The 2017/18 German Bundesliga season will come to a close with the final nine fixtures all taking place on Saturday at the same time.
Its coronation day for Bayern Munich while Cologne will be playing their final game in the top flight. The relegated side travel to Wolfsburg, who are in the relegation playoff place – two points above Hamburg in an automatic relegation spot. Freiburg are three points clear of the relegation playoff place and Christian Streich’s side will play host to Augsburg.
With Schalke clinching second place, there are still four teams in with a shout of the other two Champions League places – Dortmund, Hoffenheim, Leverkusen and Leipzig.
The key match will see the Black and Yellows travelling to Hoffenheim. The BVB are yet to secure their Champions League berth, and a two (or more) goal loss against Julian Nagelsmann’s side would put them in danger of dropping out of the top four if Bayer Leverkusen blows out Hannover.
Saturday 12 May
Hamburg 23/20
Draw 26/10
Monchengladbach 43/20
(15:30)
This is a must-win game for Hamburg but victory for Christian Titz’s men won’t be enough to avoid the drop. The Red Shorts need already-relegated Cologne to do them a massive favour and win at Wolfsburg to finish in the relegation playoff spot. Hamburg slumped to a 3-0 defeat away to Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend, but will be happy to return to the Volksparkstadion where they’ve won back-to-back games against Schalke and Freiburg. Monchengladbach are unbeaten in their last three matches with two wins (both at home), however, they’ve won just once in their last 10 away games, suffering seven defeats. I’m backing Hamburg to claim all three points.
Schalke 23/20
Draw 26/10
Eintracht Frankfurt 43/20
(15:30)
Schalke did extremely well to secure second place after finishing 10th in the 2016/17 season. Domenico Tedesco, age 32, has done a terrific job since taking over in June last year, including winning the Revierderby, beating arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund for the first time in more than three and a half years. The Royal Blues are unbeaten in their last five home games, winning four times. Eintracht Frankfurt ended their five-game winless run with a 3-0 victory at home to 17th-placed Hamburg last weekend. The Eagles will be hoping for another impressive display, but their last six away games have all ended in defeat. The home win is tipped.
Bayern Munich 2/9
Draw 6/1
Stuttgart 19/2
(15:30)
Bayern, who are league champions for a record sixth straight time, have won their last six Bundesliga matches in a row, scoring 25 goals while conceding four. The Bavarians are unbeaten at the Allianz Arena this season with 14 wins from 16 games played. Stuttgart are unbeaten in their last four games with three wins in a row, netting five without reply. The Reds will be looking to spoil the party but Bayern have won their last 16 meetings against them. Back the Bavarians to end the season off in style and take them on the (-1) Handicap at 5/10.
Bayer Leverkusen 1/5
Draw 6/1
Hannover 10/1
(15:30)
Bayer Leverkusen have to beat Hannover and hope Hoffenheim drop points against Dortmund to seal a top-four finish. Heiko Herrlich’s side have struggled in recent matches – they were hammered 6-2 by Bayern in the semis of the DFB Pokal and were thrashed 4-0 by Dortmund in the Bundesliga. Leverkusen also lost 1-0 to Stuttgart in their last home game and had to settle for a goalless draw away to Werder Bremen last weekend. Hannover claimed a 3-1 win at home to Hertha Berlin after back-to-back losses against Bayern and Hoffenheim. The Reds have struggled on the road this season with just two wins from 16 games, going their last 11 without a win. This is a must-win for Leverkusen and I’m backing them to come good here.
Freiburg 19/20
Draw 26/10
Augsburg 28/10
(15:30)
Freiburg have recorded just one victory in their last 10 matches in the Bundesliga and that was against relegated Cologne, at the end of last month. Prior to that win, Christian Streich’s side had suffered six straight defeats, failing to score in seven matches, and last weekend they were beaten 3-1 at Monchengladbach. Augsburg come off a 2-1 loss at home to Schalke and will hope to end the season on a winning note. Manuel Baum’s side are unbeaten in their last five away games, although they’ve won just once. These sides shared the spoils when they met in December and I’m backing them to cancel each other out once again.
Mainz 5/4
Draw 26/10
Werder Bremen 19/10
(15:30)
Mainz have won three of their last four matches, including back-to-back victories over RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund. The O-Fives will be looking to win three in a row for the first time in the Bundesliga this season. Werder Bremen are winless in their last five matches, suffering consecutive losses on the road against Hannover and Stuttgart. However, the Green-Whites have won on their last three trips to Mainz. Given the fact that Mainz haven’t won three in a row and that Bremen normally beat them on their turf, I suggest you steer clear of this one. But if I had to pick a winner here, I’d go with Mainz.
Hertha Berlin 32/10
Draw 29/10
RB Leipzig 15/20
(15:30)
Hertha Berlin will be looking to give their supporters some much-needed cheer after suffering a 3-1 defeat at Hannover last weekend. The Old Lady will fancy their chances of victory having beaten RB Leipzig 3-2 in December – going 3-0 up in less than an hour played. The Red Bulls struggled to replicate last season’s heroics and will be desperate to end the campaign on a high. Ralph Hasenhuttl’s side claimed an emphatic 4-1 victory at home to Wolfsburg last weekend, but prior to that, the Bulls were winless in five matches with four defeats. I’m expecting another goal thriller here with Over 2.5 Goals tipped at 11/20.
Wolfsburg 6/10
Draw 32/10
Cologne 4/1
(15:30)
This is a must-win game for Wolfsburg and they’ll be happy to be playing against already-relegated Cologne. The Wolves, who are on a three-match losing streak, are winless in their last eight matches at home, losing five times. However, they’re unbeaten in their last five home meetings against Cologne with three wins. I’m backing Bruno Labbadia’s team to come good here and claim a much-needed victory.
Hoffenheim 14/10
Draw 29/10
Borussia Dortmund 16/10
(15:30)
This is undoubtedly the tie of the round. Hoffenheim must beat Dortmund by at least two goals to finish third or by one goal to finish fourth, assuming Leverkusen fail to win by more than four goals. For the BVB, a point will be enough to secure their Champions League berth but the Rhein-Neckar-Arena is a tough place to go to. Julian Nagelsmann’s side are unbeaten in their last six matches at home with five wins, including four on the bounce. In that run, they’ve scored 19 goals while conceding four. The Black and Yellows are winless in their last six travels in all competitions with two defeats – those losses coming in their last three visits. Dortmund have drawn each of their last four trips to Hoffenheim. The draw looks likely.
TREBLE @ 17/1
Hamburg Win 23/20
Schalke Win 23/20
Hoffenheim vs Dortmund Draw 29/10
Written by Chadley Nagel