The Bundesliga title may be decided but there is still a lot to look forward to this season.
With five rounds still to play, Bayer Leverkusen secured their first Bundesliga title with a 5-0 victory over Werder Bremen yesterday, breaking the 11-year dynasty of Bayern Munich.
Xabi Alonso’s side went 29 matches without defeat this season to secure their first trophy since 1993, now they will look to finish undefeated and are eyeing a treble of trophies, with the Europa League and DFB Pokal still to be decided.
Beneath them, the European qualification places are still to be decided.
Bayern Munich are level on points with Stuttgart in second and third place, whilst RB Leipzig and competing with Borussia Dortmund for the final Champions League qualification place.
RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund face-off on April 27th, in what looks like it will be a winner-takes-all match.
Eintracht Frankfurt, FC Augsburg, and SC Freiburg are vying for Conference League qualification, with three points separating the sides.
Augsburg travel to Frankfurt this weekend in a blockbuster game, and still have Dortmund, Stuttgart and Leverkusen to play before the end of the season.
After Augsburg, Frankfurt travel to Bayern Munich, and welcome Leverkusen and RB Leipzig at home.
Freiburg have, perhaps, the easiest run-in.
Christian Streich’s side welcome Mainz and Wolfsburg, before trips to FC Koln and Union Berlin in their final five games.
At the bottom, three points separate Mainz in the final relegation place and Union Berlin in 13th.
With FC Köln set to join Darmstadt in Bundesliga 2. next season after their 2-0 defeat to Bayern Munich at the weekend, the relegation play-off spot looks set to be between Mainz 05, Bochum, VfL Wolfsburg and FC Union Berlin.
Mainz are on a remarkable four-game unbeaten run, with 10 points from a possible 12 after wins against Bochum, Darmstadt and Hoffenheim.
With FC Koln and Wolfsburg still to play, and trips to Freiburg and Heidenheim, Mainz are a strong favourite to avoid relegation.
Bochum are the favourites to fall into the play-off spot.
With one win since the middle of January, the North Rhine-Westphalia side are in free-fall.
Two points from a possible 21, with Wolfsburg, Hoffenheim, Union Berlin and Leverkusen still to play, it needs an almight swing in form and fortune for Bochum to pick up more than six points from their final five games.
Wolfsburg are also struggling.
With one win in 2024, in an ill-tempered away win over Werder Bremen, Wolfsburg endured a torrid 3-0 defeat to RB Leipzig at the weekend, but recent draws against Frankfurt and Dortmund suggest that Wolfsburg have the class to turnaround their form.
The side from Lower Saxony still have Bochum, Darmstadt, and Mainz to play.
Union Berlin are the wildcard side in the relegation battle.
Before defeats to Leverkusen and Augsburg, it looked like die Eisernen were clear of danger having lost only three times in the previous 10 games but Union have fallen back into the pack.
The Köpenick side welcome Bayern Munich to the Stadion An der Alten Försterei before trips to Monchengladbach and FC Koln.
Union Berlin finish the season with home games against Bochum and Freiburg.
Goal difference may be a critical factor in the relegation battle.
Bochum sit on -25, Union Berlin on -20, Mainz on -17 and Wolfsburg on -16.
Considering Mainz and Union Berlin sit in the top 8 in the league for form over the last ten games, suggests that it will be a shoot-out between Wolfsburg and Bochum, who have amassed just 13 points between them and conceded 42 goals.
However, Leverkusen have proven that anything is possible in the Bundesliga.
With five games still to go, the Bundesliga season is far from over.
GGFN | Oscar O’Mara
