podcast
On the 33rd and penultimate matchday of the Bundesliga, the relegation battle continues to escalate. The last three teams in the table all have the chance to save themselves from relegation. The podcast hosts Tobi Schäfer and Jens Walbrodt discuss the tension in the table cellar.
Wolfsburg and St. Pauli are level on points, with 1. FC Heidenheim lurking behind them. It is not unlikely that all three teams will be tied on points after the weekend, says Tobi Schäfer: “Heidenheim currently has more momentum than St. Pauli and Wolfsburg combined.”
Heidenheim suddenly finds himself in the middle of it all
The team from the Swabian Alb has scored points in five of the last six games (two wins, three draws) and just missed the sensation against FC Bayern last weekend. Heidenheim’s lead in Munich was only equalized in the 11th minute of injury time by Bayern’s Michael Olise and FCH had to be content with a point. However, staying in the league is still possible, which seemed unthinkable in mid-March. “There is also something in it for the Heidenheimers in Cologne, although FC also needs a point to finally save the league.”says podcast host Jens Walbrodt. “That will certainly play a role in Cologne’s approach.”
Wolfsburg and the fear of the yellow suspension
For VfL Wolfsburg, another topic is the focus before the game against FC Bayern: the fear of a key player being banned. Wolfsburg has to play against FC Bayern, but is already thinking about the showdown on the last matchday, the direct clash with FC St. Pauli at Millerntor. The problem: With Eriksen, Wimmer and Souza, three key players are at risk of a yellow card suspension. “Dieter Hecking cannot do without any of the three in the ‘final’ against St. Pauli,” says Jens Walbrodt. “The midfield trio is particularly responsible for VfL’s recent upswing.”
Does the game plan help VfL?
However, Wolfsburg can first wait for the FC St. Pauli game and then react. St. Pauli plays at 3:30 p.m., VfL only plays against Bayern at 6:30 p.m. “If St. Pauli loses, Wolfsburg might be able to take a more relaxed approach to the Bayern game. Because then a draw in the direct duel on the last matchday would be enough,” says Tobi Schäfer.
St. Pauli and the bad series
FC St. Pauli is currently the weakest team in the league and has not won in eight games. RB Leipzig’s hurdle seems correspondingly big this weekend. “I can well imagine St. Pauli and Heidenheim swapping places on this match day”says Tobi Schäfer. And then there would be a real three-way battle for relegation on the last matchday – with three teams tied at the bottom of the table.
Who will make it to the Champions League?
And this scenario also exists in the fight for participation in the Champions League: three teams with the same points and two of the opponents, Stuttgart and Leverkusen, are playing against each other this weekend. In the Bundesliga Update Podcast, the team also discusses the game in detail, just like all the games on this 33rd matchday.
The Bundesliga update – every Thursday and Monday
The Bundesliga update is available on ARD Sounds, everywhere there are podcasts and on the Sportschau football channel on YouTube. New episodes appear on Thursday afternoons and Monday mornings.