31st matchday
Berlin (dpa) – In the final spurt of the Bundesliga season, all eyes are on Munich. FC Bayern can make the championship perfect on Saturday (6.30 p.m. / Sky) against permanent rival Borussia Dortmund.
It will be a special duel for Niklas Süle. In the new edition of the cup semi-final between RB Leipzig and Union Berlin, the focus is on a Swede, while a long-standing employee in a new position is supposed to save Arminia Bielefeld from relegation.
RB Leipzig – 1 FC Union Berlin
Emil Forsberg: The Swede has not only been the man for the important RB goals since the headed goal to make it 2-1 in the DFB Cup semi-final against 1. FC Union. The 30-year-old, who was given legendary status by coach Domenico Tedesco, can always make the difference. He spontaneously had the match plan for the second Union duel ready: “Substitute Emil and win,” said Forsberg and revealed: “I still have goosebumps now, the whole stadium exploded.” Secretly, his focus is already at the cup final in Berlin in May: “I still dream of shooting the club to the cup.”
Eintracht Frankfurt – TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
Sebastian Hoeneß: Since the 1-1 draw against FC Bayern Munich, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim hasn’t been going as well as it should – in four games there was only one point and one goal. Coach Sebastian Hoeneß has to turn things around at Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday (3:30 p.m. / Sky). Otherwise the connection to the European Cup places will be lost. The club from Kraichgau has already lost its status as a Champions League candidate. Patron Dietmar Hopp wants to see TSG permanently in international business.
SC Freiburg – Borussia Monchengladbach
Nicolas Höfler: Höfler is actually not known for his qualities as a goalscorer. With three competitive goals, he has scored as many goals this season as in four years before. Höfler was not only successful in the DFB Cup semi-finals, but also in the 6-0 first-leg win against Borussia Mönchengladbach. When they meet again, it will probably be more about the advantages, because of which Höfler was recently dubbed a “model student” by coach Christian Streich. He has won 300 tackles this season, committed only 42 fouls and got 87 percent of his passes to teammates. It’s no wonder that it’s hard to imagine SC without him.
1. FC Cologne – Arminia Bielefeld
Marco Kostmann: Almost eleven years at Arminia – and now for the first time as the responsible coach on the bench. The previous goalkeeping coach Marco Kostmann should save Arminia Bielefeld from relegation to the 2nd division with the experienced Michael Henke as a new assistant. “I don’t have to stand in front of the group and explain football to them, I have to trust them and be who they know me,” said the 56-year-old. When asked what the biggest difference was between goalkeeping and outfield coaching, he replied: “Yesterday I was happy about goals for the first time in training.”
SpVgg Greuther Furth – Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Patrik Schick: In his team’s 7-1 thrashing in the first leg, the Leverkusen striker Schick scored the only four-goal of the Bundesliga season. But after his forced break due to a torn muscle fiber, the 26-year-old Czech struggled to score goals. In his three appearances against Hertha BSC, Bochum and Leipzig, the second-best Bundesliga shooter with a total of 20 goals went away empty-handed.
FC Bayern Munich – Borussia Dortmund
Niklas Süle: The national player is back in the FC Bayern squad after his flu and hopes to present himself against his future employer. “Of course he wants to prove to his new club that he was rightly brought in,” said Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann. “It’s a special game for him against the future club. He’ll give us everything until the end.” Süle switched from Hoffenheim to Munich in the summer of 2017 for around 20 million euros. This summer he is leaving FC Bayern for Dortmund on a free transfer, where he has signed a four-year contract.