Saturday June 27, 2020
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Is Werder Bremen relegating for the first time in 40 years – or maybe Claudio Pizarro is still causing a miracle from the Weser shortly before the end of his career? Düsseldorf has all the trump cards, Gladbach and Leverkusen fight a money duel – and Bayern want goals.
Pizarro makes the miracle come true?
The signs are clear: It takes a miracle from the Weser if Werder doesn’t want to descend for the first time in 40 years. The problem is also clear: this season there is pretty much everything in Bremen – except miracles. Especially if they are to be blessed with many goals. Werder against 1. FC Köln (all games 3.30 pm and in the live ticker on ntv.de.) win and even with the terrifying home record (one win, three draws, twelve losses, nine to 35 goals) it is anything but a sure-fire success. After all, the Cologne team have only won four games abroad. Then Fortuna Düsseldorf also has to lose at Union Berlin. The Köpenickers are strong at home (seven wins), but showed on the 33rd matchday in the 0: 4 against Hoffenheim what it means when there is nothing more for a team. Dusseldorf is the weakest away team in the league, but took six draws on opposing places – and that would be enough this time. Because the powder for the four goals that Werder would then need, the Hanseatic already missed the 5: 1 over Paderborn.
The first Bremen course in the second division in 40 years seems unstoppable. Werder coach Florian Kohfeldt wants to fight “until the very last second”, but will his team do the same? Against Mainz on the previous day, the Hanseatic League could have pushed past Dusseldorf, but because there were fights, but once again too few goals were scored, Bremen now only has this mini opportunity. “Under no circumstances should it happen to us a second time that we will not be able to fulfill our task if other places may be played for us,” warned sports director Frank Baumann. They always want to find out more about the game in Berlin on the Bremer Bank from 3:30 p.m. In his own place, according to Kohfeldt unusually martial, there is only one thing left to do now: “Knife between your teeth and out of there.”
And so Düsseldorf actually has the best chance of defending the relegation place. “We have our own destiny in our hands. For us, it is about a lot, a lot – and you have to feel that,” said Fortuna coach Uwe Rösler. The game at Union has “final character”: “We have to deliver.” Rösler inherited Friedhelm Funkel this year – a step that Werder did not consider necessary in his own club. And with him the Fortuna is now in front of the Bremen team and can seal their descent under their own steam. This would be particularly bitter for one of the best strikers the Bundesliga has ever had: Claudio Pizarro is ending this season and hopes to score two more relegation games with his goals (he is still without goals this year). In 2018, he already relegated from Cologne to the second division with his Bremen opponent – as did his teammates Leonardo Bittencourt and Yuya Osako. Should “Piza” raise his goal account to 200 (he has already netted 197 times in his career), Werder may still have the chance of a miracle from the Weser. Tip: Even Pizarro cannot prevent Werder relegation, Bremen only plays 1-1 against Cologne and Fortuna wrestles the Unioners 2-2.
Gladbach and Bayer need big money
That seems familiar: already last season Borussia Mönchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen argued for the last remaining Champions League place. The foals can move into the premier class against Hertha BSC at home for the third time in five years (after 2015 and 2016) – and have much better cards than the Werkself opponent, who was two points and nine goals behind before the game against Mainz Has. A draw would be enough for Gladbach. “The optimism is great,” said coach Marco Rose. Even third place is still possible.
The duel between the two NRW clubs is of course one thing: the money. The Champions League millions sparkle extra magically in times of the Corona crisis. “If we achieved the really big goal, it would not only do us good in terms of sport,” said Gladbach’s Managing Director Sport, Max Eberl. “Instead, as an association, we would have completely different options to get over this crisis.” Leverkusen, of course, has a similar view, in which one name in particular is equated with money: Kai Havertz. If the Werkself “only” plays in the Europa League next season, he is probably gone. Also because Bayer could use the 100 million transfer fee more than well. Meanwhile, coach Peter Bosz still believes that his mega-talent will remain: “He has a contract, if nothing else happens, I assume that he will also play with us next season.” After all, Leverkusen could still jump on the Champions League train by winning the Europa League. Tip: Leverkusen defeated Mainz clearly 3-0, but Gladbach moves into the premier class after the 2-1 over Hertha.
And otherwise?
VfL Wolfsburg – Bayern Munich: FC Bayern Munich can still achieve a little bit: an entry in the history books. With four goals in Wolfsburg, the Munich team would break the 100-goal mark, something that only one team had previously achieved. Of course also Bayern, in the 1971/72 season. At that time they even scored 101 goals. Robert Lewandoswki even managed five goals against Wolfsburg in just under six minutes in 2015. It is rather unlikely that the wolves open the gates (no pun intended!) In this way. Because Oliver Glasner’s team wants to defend sixth place against TSG Hoffenheim and thus clarify the direct qualification for the Europa League (without going through the unpopular qualification). Tip: 1: 3.
Borussia Dortmund – TSG Hoffenheim: The men from Sinsheim have a similarly complicated task to do in Dortmund. BVB can no longer win or lose in a table, but would like to avoid an embarrassing bankruptcy as in the last home game against Mainz at the end of the season. After all, it is also about as many points as possible from Schalke 04, as sports director Michael Zorc explained at the press conference on Thursday. It’s a good thing that Erling Haaland is in top form – and that, which would probably be more important for BVB fans than a win on this matchday, he would like to stay with BVB even longer. “I signed a long-term contract here and have only just arrived,” said the Norwegian in an interview with the newspapers of the Funke media group. “So I don’t think about leaving the club again.” Tip: 2: 0.
FC Augsburg – RB Leipzig: RB Leipzig could be pushed out of third place by Mönchengladbach (fourth place is only possible on paper) and thus miss important TV money. After only one win from the past four games, Julian Nagelsmann absolutely wants to win a three again and underpin the position of the Leipzig team as the third strongest power in German football. The FCA could even jump from 16th to 11th place with a win and the appropriate other results. Tip: 0: 2.
SC Freiburg – FC Schalke 04: After the bankruptcy at FC Bayern on match day 33, the Breisgauer had to say goodbye to the fight for Europe. Schalke meanwhile have completely different problems. The Revierklub has not won 15 games, another mistake and the negative trend would last until the next season. “Regardless of our series, it is a lot nicer to go into the summer break with a positive experience,” said coach David Wagner at the virtual media discussion on Thursday. In addition: If the financially stricken S04 fell back in the table, millions more would be missing. How things will continue at the crisis club in the second half of the season around Boss Clemens Tönnies should also remain exciting during the summer break. Tip: 2: 1.
Eintracht Frankfurt – SC Paderborn: It is Paderborn’s last Bundesliga appearance this year, but Steffen Baumgart’s team can still be proud. They showed themselves brave and combative in every game with very few exceptions. In this way, the promotion in the 2nd league is likely to succeed again in the coming seasons. The Frankfurt team want to make a successful end to a difficult season clear with a home win. A few weeks ago there was a strong smell of relegation at Eintracht, Adi Hütters team can now even be eighth. Tip: 3: 1.
Who plays the best phrase chess?
“Unfortunately, I haven’t seen a supermarket or bakery from the inside for a long time.”
Werder Bremen coach Florian Kohfeldt asked whether the people in Bremen cheer him up in the shop or at the bakery. Because of the strict hygiene rules of the DFL, the professionals and coaches of the Bundesliga clubs are required to stay as little as possible in public.
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