All season-long premium subscribers will receive exclusive previews for the upcoming round of Bundesliga fixtures. Today, game week 18 kicks off! There is a huge match in regard to Bayer Leverkusen’s title candidacy, A big opportunity for VfB Stuttgart to return to winning ways, and countless other exciting encounters to keep you entertained.

FC Köln v Borussia Dortmund 

FC Köln scored a Bundesliga goal for the first time in over 300 minutes last weekend, but unfortunately, that was not enough for manager Timo Schultz to take all 3-points on his topflight debut. A 1:1 draw against FC Heidenheim was a fair result in the end. Köln showed glimpses of quality, but nothing substantial that could last throughout the entire 90 minutes. 

On the other hand, Borussia Dortmund silenced their critics with a 3:0 victory over SV Darmstadt. The scoreline flattered a turbulent and awkward performance, but after 6 consecutive matches (in all competitions) without a victory, Borussia Dortmund will take a win in any shape or form. 

Probably the moment of the weekend came in the form of Jadon Sancho’s assist for Marco Reus. 967 days after his last appearance for BVB, Sancho returned from the bench to immediately pull the strings again in Dortmund’s attack. A lack of fitness means he will likely start on the bench again this weekend, but it shouldn’t be long before we begin to see Sancho back to his very best in the black & yellow dress of Borussia Dortmund. 

Prediction: Borussia Dortmund Win  

SC Freiburg v TSG Hoffenheim 

SC Freiburg moved one place higher in the table this matchday, but all in all, it was another frustrating outing for Christian Streich’s side. ...