- Five Bundesliga games took place on Saturday.
- Seven goals were scored between Bayern and Mainz.
- Things remain explosive in the relegation battle.
With an irresistible comeback, champions Bayern Munich averted an impending embarrassment at FSV Mainz 05 in the dress rehearsal for the Champions League semi-final. Three days before the cracker duel in Paris, the star ensemble from the Isar won 4:3 (0:3) thanks to a significant improvement after the break and thus prevented their second defeat of the season in the Bundesliga.
For only the second time in the club’s history, the Munich team converted a three-goal deficit at half-time into a win. They had previously achieved this feat in 1976 against VfL Bochum (6:5).
In front of 33,305 spectators, Dominik Kohr scored in the 15th minute, Paul Nebel (29th) and Sheraldo Becker (45th + 2) before the break for Mainz. Nicolas Jackson (53rd), Michael Olise (73rd), Jamal Musiala (80th) and Harry Kane (83rd) turned things around after the change.
Bayer Leverkusen has preserved its chances of qualifying for the Champions League and has allowed a strong 1. FC Köln to continue to tremble in the relegation battle for the time being. Three days after losing the cup semi-final against FC Bayern Munich, coach Kasper Hjulmand’s team happily won 2-1 (1-0) in the Rhenish derby.
In front of 50,000 spectators in the Cologne stadium, double goalscorer Patrik Schick initially gave Leverkusen the lead with a penalty (43rd minute) and then followed up in the 52nd minute. The Cologne goal by joker Luca Waldschmidt (78th) could no longer prevent the first defeat for René Wagner’s team after five unbeaten league games in a row.
Even against favorite opponents Borussia Mönchengladbach, VfL Wolfsburg did not manage their second home win in 2026 and thus missed the jump to the relegation place. The VW Club couldn’t get past a 0-0 draw in the basement duel against the team from the Lower Rhine and remains second to last in the table despite the defeat of sixteenth-placed St. Pauli in Heidenheim. The Gladbachers, on the other hand, collected another point to stay in the league and are six points clear of the relegation place with three game days before the end of the season. However, they lost Jens Castrop, who was shown a red card in stoppage time.
1. FC Heidenheim can continue to dream of a last-minute rescue in the Bundesliga. At the same time, the bottom of the table increased the relegation worries of their direct rivals from Hamburg with their 2-0 (1-0) win against FC St. Pauli, who are now only four points ahead of Heidenheim.
Budu Siwsiwadze scored in front of 15,000 spectators after just three minutes and Eren Dinkci made everything clear in the final phase (82′). As a result, FCH extended the opponent’s form crisis. St. Pauli is waiting as 16th in the table. In the fight to stay in the league, they have been on a three-pointer since the end of February and are under enormous pressure with three games still to play.
In the fight for Europe, Eintracht Frankfurt is making slow progress under the criticized coach Albert Riera. FC Augsburg with Cédric Zesiger and Fabian Rieder, on the other hand, is celebrating its non-relegation party. Coach Manuel Baum’s team was saved early after the 1-1 (1-0) draw on matchday 31 in the Bundesliga. The Augsburg team can now plan their 16th season in the German elite class.
However, the Frankfurters are no longer able to achieve much in the fight for seventh place in the table, which guarantees participation in an international competition in the coming season. Riera’s team is currently seventh, but Freiburg, with the same points, can have three points at Borussia Dortmund on Sunday (5:30 p.m.).
Sven Forster (fss) has been working for 20 minutes since 2018. He has been working as a leaf maker since the beginning of 2024. He has been heading the sports department since September 2024.
