The champion is certain, but there is no lack of excitement on the 2000th match day of the Bundesliga. Who can intensify their European Cup plans – and above all: in which competition? There are plenty of interested parties, including surprises. In the lowlands of the table, Felix Magath may be able to save Hertha early. But it can also get really dicey. Arithmetic games included. But there are even more topics that are in focus on the 32nd and third-to-last matchday of this season.
Advertisement
–
relegation battle
The constellation is simple. And yet complicated. If coach Felix Magath wants to beat Hertha at Arminia Bielefeld on Saturday, his closest direct competitor in the relegation battle, he will also look to Stuttgart. The Berlin team’s ideal calculation goes like this: A win against Bielefeld and a win for VfL Wolfsburg at VfB Stuttgart – and Hertha would be saved. But: In the event of their own defeat and a Stuttgart success against VfL, Hertha would be right in the middle of the struggle for existence again. For those who do arithmetic: Before the 32nd match day, the Berlin team in 15th is four points ahead of 16th Stuttgart and six on 17th Bielefeld. Anything is possible in the relegation battle.
–
The Battle for Europe
Now every point counts. In the fight for the European Cup places behind the Champions League, SC Freiburg, Union Berlin, 1. FC Köln and TSG Hoffenheim are probably the hottest candidates for three possible places in the Europa League and Conference League. At the weekend, Hoffenheim and Freiburg are already two teams in a direct duel, a week later Freiburg meets Union Berlin. “All teams have the chance to finish sixth, maybe seventh is enough,” said Cologne coach Steffen Baumgart, who is taking his team to FC Augsburg on Saturday. The FC coach knows about the opportunity, but also about the danger. “Each slip-up can lead in a different direction,” said Baumgart.
–
The return of the Monday games
Actually, the unloved Monday games in the Bundesliga have been abolished since the beginning of the season. Since May 1st falls on a Sunday this year, there are no games in the top football leagues on that day at the request of the security authorities. The two games planned for Sunday, Borussia Mönchengladbach against RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen against Eintracht Frankfurt, will take place on Monday (8:30 p.m./DAZN [Anzeige]) because Leipzig and Frankfurt will play in the semi-finals of the Europa League on Thursday. The first legs ended with Frankfurt 2-1 against West Ham United and Leipzig 1-0 against Glasgow Rangers. To ensure that the teams have more than a day off, the Sunday games were exceptionally moved to Monday. If the two German teams had not reached the semi-finals, the games would have been brought forward to Friday.
–
The future of a coach
Stefan Leitl is leaving SpVgg Greuther Fürth in the summer. The 44-year-old wants to give the Bundesliga relegated team a fresh start – and himself thanks to an opt-out clause in his contract. But what will Leitl do from summer? “Anything can happen,” said the promotion and relegation coach before the Franconian away game against 1. FC Union Berlin on Friday (8:30 p.m./DAZN [Anzeige]). Something very concrete is more likely: He takes over another professional club that offers more financial leeway than Fürth. Leitl has already exchanged ideas with Hannover 96 from the 2nd Bundesliga, and according to his own statement also with other clubs.
–
Referee in focus
After the wrong decisions of the referees last weekend, the focus will be on the referees again. The former top referee Manuel Graefe recently blamed years of misdevelopment in the DFB for the mistakes. Meanwhile, record national player Lothar Matthäus suggested former professional footballers as support for the video assistant after “decisions that are no longer so easy to accept”. The DFB had itself admitted to mistakes made by referees in two games and was quite open to changes. Ex-professionals could only support next season at the earliest.
–
