Hard opponents for Leipzig & Mainz
© TM/Imago
The Bundesliga turns on the home straight – four game days are still pending. While FC Bayern is heading for his 34th championship, the race for the relegation rank is heading in the table cellar. There is still a lot of tension in the fight for Europe. Transfer market gives an overview of the remaining program of the Bundesliga clubs.
Werder Bremen showed the best form on the last five match days, who recently won four times in a row and climbed eighth. A look at the upcoming opponents should continue to increase the euphoria among the fans of the green-whites, because with FC St. Pauli, Union Berlin and 1. FC Heidenheim, three of the four next opponents are placed far behind the Hanseatic League. In addition, there is the current fourth RB Leipzig, which is waiting on the penultimate matchday – as an average rank, it makes 11.75 and thus a rather easier remaining program.
Captain Marco Friedl would have no objection to additional games in the coming season. “I have always said that I already wish that we will position ourselves in the next few years to play again for higher goals.” Because for him Werder belongs: “That there are floodlight games during the week. That big teams come here. I believe that the club has what it takes when we and all about doing a good job.”
In order to be able to plan safely with Europe, Werder should be at least sixth. Because only if VfB Stuttgart wins the DFB Cup and comes under the top 6, would the seventh place also entitle the conference League to participate. The Swabians (average rank: 11.00) currently have six points behind the 1. FSV Mainz 05, which is in sixth place, for which the most difficult remaining program is waiting together with the Leipzigers (5.75).
BVB still wants to go to the Champions League
In the best case, Borussia Dortmund, which is greatly improved under coach Niko Kovac, continues to fight. He had taken over the black and yellow as eleventh, now they are seventh. There are two points missing in sixth place that would lead to Conference League, three in fifth place, which entitles you to participate in the Europa League. They are four points away from the premier class, in whose final the Dortmund last season.
When comparing the remaining games, the presumably simplest remaining program of all clubs in the upper half of the table with an average rank of 11.75 awaits the remaining parts next to the Bremeners; TSG Hoffenheim, VfL Wolfsburg, Bayer Leverkusen and Holstein Kiel. “We want to see every game as a final,” emphasized sports director Sebastian Kehl, who knows exactly how important the income from the Champions League would be for the club. For all teams currently in front of the Dortmunders, the remaining opponents have an single -digit place in the table.
The championship fight is now facing the early decision. Already on Saturday, FC Bayern can make the title clear if the Munich team won against Mainz and Leverkusen did not win against FC Augsburg at the same time. Should it be postponed for another week, Leipzig would then wait for Bayern and on Bayer 04 SC Freiburg. The average place of their residual opponents is at a similar level at 8.50 to 7.00.
Fight for relegation decided? Heidenheim hopes for relegation
In the fight for relegation, Hoffenheim and St. Pauli seem to be in 15th and 14th place, even if a heavier remaining program is waiting for both (average rank opponents of the TSG: 7.25, at St. Pauli 9.75). The head start of 1. FC Heidenheim on the relegation rank is eight points. The FCH, on the other hand, can have hope of defending its place to the end and keeping the class over two extra games, since the team from Frank Schmidt after Union Berlin (12.75) has the simplest remaining program. “Now the games that we are concerned with are coming,” said Schmidt. Stuttgart, VfL Bochum, the Iron and Werder have an average of 12.25.
The remaining opponents of the Bochumers, who are two points behind Heidenheim, also have this value. In addition to the direct duel with the FCH Union, Mainz and St. Pauli, the protégés of Dieter Hecking are waiting for the direct duel. It is supposedly harder for the current bottom of the Holstein Kiel. The storks, again a counter behind Bochum, still have to do with Gladbach, Augsburg, Freiburg and Dortmund with an average rank of 7.75.