It’s all you ever want on the final day – who will win the league and which two from four will be automatically relegated? Thankfully the Bundesliga has them both to play for, Matchday 34 is primed to give us winners and losers of epic proportions.
By Chris Williams, our Bundesliga expert
And then there were two
Union Berlin and Freiburg’s exceptional seasons eventually suffered a small drop off; however, one of them will feature in next season’s UEFA Champions League for the first time. RB Leipzig’s fifth straight victory was enough to secure third place on Matchday 33, but as the final 90 minutes approach it’s all about two clubs, Borussia Dortmund and Bayern München.
Thomas Tuchel is safe in the dugout if you listen to the numerous reports coming out of Bavaria, but there must be some part of him that feels like he’s living a nightmare. When appointed just nine weeks ago Bayern were being touted as potential treble winners, now they must hope Dortmund slip up against Mainz for a shot at winning ‘just’ the league title.
To end the season trophyless would break an 11-year run of winning either the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal or Champions League. For a club that has routinely won two out of the three pots on offer taking home nothing would come as a massive shock.
Since beating Dortmund on 1 April (a result that many saw as Bayern flexing their title credentials) the Rekordmeister have picked up 13 points from the 21 on offer, a return that has seen them drop from one point in front to two behind Dortmund.
Their season can almost be encapsulated by three statistics; shots on target per match 7.7 – a league high, but two other league highs give insight into their inability to convert – big chances created 100, big chances missed 82. Carpe diem has not been Bayern’s phrase of late.
90 minutes from glory
Meanwhile, 600km northwest of Munich life couldn’t be more different. The mood around the city of Dortmund is pure excitement. The local council are planning for the ‘party to end all parties’ should the fixture against Mainz go as planned – for the first time in over a decade the Bundesliga title is in Borussia Dortmund’s own hands.
Having known the fate of Bayern before they kicked off against Augsburg last weekend it may have been enough to unsettle a team that has come close before but ultimately ended with nothing.
This season however, it’s been a little different. Sweeping aside Augsburg 3-0 was just a continuation of their recent form.
Edin Terzić’s side have hit the net 14 times in their last three matches. Draws against Stuttgart and Bochum during the run-in should have been enough to count them out of the title race, but they have shown vast mental toughness to bounce back and reclaim the position of power at the top of the table.
Perhaps the biggest compliment to the way in which Dortmund’s 40-year-old boss likes to play football can be seen by the way in which goals are spread out across the entire team.
In the past Dortmund have had one main goal getter. Prior to this season it was of course Erling Haaland, before that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and before him Robert Lewandowski.
But goals this season have been easy to come by, and from all areas. Donyell Malen, Julian Brandt and -spectacularly – Sébastien Haller sit on nine goals apiece with Jude Bellingham just behind on eight.
In total the Schwarzgelben have eight different players contributing a total of 61 goals, their football has been tremendous to watch. Now 90 minutes stands between Terzić and the exorcism of Jürgen Klopp’s ghost which has haunted the Westfalenstadion since his departure almost eight years ago.
Time to say goodbye
Hertha Berlin’s relegation to 2.Bundesliga was made official after their draw at home to VfL Bochum on Matchday 33, but the final automatic drop spot and the relegation playoff place for the 16th ranked team in the league remains wide open.
Schalke 04 occupy 17th as the final day approaches, it probably doesn’t need that much of an explanation how a situation whereby Dortmund win the league and Schalke get relegated would go down in both cities, Gelsenkirchen obviously for Schalke!
VfB Stuttgart and Bochum are the other clubs for whom the axe weighs heavily. Augsburg are all but safe from immediate relegation, unless they leak 16 goals to Borussia Mönchengladbach, but all three sides can still finish the season with 180 minutes of hell via the playoff.
For those unaware, 16th place in the Bundesliga plays third in the 2.Bundesliga over two legs, the winner either gains or retains top-flight status.
Honourable mention…
An honourable mention must go to Bayer Leverkusen. Xabi Alonso’s side just missed out on a Europa League Final appearance by virtue of some world class Mourinhoball. The Portuguese coach parked the bus in the BayArena and his AS Roma side face Sevilla in the final to see who the Spaniards will beat en-route to their seventh title.
Leverkusen must better Wolfsburg’s result at home to Hertha to be sure of a place in the Europa Conference League next season, win away to Bochum and it’s guaranteed.
And that is it, after 33 matches, 2970 minutes of football and nine months it all comes down to the final fixture for the 11 clubs with something to play for. One will be crowned title winners and one will face automatic relegation. The roller coaster is on its final loop – enjoy.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every match from the 2022/23 Bundesliga season live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including shot maps, xG, and player ratings. Download the free app here.