Four days after Bayern Munich wrapped up the Bundesliga title, the German top flight will return with a fresh set of fixtures this weekend as the race for the various European spots is heating up.
The Bavarians secured their eighth consecutive Bundesliga title with a 0-1 win over Werder Bremen in front of an empty Weser Stadium on Tuesday night.
This leaves Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Monchengladbach battling one another in a close race for the Champions League spots.
Meanwhile, the battle for the Europa League spots is equally as tight with the likes of Wolfsburg, Hoffenheim and Freiburg more determined than ever to achieve their lofty ambitions by the end of the season.
With Paderborn already relegated after suffering a 1-0 defeat to Union Berlin on Tuesday, clubs like Werder Bremen, Dusseldorf and Mainz are gearing up for a challenging relegation dogfight at the other end of the table.
Without further ado, let us take a look at what the Bundesliga has in store for us on Gameweek 33.
Bayern Munich vs Freiburg (Prediction: 3-1)
Bayern Munich will be in a celebratory mood when they host Freiburg at the Allianz Arena on Saturday afternoon after they secured their eighth Bundesliga title earlier this week.
The Bavarians successfully retained the league trophy with a 1-0 win over Werder Bremen on Tuesday, putting an end to what was initially one of the closest title races in Europe.
They will return to the pitch as champions this weekend as they face a Freiburg side that boosted their hopes of European qualification with a 2-1 victory over Hertha Berlin in the previous fixture.
Christian Streich’s men sit eighth on the standings and will be looking to get the better of their Munich opponents to leapfrog the likes of Hoffenheim and Wolfsburg to a top-six place.
RB Leipzig vs Borussia Dortmund (Prediction: 2-2)
RB Leipzig are scheduled to welcome Borussia Dortmund to the Red Bull Arena on Saturday afternoon as the two sides will go head to head in a battle for the runners-up spot in the Bundesliga.
The hosts currently occupy third place on the table, three points away from their visitors, and will be aiming to make amends for their 2-2 home draw against Fortuna Dusseldorf on Wednesday by coming off with all three points against BVB.
Lucien Favre’s men will have to rummage through their heads for motivation to face Die Roten Bullen after losing the title race to Bayern Munich earlier this week.
However, they are likely to be ready to consolidate their runners-up position after a shock 2-0 defeat to relegation-threatened Mainz on Wednesday has put their place on the standings in doubt.
Hoffenheim vs Union Berlin (Prediction: 2-1)
Hoffenheim will be aiming for the sixth place when they welcome Union Berlin to the PreZero Arena on Saturday afternoon.
The hosts currently occupy seventh place in the Bundesliga standings, level on points with six-placed Wolfsburg, and will be looking at this weekend’s encounter as a must-win game to keep their European-football hopes alive.
Meanwhile, the visitors are 12th on the table, level on points with 11th-placed rivals Hertha Berlin, and will hope to move to the other end of the table with a win.
Fortuna Dusseldorf vs Augsburg (Prediction: 1-0)
Fortuna Dusseldorf have yet another opportunity to get out of the relegation playoff spot when they host Augsburg at the Merkur Spiel-Arena on Saturday afternoon.
Uwe Rosler’s men are currently 16h on the standings, five points away from 15th-placed Mainz, and will be aiming to replicate their impressive performance in their 2-2 draw against RB Leipzig last time out to get the better of their visitors this weekend.
Meanwhile, Die Fuggerstadter sit six points away from their Dusseldorf-based opponents in 14th place and will be keen on surpassing FC Köln further up the standings with a victory.
Hertha Berlin vs Bayer Leverkusen (Prediction: 1-2)
Bayern Leverkusen are scheduled to travel to the capital to take on Hertha Berlin at the Olympiastadion on Saturday afternoon.
Die Werkself, who currently occupy fourth place on the standings, will be keen on consolidating their position in their penultimate fixture of the campaign, especially as Borussia Monchengladbach follow one point behind in fifth place.
Meanwhile, the hosts sit 11th on the Bundesliga table and have little to play for other than a higher position in the middle of the standings.
Mainz vs Werder Bremen (Prediction: 2-1)
Relegation candidates Mainz and Werder Bremen will go head to head at the Opel Arena in a crucial bottom-of-the-table clash on Saturday.
The hosts are five points away from the relegation playoff spot in 15th place and will be keen to avoid a drop into the danger zone on their penultimate match of the season.
The Bundesliga game is even more significant for the visitors, who sit 17th on the standings, and will hope against all odds that they escape the relegation zone.
Schalke vs Wolfsburg (Prediction: 1-3)
Wolfsburg will be looking to strengthen their challenge for a European spot when they face Schalke at the VELTINS-Arena on Saturday afternoon.
The hosts currently occupy sixth place on the Bundesliga standings and will fight to end their two-game winless streak and retain their European position as the end of the campaign draws closer.
Meanwhile, the visitors, who are tenth on the table, do not have much to play for after squandering their chance to finish in the top six with a series of dismal results.
FC Köln vs vs. Eintracht Frankfurt (Prediction: 1-2)
FC Köln will play host to Eintracht Frankfurt at the RheinEnergieStadion in a crucial Bundesliga game on Saturday afternoon.
The 13-placed hosts only need one point from the encounter to guarantee their place in the Bundesliga next season but their opponents this weekend may prove to be too strong for them.
The visitors, who occupy ninth place on the standings, have an incredibly remote chance of securing a European spot but any hopes of doing so could be easily shattered if their fellow contenders attain favourable results in the last few games of the campaign.
Paderborn vs Borussia Monchengladbach (Prediction: 0-2)
Relegated Paderborn are scheduled to welcome Borussia Monchengladbach to the Benteler-Arena Stadium in a game that is particularly important for the visitors on Saturday.
The hosts have nothing to play for after they were officially relegated to the second division of German football following their 1-0 loss to Union Berlin on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Die Fohlen are in the midst of a tight battle for a Champions League spot as they sit one point away from fourth-placed Bayer Leverkusen.
Marco Rose’s men cannot afford to drop points this weekend and will be looking to establish a consecutive league win to keep their European football hopes alive.
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