By Rich
Saturday is the last day of regular play for this Bundesliga season, and although Bayern won the league title weeks ago, much is at stake at both ends of the table. Both Bayern and Schalke will be playing in the UEFA Champions League next season, and 5 other clubs still each have a mathematical chance of joining them. 4 Bundesliga teams are each guaranteed a spot, while the team finishing in 5th place qualifies for the UEFA Europa League group stage, and the team finishing in 6th place will look at entry in the 2nd qualifying round. Should Bayern win against Eintracht Frankfurt in the DFB Pokal final on May 19th, the team that finishes in 7th place will enter the 2nd qualifying round and the 6th-place finisher will enter the group stage. In the middle of the table, Hertha Berlin, Augsburg, Werder Bremen, Hannover, and Mainz cannot mathematically qualify for Europe play, but all are safe from relegation. Cologne will finish the season in last place and are already relegated to the 2. Bundesliga next season. Freiburg will remain in the 1. Bundesliga with a tie or win in Augsburg, or with a Wolfsburg loss to Cologne. Should Freiburg lose to Augsburg and Wolfsburg win against Cologne, Freiburg will end the season in the relegation play-off slot. Wolfsburg will need both a win over Cologne and a Freiburg loss to avoid relegation. Otherwise, Wolfsburg can match Hamburg’s result to Gladbach to land in the relegation play-off spot, or a Wolfsburg draw and a Hamburg win under 10 goals will also land Wolfsburg in the relegation play-off. But, if Wolfsburg loses and Hamburg wins, Wolfsburg will be relegated. Hamburg can only avoid relegation on Saturday with a win against Gladbach, and even then only if Wolfsburg loses. If Wolfsburg draws against Cologne, Hamburg will have to win by at least 10 goals.
On May 17th, the 16th-place finisher in the 1. Bundesliga will host the 3rd-place finisher in the 2. Bundesliga, and on May 21st, the 3rd-place finisher in the 2. Bundesliga will host the 16th-place finisher in the 1. Bundesliga. Fortuna Düsseldorf and 1. FC Nürnberg have both already won promotion to the 1. Bundesliga next season, and Holstein Kiel is in the relegation playoffs on May 17th and 21st.
The FIFA World Cup begins on June 14th. Germany will play Mexico on June 17th, Sweden on June 23rd, and South Korea on June 27th.
The 56th season of the Bundesliga will begin on August 24th, 2018.
Saturday is the last day of regular play for this Bundesliga season, and although Bayern won the league title weeks ago, much is at stake at both ends of the table. Both Bayern and Schalke will be playing in the UEFA Champions League next season, and 5 other clubs still each have a mathematical chance of joining them. 4 Bundesliga teams are each guaranteed a spot, while the team finishing in 5th place qualifies for the UEFA Europa League group stage, and the team finishing in 6th place will look at entry in the 2nd qualifying round. Should Bayern win against Eintracht Frankfurt in the DFB Pokal final on May 19th, the team that finishes in 7th place will enter the 2nd qualifying round and the 6th-place finisher will enter the group stage. In the middle of the table, Hertha Berlin, Augsburg, Werder Bremen, Hannover, and Mainz cannot mathematically qualify for Europe play, but all are safe from relegation. Cologne will finish the season in last place and are already relegated to the 2. Bundesliga next season. Freiburg will remain in the 1. Bundesliga with a tie or win in Augsburg, or with a Wolfsburg loss to Cologne. Should Freiburg lose to Augsburg and Wolfsburg win against Cologne, Freiburg will end the season in the relegation play-off slot. Wolfsburg will need both a win over Cologne and a Freiburg loss to avoid relegation. Otherwise, Wolfsburg can match Hamburg’s result to Gladbach to land in the relegation play-off spot, or a Wolfsburg draw and a Hamburg win under 10 goals will also land Wolfsburg in the relegation play-off. But, if Wolfsburg loses and Hamburg wins, Wolfsburg will be relegated. Hamburg can only avoid relegation on Saturday with a win against Gladbach, and even then only if Wolfsburg loses. If Wolfsburg draws against Cologne, Hamburg will have to win by at least 10 goals.
On May 17th, the 16th-place finisher in the 1. Bundesliga will host the 3rd-place finisher in the 2. Bundesliga, and on May 21st, the 3rd-place finisher in the 2. Bundesliga will host the 16th-place finisher in the 1. Bundesliga. Fortuna Düsseldorf and 1. FC Nürnberg have both already won promotion to the 1. Bundesliga next season, and Holstein Kiel is in the relegation playoffs on May 17th and 21st.
The FIFA World Cup begins on June 14th. Germany will play Mexico on June 17th, Sweden on June 23rd, and South Korea on June 27th.
The 56th season of the Bundesliga will begin on August 24th, 2018.
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