Bayern Munich have done it again, landing Bundesliga glory for the ninth season in a row, but there is still plenty on the line elsewhere in the German top division going into the penultimate round of fixtures.
There’s a three-way fight for two Champions League places between Wolfsburg, Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt. The Wolves have the edge but they also have the trickiest of the fixtures this weekend with a trip to beaten cup finalists Leipzig.
But the real dramas are at the other end with up to five teams in danger of taking the second automatic relegation spot – and two of this weekend’s fixtures involve four of those five sides. It’s going to be tense.
Magical Markus Can Lead Augsburg To Safety
Augsburg threw the dice late in a bid to secure their top-flight status, firing Heiko Herrlich after four straight defeats and bringing back club hero Markus Weinzierl.
The 46-year-old was head coach during Augsburg’s golden period from 2012-16 and maybe the club just wants to tap into the feel-good factor that he brings.
It didn’t work in as much as his first game back at the club ended in a 2-1 defeat by Stuttgart, though they were the better team for long periods. And the extra few days in charge might make the difference ahead of their crunch showdown with Werder Bremen.
Neither side is in great form – Bremen snapped a seven-game losing streak courtesy of a point in a terrible 0-0 draw with Leverkusen – but Weinzierl’s charges are worth a punt at 8/5.
Hertha’s Striker Woes A Concern
The other crunch fixture at the bottom sees Hertha Berlin take on Koln in the capital.
A win for Hertha and they can breathe again – they’ll be safe from going down automatically or having to endure the relegation playoffs.
However, they are so light of strikers that they are hard to fancy and the draw at 9/4 looks a decent call here.
Hertha’s 2-1 win at Schalke on Wednesday night was a relief but far from convincing – and it came at a cost. Striker Krzystof Piatek limped out of the game and out of the season, joining fellow frontmen Jhon Cordoba and Mateusz Cunha on the sidelines. Another option up front, Dodi Lukebakio, is suspended.
All of which is great news for the Billy Goats since they haven’t kept a clean sheet in 16 games.
Union To Down Tools At Leverkusen
Bayer Leverkusen should be bankers at home to Union Berlin at 20/23.
Union have failed to win eight of their last nine on the road, while Leverkusen have won their last three at home and are still fighting to guarantee a top six finish.
*All odds correct at time of writing.