Bundesliga Matchday 18: Leaders Bayern face tricky Frankfurt test

Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich face Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday hoping to pick up their first victory of 2023.

Borussia Dortmund, meanwhile, have won two on the bounce but travel to in-form Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday.

Hertha Berlin and Union Berlin contest a local derby in the capital, while RB Leipzig host struggling Stuttgart. 

Elsewhere, Wolfsburg look to overcome Werder Bremen on the road with a chance of breaking into the top four.

Game of the week: Bayern Munich vs Eintracht Frankfurt (Saturday, 5.30pm)

Bayern are top of the Bundesliga going into Matchday 18 despite a dip in form. 

After successive draws against RB Leipzig and then FC Cologne, the Bavarian giants will be keen to get back to winning ways. 

Bayern have recorded more home wins against upcoming opponents Eintracht Frankfurt (41) than any other side in the division, although they lost their last league clash with Die Adler at the Allianz Arena 2-1 having won each of the previous 12. 

Frankfurt's Randal Kolo Muani (six goals, 10 assists) and Bayern's Jamal Musiala (nine goals, six assists) are the two players in the German top flight with the most direct goal contributions.

Bayer Leverkusen vs Borussia Dortmund (Sunday, 4.30pm)

Dortmund are on an upward trajectory but their next opponents are in sensational form. 

Leverkusen have won five games in a row either side of the winter break and have not lost any of their first five home league outings under head coach Xabi Alonso (four wins, one draw), keeping clean sheets in four of those fixtures. 

And if BVB are to emerge triumphant on Sunday, they may have their bench to thank. 

Giovanni Reyna came on to score the winner against Mainz last time out — the eighth time a Dortmund substitute has found the net this term, more than any other club in the division.

Three of their last four league goals have been scored by substitutes, while both the goals Leverkusen have conceded in 2023 have also been scored by players coming off the bench.

Hertha Berlin vs Union Berlin (Saturday, 2.30pm)

The momentum in this fixture has swung Union's way recently, with Hertha losing each of the last four Berlin derbies, conceding 12 times in the process. 

Hertha are in dreadful form and sit second-bottom having lost six of their last eight games and conceded eight times in their previous two. 

Union, meanwhile, are enjoying their best-ever points tally at this stage of a Bundesliga season (33 points from 17 games) and find themselves in second place. 

However, the visitors have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last seven league outings.

RB Leipzig vs Stuttgart (Friday, 7.30pm)

RB Leipzig and Stuttgart have faced each other nine times but the Swabians have never emerged victorious (two draws, seven defeats). 

All four encounters in Leipzig have been won by the hosts, who did not concede a single goal in those games. 

Marco Rose's men are unbeaten in 15 matches across all competitions after their 6-1 drubbing of Schalke last time out — they have earned 27 points in the German manager's 12 league fixtures at the helm. 

Stuttgart, meanwhile, have accrued just 16 points from their 17 Bundesliga outings this term and are winless in their last 18 on the road in the competition (nine draws, nine defeats). 

The hosts pose a varied threat, with 15 different players scoring for them so far this term. The visitors, meanwhile, have had just eight different goalscorers.

Werder Bremen vs Wolfsburg (Saturday, 2.30pm)

Werder and Wolfsburg have scored more Bundesliga goals against each other (87 and 88, respectively) than any other opponent. 

However, they come into this clash in very different veins of form. 

Werder have the worst record of any team in the competition over the last four matchdays, losing all four of their games and conceding 17 times. In contrast, Wolfsburg picked up maximum points and scored 15 goals in the same period.

The Wolves are on a 10-game unbeaten streak in the division (seven wins, three draws) after their record-equalling 5-0 away win at Hertha Berlin last time out took them to six consecutive victories.

They have scored at least twice in each of their previous eight league matches and kept five clean sheets in their last six — making them overwhelming favourites in Bremen.

The weekend's other games

Mainz vs Bochum (Saturday, 2.30pm) 

Freiburg vs Augsburg (Saturday, 2.30pm) 

Hoffenheim vs Borussia Monchengladbach (Saturday, 2.30pm) 

Schalke vs FC Cologne (Sunday, 2.30pm) 

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