olympiastadion. Whilst it might not bring the atmosphere from the stands that would have been expected, it will still be an explosive and exciting game, dying for somebody to steal the show.

Their win at the weekend put Hertha above their city rivals in the table and means that they will be desperate to extend the gap, and Cunha has shown great form at his new club and will be eager to steal the show in his first derby.   

As one of the premier players in the Bundesliga, a lot of eyes were on Timo Werner last weekend. He is the star of the show at Leipzig and neutral supporters across the world would have been desperate to catch a glimpse of his talents. Unfortunately, Leipzig’s, and Werner’s, struggles from before the league’s break continued as they succumbed to a 1-1 draw against Freiburg.

The draw marked the three games in a row without a win for Leipzig, extending the German's goalless run. The drop in form has meant that Leipzig have moved down to fourth in the table as their title hopes hang by a thread. This weekend’s game against Mainz is a must-win for the club, whilst Werner will be desperate to end his fruitless spell in front of goal.

If ever there was a game to turn everything around though, it's this one. Last time the two teams met Leipzig ran out as 8-0 victors and Werner was the star of the show. The talisman bagged three goals and as many assists in what was one of his most impressive performances of his career, more of the same would be greatly welcomed. 

Another 8-0 drubbing is unlikely but with Leipzig desperate for a win and Werner needing goals, Mainz may offer an easy target to let their frustrations out on. 

It feels like last chance saloon for Leipzig so with their previous performance against Mainz in mind, expect them to go in all guns blazing. Timo Werner and his side need a win, and this weekend could be where they snatch it in devastating fashion. 

By Jak Richardson