Which premature decisions can be made in the leagues in German professional football, what is already definitive in the final spurt of the 2022/23 season? An overview of the Bundesliga, the 2nd Bundesliga and the 3rd division.
Bundesliga: Championship
The head-to-head race for the German championship will not be decided on the 32nd matchday either. Bayern Munich will play against Schalke 04 on Saturday (13.05.2023, 3.30 p.m.), Borussia Dortmund will meet the other Borussia from Mönchengladbach in the evening game (6.30 p.m.). Both teams are separated by a point with three remaining games of the season. A decision in the fight for the title could be made on the penultimate matchday at the earliest.
Bundesliga: International starting places
The fight for the right to start in a European competition is also still hot for the most part. Munich and BVB can no longer be separated from qualifying for the Champions League. RB Leipzig, 1. FC Union Berlin and SC Freiburg are fighting for the other two places. One of the three clubs will eventually start in the Europa League. Leverkusen’s chance of being in the premier class is very slim with a deficit of eight points in fourth place – unless the factory club wins the Europa League and thereby qualifies for the Champions League.
When it comes to the starting places for the Europa League and the Conference League, there are plenty of scenarios as to when which club might still be there. Also decisive for this: the final in the DFB Cup between RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt. Everything is still open here.
Bundesliga: relegation
Who can save themselves on Matchday 32, who could be relegated? 1. FC Köln finally managed to break away from the relegation zone with their win in Leverkusen last weekend. Werder Bremen (in Leipzig), FC Augsburg (in Bochum) and 1899 Hoffenheim (in Wolfsburg) could also succeed if they could increase their lead in 16th place (currently Stuttgart, 28 points) to more than six points.
The good news for fans of bottom-placed Hertha BSC: Even a defeat in Cologne on Friday evening would not definitely seal relegation.
2. Bundesliga: rise
SV Darmstadt 98 could already celebrate their promotion next Sunday. That would definitely be the case with a win on matchday 32 at Hannover 96. Even if only one point jumped out on the leash and at the same time Hamburger SV got a maximum of one point from Jahn Regensburg. There would also be a sensation for 1. FC Heidenheim if Hamburg went empty-handed in the Upper Palatinate and FCH won the difficult away game at SC Paderborn at the same time.
2. Bundesliga: relegation
It’s very exciting in the table cellar of the 2nd league. 1. FC Magdeburg is certainly in eleventh place. Behind them, seven teams are more or less threatened with relegation. It looks the worst for Arminia Bielefeld (16th, 30 points), Jahn Regensburg (17th) and SV Sandhausen (18th, both 28 points). If the latter two do not score and 1. FC Nürnberg and Hansa Rostock do not lose at the same time, then Regensburg and Sandhausen could only reach the relegation place at most.
3rd league: promotion
SV 07 Elversberg (70 points) has one foot in the 2nd Bundesliga. However, on the 36th matchday, SC Freiburg, who are in second place, have an absolutely top game. Freiburg II cannot advance. If they win in Breisgau on Saturday, Elversberg is the first climber. SV 07 has also risen in the event of a draw if Dynamo Dresden (63 points) in third place at FSV Zwickau, Wehen Wiesbaden against SC Verl and VfL Osnabrück (both tied) against Meppen should either only draw or lose.
3rd league: relegation
So far, Erzgebirge Aue is definitely saved in twelfth place with 43 points. The relegation zone begins behind it. Things are looking really bleak for SV Meppen (17th place with 33 points), as well as VfB Oldenburg (18th, 32nd), FSV Zwickau (19th, 31st) and SpVgg Bayreuth (20th, 31st). Should Hall as Table-16. win his game at 1. FC Saarbrücken and RW Essen get at least one draw, Zwickau and Bayreuth (even if they won) would definitely have been relegated. Meppen and Oldenburg have to score three points to stay in the race: If Halle were to win, every loss of a point would also mean relegation.