"Ones to watch" for Bundesliga Matchday 19 | OneFootball

1. Hugo Ekitiké (Eintracht Frankfurt)

No Marmoush - no problem! It is astonishing how Frankfurt again and again prove that they have amazing squad planning throughout the whole squad. Some may have thoght that the transfer of Omar Marmoush, Frankfurt's best player in 2024/25 so far, might have a huge impact on the team - but one player stepped up to fill the gap Marmoush left behind.

Hugo Ekitiké already showed his qualities next to Marmoush this season, but there was rightful doubt over his performances without him - in the 2 games without Marmoush however, against Dortmund in the Bundesliga and Ferencváros in the Europa League, Ekitiké was able to shine as bright as he did before, scoring in each game and helping his team to 2 consecutive 2-0 wins.

Frankfurt are playing Hoffenheim on matchday 19 of the Bundesliga, a struggling side which is, at this moment in time, fighting against relegation. Keep an eye out for the French striker - he might just become Frankfurt's next super transfer and generate a similar fee to his former teammate Marmoush and his predecessor Kolo Muani.

2. Loïs Openda (RB Leipzig)

Of course it's easy to predict strikers to have an impactful game - goals are what matters and they decide the outcome to the game. Openda however did not randomly appear on this list: he is the key reason for Leverkusen's only loss in the last 52(!) Bundesliga games! Can he do it again on matchday 19 of the Bundesliga?

Last time they met, Leipzig were able to beat Leverkusen 3-2, with Openda scoring twice. Matter of fact, Openda loves scoring against Leverkusen: in the two games before said match, Openda scored each time - but Leipzig lost both games 2-3 (yes, that's right: all 3 of the last 3 matches ended in a 3-2 victory for one side).

Openda missed the 3-3 draw against Bochum on matchday 18 because of a red card, which means he will be eager to bounce back and show a good performance. While a player of his quality should always be watched closely, this is your additional advice to definetly do so when Leipzig meet Leverkusen in the (subjectively speaking) best Bundesliga match of the week this Saturday.

3. Julian Brandt (Borussia Dortmund)

It's not a fun time to be a Dortmund fan right now. 4 losses in 4 games in 2025, 11 goals conceded, key players are leaving the team - and the manager just got sacked, too. It's game 1 in the post-era of Nuri Şahin in Dortmund and this will be the moment for the most important players to step up.

A player who could do exactly that is Julian Brandt. The 48-times capped German international was always supposed to lead this team, or at least the attacking part of the team, into the future, while also improving individually. However, Brandt seems to not have been able to follow those instructions. This managerial change now might be what he needs to get back on track and find his way back into the category of ‘top players in the Bundesliga’.

Dortmund are playing against Werder Bremen on matchday 19 - which ironically is the club from Brandt's home town Bremen. In addition to that, it's also a battle of two ‘table-neighbours’ with Bremen currently being ranked 9th and Dortmund 10th - and important game for both sides to getting closer to their goal of reaching the European places.

You should keep an eye out for the whole Dortmund XI and see which players are able to step up and lead the team - it feels like a ‘last chance’ phase for players like Julian Brandt.