A very last matchday is still in the Bundesliga, and although Borussia Dortmund has one point behind the Champions League rank four, it is still possible to reach the premier class on its own because SC Freiburg and Eintracht Frankfurt play directly against each other. What does it need to move the BVB into the CL?
Borussia Dortmund has very good chances to complete the season on the Europa League rank and at the same time even a very good way to achieve the longed-for champions League rank.
After Eintracht Frankfurt only played a draw against FC St. Pauli on Sunday evening (2-2), BVB offers a lucrative exit before the last matchday of the Bundesliga, even though the Dortmund are “only” fifth.
Because SC Freiburg (fourth in the table) and Eintracht Frankfurt (third) meet in the direct duel and take away the points.
Means: BVB wins its home game against Holstein Kiel (Saturday, May 17th, 3:30 p.m. in sport.de-Live ticker) With a lead of two goals, it doesn’t matter whether SC Freiburg wins against Eintracht Frankfurt, the two draws play or the SGE beats the SCF. In all cases, Borussia would end up in fourth place.
An example:
Win BVB, for example, 2: 0 or 3: 1 or 4: 2 …
… and Freiburg wins against Eintracht, the SCF third, BVB fourth and Eintracht fifth.
… and Frankfurt wins against the Freiburg, the SGE third, BVB fourth and the SC fifth would be.
… and there is no winner between Freiburg and Frankfurt would be the SGE third, BVB Vierst and Freiburg fifth.
In a draw against Kiel, BVB would only move into the Champions League if Eintracht wins against Freiburg. A draw in the parallel game or a victory of the Freiburg with the same time in Dortmund would mean the CL-out for Borussia.
What about the Europa League in doubt?
If the BVB loses against Kiel, however, it would not matter how the game ends in the other place: then fourth place would no longer be available for the black and yellow.
Fifth place – and with it the qualification for the Europa League – would be possible and secured despite a bankruptcy, provided that the Borussia does not lose too high against Holstein and the 1st FSV Mainz 05 at the same time does not win too high in the home game against Bayer Leverkusen, because BVB has a more than five goals better than the FSV (68 vs. 53). RB Leipzig still has a chance to get involved in mathematically because the red bulls such as Mainz also have 51 points, but RB is very limited due to its goal difference (eleven hits less than BVB).
If the BVB reaches a draw, fifth place is (at least) fixed anyway.
When does the Conference League threaten?
If the BVB goes under Kiel and Mainz celebrates a win, in the end it would only jump out for the black and yellow.
In order to slip into the Conference League, Borussia would have to lose 0: 3 against Holstein, for example, while Mainz wins 3-0 against Bayer – possible, but rather unrealistic. Just like the very last option: a hearty gossip against Kiel (e.g. 0: 5) as well as a 3-0 win of the FSV in Leverkusen and a 7-0 spectacle from RB against VfB. Then the BVB would be completely out of European business as a seventh.
Calculate the wildest scenarios? Click here for the table calculator!