By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Log leaders Bayer 04 Leverkusen visit the capital as Xabi Alonso’s 40-game unbeaten league leaders look to tighten their grip on their first-ever Meisterschale.
Five-time Bundesliga runners-up, Die Werkself need just nine points from their remaining seven matches to reach the pinnacle of their 120-year history, but they face a tough task against 1. FC Union Berlin who have been in fine form at home at the Stadion an der Alten Försterei under Nenad Bjelica.
Leverkusen could have some help in the shape of a giant killing, with FC Bayern München 13 points behind and still reeling from a home Klassiker defeat to Borussia Dortmund. Things could get awkward for the defending champions as they visit Bundesliga newbies 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 for the first time ever.
Heidenheim showed why they’re one of the stories of European football last time out, coming from 2-0 down against VfB Stuttgart to lead 3-2 before taking a point against the UEFA Champions League challengers. Bayern will be a bigger ask, but perhaps not by much, with the Bavarians a wounded animal sitting just three points ahead of Stuttgart who are third.
Die Schwaben themselves face a daunting task, having spent the majority of the season in the top three, and even looked like potential title challengers on occasion. They now face a buoyed Dortmund who ended their 11-game winless run against Bayern last time out with a statement 2-0 win at the Allianz Arena.
A home win for BVB would see them move just a point behind Stuttgart in third, which would be bad news for top four hopefuls RB Leipzig who travel to a resurgent SC Freiburg. Departing iconic coach Christian Streich saw his side dominate Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-0 last time out, and Marco Rose’s Leipzig will be desperate to avoid further slip-ups after dropping points against lowly 1. FSV Mainz 05 on Matchday 27.
Having recently exited the UEFA Europa League in the round of 16, Freiburg could still return to the competition, sitting just five points shy of the side currently closing out guaranteed qualification, Eintracht Frankfurt. Their hopes of catching up with the Eagles certainly don’t look great this week, though, as Dino Toppmöller’s men kick off the weekend by hosting an SV Werder Bremen side on a league-worst four-game losing streak.
Such form has seen Bremen slump behind FC Augsburg and TSG Hoffenheim, who face off at the PreZero Arena on Sunday as they look for top honours as the best of the rest, whether that comes in the form of Europa League or Conference League football remains to be seen.
While eyes will understandably be on the top of the table, Matchday 28 is also one for the purists, with ‘relegation six pointers’ aplenty.
On Saturday, the aforementioned Mainz in 16th could cut bottom-of-the-table SV Darmstadt 98 further adrift, although the Lilies proved last time out that they will fight tooth-and-nail for three points at the MEWA Arena.
Fans at that game will have an eye on what’s happening when 17th-place 1. FC Köln take on 15th-placed VfL Bochum 1848, as results could well leave the relegation scrap even tighter than it already is.
Desperate not to be pulled into the mess are VfL Wolfsburg and Gladbach, who close off the weekend on Sunday afternoon by facing each other tied on 28 points, knowing that victory could well secure their Bundesliga survival.