“I’d put it like this – even in the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup we held our own well. In the end Bayern showed the quality they have. You could see it in the first Bundesliga game this season [when Stuttgart lost 5-0] as well. We have to play like we did in the first half. We have to really stand up to them and somehow try to stop their individual quality. I think we can manage that. Of course, it’s going to be very difficult.”

Bundesliga: How many risks can you afford to take against Bayern?

“I do think you have to play with courage. In Munich especially you have to be very brave, but not reckless, because they punish basically every mistake, and they’re doing that consistently this season. You mustn’t lose your head, but still play with a lot of courage.”

Bundesliga: What can you learn from Bayern’s record-breaking attack?

“A lot, actually. The finishing of those three in attack [Harry Kane, Luis Díaz and Michael Olise] is unbelievable – the composure and conviction with which they put chances away is definitely something you can learn from. But also, their interplay and how they set each other up is world-class. You can take something from that too. Of course it’s difficult, but you can maybe add one or two things to your own game.”

Asllani: “I’m proud of myself because not many people would have expected me to be where I am now a year and a half ago. I never stopped working, even when things didn’t look promising, and in the end I’ve been rewarded for that.

“I just try to enjoy everything – to enjoy football and have fun. I don’t focus on things off the pitch. I just want to perform and enjoy myself, because when I’m enjoying it, I play my best football.”

Watch: The best of Fisnik Asllani

But Eta, who was previously in charge of the Berlin club’s U19 side, has not appeared unduly flustered by all the attention. For her, all that matters is halting a run of form which ultimately led to her predecessor, Steffen Baumgart, being relieved of his duties last weekend.

That led to the departure of Lukas Kwasniok as head coach, with René Wagner replacing him, and the switch has already had an impact. Against Eintracht Frankfurt on Matchday 28, the Billy Goats fell 2-0 behind, but showed fantastic resilience to fight back and earn a point. A week later, they dealt with the high-pressure situation of a match-up with fellow strugglers Bremen to register a comfortable victory.

Watch: Cologne 3-1 Werder Bremen - highlights

Schuster was full of praise for his side after their unforgettable win in Spain: "I feel a deep sense of gratitude. Gratitude that we get to experience exactly these moments together. Gratitude, too, that the team was able to prove it again today, that they picked up exactly where they left off last week—that this is anything but a given, but rather very, very impressive."

By storming past Celta, Freiburg ensured that there are still two Bundesliga sides in the semi-finals of a European club competition this season, following Bayern Munich’s thrilling quarter-final victory over Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League. 

Most Fantasy teams this season have included Bayern Munich duo Harry Kane and Michael Olise. Rightly so, given they are the top scorers in the game. But they have not always played from the start lately, seeing ownership drop and budget available to spent.

So, who else might you consider for your team? We're here to shine the spotlight on those hidden gems that could help you climb up the table...

Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich), 22.06M

Bayern have taken their time with Jamal Musiala as they ease him back to full fitness. He played 84 minutes against St. Pauli last weekend and chipped in with a goal and an assist. He set up another off the bench for Luis Díaz against Real Madrid on Wednesday. Given Bayern’s recent rotation around European fixtures, a start and subsequent big showing is again likely against VfB Stuttgart on Sunday.

Watch: All Musiala's Bundesliga goals

Jarell Quansah: "I’ve really loved it, to be honest. It’s been refreshing for me. I’ve started loving football again. Being able to play week in, week out against some of the best teams in the world. Showing what I’m capable of, what I can give to this team and to the fans as well. I’ve really enjoyed it so far, but it’s not over yet. We’ve got an important month ahead of us."

Watch: Quansah was a candidate for the February Rookie of the Month award

It may come as a surprise - especially after their Matchday 29 home defeat to Bayer Leverkusen - but Dortmund remain on track for their second-best points return in a single Bundesliga season. Winning their remaining five league games would leave Niko Kovač's men with 79 points - just two shy of the record set in their last title-winning campaign under the legendary Jürgen Klopp in 2011/12.

Watch: A very different Dortmund

Olise's display was especially eye-catching. After hammering home his side's fourth goal of the night with the final kick of the game, the France international collected the Man of the Match award in trademark insouciant fashion. 

The BBC noted: "Seven goals, two red cards and the competition's 15-time winners exiting in anger - once again the knockout stages of European club football's elite contest has delivered drama in spades."

Watch: Luis Díaz decoded

Bayern held a slender first-leg lead after winning 2-1 in Spain, but were pegged back inside a minute as Manuel Neuer misplaced a pass straight to Arda Güler, who brilliantly fired into the empty net from distance to level the tie on aggregate.

The Bundesliga leaders responded quickly and equalised in the sixth minute when Aleksandar Pavlović headed home from Joshua Kimmich's corner, only for Real to retake the lead through Güler's curled a sublime free-kick.

Bayern showed tremendous character once more and found parity on 38 minutes as Harry Kane coolly finished after being played in by Dayot Upamecano, but Kylian Mbappé struck late in a pulsating first half to restore Real's advantage on the night.

The Bundesliga leaders responded quickly and equalised in the sixth minute when Aleksandar Pavlović headed home from Joshua Kimmich's corner, only for Real to retake the lead through Güler's curled a sublime free-kick.

Bayern showed tremendous character once more and found parity on 38 minutes as Harry Kane coolly finished after being played in by Dayot Upamecano, but Kylian Mbappé struck late in a pulsating first half to restore Real's advantage on the night.

The 4-0 loss to VfB Stuttgart last time out means they have now won just one of their past seven games, which came directly after a run of five matches unbeaten. Scoring goals has not been an issue recently – that aforementioned defeat was only the second time in the last 10 games that HSV have failed to find the back of the net – but no clean sheet in nine is a worrying stat for head coach Merlin Polzin.

"Our goal is to pass something onto others out of our own personal experience," they shared. "We want to raise awareness and give as many people as possible a better chance of receiving a life-saving stem cell donation. Every single registration can make the crucial difference between hope and uncertainty."

The current trophy was designed and crafted in 1949 by art professor Elisabeth Treskow at the Cologne School of Arts and Crafts, replacing the “Victoria” statue, which went missing during World War II. The names of all German champions since 1903 are immortalised on the trophy and at the end of each season, the new titleholder is added.

Watch: All of Bayern's 105 Bundesliga goals as they close in on the 2025/26 title

Entry is free for anyone logged into the Bundesliga app, with prizes - including Bayern and Stuttgart shirts - up for grabs from Wednesday to Sunday!

So, what are you waiting for? Get in the mood for the Southern derby by taking part now!

Find out who's in and who's out on Matchday 30...

All kick-offs 3.30pm CEST unless stated

It’s set to be a monumental day not just for Eta, but for women in men’s football as a whole, as Bayern counterpart Kompany explained.

"I'm really happy for her. It’s always very easy to dismiss these key moments and say she’s just a coach like any other. But ultimately, it’s something quite special," the Belgian explained prior to his team's UEFA Champions League meeting with Real Madrid.

"It opens up opportunities for younger women who feel they, too, can become coaches. It opens doors. I wish her all the best. My only hope is that she isn’t treated like a man there, that people show her more patience. Coaching is a job where you’d really like to have more patience."

Watch: Marie-Louise Eta's first Union training session

Noah Atubolu (Freiburg)

Atubolu has once again underlined his status as a potential future Germany No.1 this season with his strong performances for Freiburg, who have impressed at home and abroad. The 23-year-old even set an impressive new Bundesliga record by saving his fifth consecutive penalty on Matchday 4.

Oliver Baumann (Hoffenheim) 

Baumann's consistency between the Hoffenheim sticks has seen him become Germany's No.1, a position he will likely hold at this summer's FIFA World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA. He has long been a virtual ever-present in the German top tier, recently joining the Bundesliga's top-10 list of appearance-makers.

Daniel Heuer Fernandes (Hamburg) 

Having helped Hamburg return to the Bundesliga after a seven-year absence last season, Heuer Fernandes has been instrumental in keeping Hamburg above the waterline in 2025/26.

Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund) 

Dortmund's success this season has been built on a superb defence, and the man marshalling that backline is Kobel. No goalkeeper has kept more clean sheets in the Bundesliga this season than the Switzerland international.

Moritz Nicolas (Borussia Mönchengladbach) 

Since his breakthrough last season, Nicolas has seemingly got better with each game for Gladbach. Despite the Foals' up-and-down form, he has still managed 10 clean sheets after Matchday 29, and ranks among the best in the league for most saves.

Watch: Goalkeepers - check out the candidates!

Bayern are also in contention to go all the way in the DFB Cup and claim their third continental treble since Neuer joined the club from Schalke in the summer of 2011.

To keep the dream alive, Bayern must first overcome Real Madrid in their Champions League quarter-final second leg at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday. Germany's record champions lead 2-1 in the tie, thanks in no small part to a goalkeeping clinic from Neuer in the Spanish capital.

It’s set to be a monumental day not just for Eta, but for women in men’s football as a whole, as Bayern counterpart Kompany explained.

"I'm really happy for her. It’s always very easy to dismiss these key moments and say she’s just a coach like any other. But ultimately, it’s something quite special," the Belgian explained prior to his team's UEFA Champions League meeting with Real Madrid.

"It opens up opportunities for younger women who feel they, too, can become coaches. It opens doors. I wish her all the best. My only hope is that she isn’t treated like a man there, that people show her more patience. Coaching is a job where you’d really like to have more patience."

Watch: Marie-Louise Eta's first Union training session

The title

Bayern Munich hold a 12-point advantage over Borussia Dortmund with five games to go. It means that:

• Bayern will be champions if they better Dortmund's Saturday result at Hoffenheim when they host VfB Stuttgart on Sunday

Should Bayern only equal Dortmund's result, their vastly superior goal difference of 47 goals means they will be all but confirmed as champions but will have to wait at least one more game to mathematically secure the title.

According to the St. Pauli website, the club’s Peace Prize is intended to honour “individuals and initiatives that actively stand for solidarity, togetherness and respectful coexistence” and makes “a deliberate statement at a time when the foundation of democratic and civil society is under increasing pressure”.

You can’t keep Bayern out

Bayern have played 45 competitive games so far this season, and have scored in every single one of them. In fact, they have found the net at least three times in six of their 11 Champions League outings this term.

Furthermore, Bayern’s tally of 34 goals in the competition in 2025/26 is behind only Paris Saint-Germain (36), with the caveat that both of those teams played an extra round by virtue of going through to the last 16 via the play-offs.

Watch: All Bayern's 105 Bundesliga goals in 2025/26

A former women’s Bundesliga player and a Germany youth international, Eta’s first coaching role came in 2018 as a member of Werder Bremen’s youth academy staff. Before long, she was working with Germany women’s U19s as an assistant and, by 2023, she had joined up with Union’s male equivalent.

She was already a trendsetter later that year when she became interim assistant coach of the first team following Urs Fischer’s departure, alongside her boss Marco Grote. She retained the position under Nenad Bjelica and even led the team during his touchline suspension, also becoming the first female assistant coach in UEFA Champions League history.

Moritz Nicolas
Club: Borussia Mönchengladbach
Position: Goalkeeper
Points: 429

Nicolas produced another stellar performance in the Gladbach goal, making 11 saves to very nearly earn his side a draw at RB Leipzig until Yan Diomande’s late winner. It’s the goalkeeper’s second best tally in the Bundesliga after the 14 stops he made against Hamburg on Matchday 18.

Watch: Leipzig 1-0 Gladbach - highlights

Club: Bayern Munich
Position: 1st
Points: 76
Goal difference: +78

Form

Bayern's win in Der Klassiker on Matchday 24 gave them a big 11-point advantage over their rivals in second place. While the lead was reduced to nine after their chaotic draw with Bayer Leverkusen, three straight wins over Union Berlin, Freiburg and most recently at St. Pauli have opened that gap to 12 points again.

It means the earliest Vincent Kompany's men can secure the title is Matchday 30, when they host VfB Stuttgart.

They must better Dortmund's result at Hoffenheim on Saturday to do so, otherwise the champagne will be on ice for another week until they can be mathematically confirmed as champions.

Final 5 games:

• VfB Stuttgart (h)
• Mainz (a)
• Heidenheim (h)
• Wolfsburg (a)
• Cologne (h)

Schalke secured three huge points for their promotion hopes. The opening phase belonged to Elversberg, who took a deserved lead through Luca Schnellbacher. Schalke grew into it and levelled with Soufiane El-Faouzi's stunning bicycle kick. After Moussa Ndiaye was sent off for a second yellow card, the pendulum seemed to swing back towards Elversberg, but Moussa Sylla grabbed a winner for the 10-men division leaders.

Simply click on the PLAY buttons below to enjoy individual Matchday 28 highlights or watch them all in one place in the video above

St. Pauli 0-5 Bayern Munich

Bayern took their season Bundesliga goal tally to 105 goals, breaking the previous all-time record of 101 they set in 1971/72, as they put St. Pauli to the sword. 

The man set to take the reins at Fortuna is Ende, who himself was recently let go by bottom-of-the-table Preußen Münster. Prior to managing Preußen, Ende had been in charge of SC Verl in the 3. Liga.

Watch: Fortuna Düsseldorf 1-2 Holstein Kiel

Stuttgart entered the match looking to bounce back from their disappointing late defeat against Borussia Dortmund. Despite the setback, the hosts still had Champions League qualification in their own hands.

Hamburg, meanwhile, had struggled for form, winning just one of their previous seven matches – a 2-1 victory in Wolfsburg. The visitors had drawn 10 matches this season, the highest in the Bundesliga, with six of those stalemates coming in the second half of the campaign.

Bara Sapoko Ndiaye

Age: 18 (born 31 December 2007)
Club: Bayern Munich 
Position: Attacking midfielder
Country: Senegal

Key stats

Ndiaye, a product of Gambinos Stars Africa football academy in Gambia, has enjoyed a rapid rise to Bayern’s first team because of Red&Gold Football - the joint venture between Germany’s record champions and Major League Soccer outfit Los Angeles FC has opened the door for a move to Europe.

Having spent two weeks in Munich in October 2024, where Gambinos Stars Africa played Bayern’s Under-19s as part of the cooperation, Ndiaye clearly impressed.

As such, the teenager spent February and March 2025 with Bayern’s reserve and Under-19 teams before completing a two-month trial at Swiss outfit Grasshopper Zurich, where he featured against Joshua Kimmich and Co. in a friendly last summer before returning to Germany for another trial but because of injury, could only undergo rehabilitation.

That didn't look like a particularly straight-forward task either, given that Cologne were on a run of seven matches without a win at the time of his appointment. Nevertheless, in his first game as interim boss, Wagner made a raft of late substitutions that showcased his managerial credentials and helped Cologne pick up a valuable point at Eintracht Frankfurt in the process.

Watch: Eintracht Frankfurt 2-2 Cologne

Goals: 1-0 El Mala 7’ (pen), 2-0 Ache 65’, 2-1 Schmid 76’ (pen), 3-1 Backhaus 90’+7 (OG)
Red card: Friedl 24’

With both teams hovering precariously above the relegation zone, Sunday's clash between 15th-placed Cologne and 14th-placed Werder Bremen carried enormous significance in the fight for Bundesliga survival.

The hosts entered the match winless in eight league games but had shown resilience, recovering points from losing positions nine times this season. Bremen, meanwhile, had found some form under new coach Daniel Thioune, winning three of their last five matches and their previous two away games after a 10-game winless streak on the road.

Marie-Louise Eta

Age: 34 (born 7 July, 1991)
Club: Union Berlin
Position: Defensive midfielder
Country: Germany

Prior to forging out a career in coaching, Eta made a name for herself on the pitch, playing for Turbine Potsdam, Hamburg, Cloppenburg and Werder Bremen. Her most successful period as a player came during her time at Potsdam, where she claimed three U17 Bundesliga titles - in 2005, 2006 and 2008 - as a youth team player before being promoted to the senior Bundesliga team as a 17-year-old ahead of the 2008/09 campaign. Eta, then playing under her maiden name of Bagehorn, went on to lift the 2009/10 UEFA Women's Champions League with Potsdam after beating Lyon on penalties in the final. A substitute in the final, Eta also helped the club win three successive Bundesliga titles from 2009 to 2011.

The 34-year-old had worked as an assistant coach for the men's team in November 2023 under Marco Grote, and remained on the coaching team under Nenad Bjelica, assuming some coaching duties when he was suspended for a match against Darmstadt in 2023/24.

The Berlin side announced the change after a 3-1 defeat at bottom-of-the-table Heidenheim left them 12th, seven points ahead of St. Pauli in 16th, the promotion/relegation play-off spot.

Watch: Heidenheim stun Union

With the benefit of hindsight, Union were the perfect team for Schmidt's men to play at this stage in the season, given that their record against Die Eisernen in the top flight now stands at five wins and one draw in six games.

However, not wanting to dwell on the significance of this result, the Heidenheim gaffer was characteristically pragmatic in his post-match assessment, explaining: "We’re not getting carried away just because we won a game. In many matches, it wasn’t about the number of chances but about converting them. Today, we managed to bring that quality out onto the pitch."

Watch: Heidenheim 3-1 Union Berlin - highlights

Nearly 20 years later and the goalkeeper has won it all. Among his incredible achievements are a World Cup, two UEFA Champions Leagues, 12 Bundesliga Meisterschale and six DFB Cups. 

The definitive face of the modern era of goalkeeping, Neuer has accumulated 544 career Bundesliga appearances - in addition to 124 international caps and 158 Champions League outings - which leaves him in sixth place for record Bundesliga appearance makers, just two off fifth-placed Mirko Votava.

Watch: The best of Neuer so far in 2025/26 

Bayern’s starting XI against Pauli included just four of the players that started in the club’s 2-1 win over Real Madrid during the week. That’s not to say that it was a Bayern team lacking quality; Jamal Musiala and Michael Olise both started and scored, for example, but it shows just how strong Kompany’s squad is.

Watch: Leon Goretzka goal breaks all-time single season record

Fresh from their impressive 2-1 Champions League victory against Real Madrid, Bayern Munich arrived in Hamburg with history in their sights. The record champions had already scored 100 goals in the Bundesliga this season - just one shy of their club record from the 1971/72 campaign. 

With one eye on next week's second leg against Madrid, Vincent Kompany made seven changes to his starting line-up, with Harry Kane among those rested. St. Pauli, meanwhile, were hoping to build on their strong home form, having lost just one of their previous seven matches at home as they battle to escape the relegation play-off spot.

Jamal Musiala equalled the previous record of 101 inside 10 minutes at Pauli's Millerntor-Stadion before Leon Goretzka smashed home the all-important record breaker in the second half. Michael Olise, Nicolas Jackson, and Raphaël Guerreiro then got in on the act to add goals 103 through 105. 

Watch: All of Bayern Munich's record-breaking 105 goals in 2025/26

Bottom club Heidenheim came into this fixture in desperate need of points in their quest to stay amongst the elite, though they had shown signs of life with draws against Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Mönchengladbach in their previous two outings.

Frank Schmidt's side still sat nine points adrift of the relegation play-off spot, but history was on their side against Union, having won the last three meetings between the sides. The visitors, meanwhile, came into the match with a chance to move into the top half of the table.

The stakes couldn't have been higher for Wolfsburg as they welcomed Frankfurt to the Volkswagen Arena. The hosts were in the midst of their worst run in years, without a win in 11 Bundesliga matches and firmly entrenched in the automatic relegation zone. Dieter Hecking's side had collected just three points since the winter break, sitting four points from the relegation play-off spot and six from outright safety.

Frankfurt, meanwhile, were looking to maintain their slim chances of playing European football next season, knowing that seventh place could still be enough for UEFA Europa Conference League football.

Leipzig welcomed Gladbach to the Red Bull Arena with momentum firmly on their side, having won four of their last five matches. With 53 points already secured, Ole Werner's men had also already surpassed last season's tally when they missed out on European football entirely.

For Eugen Polanski's Gladbach, the challenge was formidable – they hadn't won away from home since December, taking just three points from their last eight games on the road.

The stakes could hardly have been higher as Borussia Dortmund welcomed Bayer Leverkusen to Signal Iduna Park. The Black-Yellows had the chance to secure Champions League football for next season following Hoffenheim's failure to win on Friday night, while the visitors were desperate for three points to maintain their own top-four ambitions.

Dortmund entered the clash as the Bundesliga's form team with four consecutive victories and just two defeats all season – both against Bayern Munich.

Leverkusen, meanwhile, had ended a run of three successive draws with a thrilling 6-3 triumph over Wolfsburg last time out and were seeking their third straight competitive win in Dortmund – a feat they had never previously achieved.

See the latest list of suspended players and those close to suspensions here

The 35-year-old is one of only two active players in the top 10 after Bayern Munich's Manuel Neuer, who he trails by 26 appearances. He is, however, five years younger than his Germany predecessor, suggesting he may have the chance to surpass him at some point in the future.

Watch: Oliver Baumann made his 500th Bundesliga appearance earlier this season

"We had good discussions throughout, but it wasn’t a process that was completed in just a week or two. The club officials presented me with a good plan, and I know what I have at this club. My goal is to win titles together with Borussia Dortmund."

Watch: Schlotterbeck's 'gut feeling' to stay at Dortmund

On the face of it, the decision must have been an easy from Dortmund's perspective. Centre-backs who are comfortable in possession, can build from the back, are robust in the challenges and offer a goalscoring threat are unicorns in the game. The fact that he is also naturally left-footed adds extra sprinkles and rainbows.

But it is not just that Schlotterbeck has those attributes, it is that he excels at them too.

If he were to make an appearance this weekend, Güther would be the youngest player to feature in Germany’s top division since former Borussia Dortmund prodigy Youssoufa Moukoko broke the all-time record in November 2020 - a day after his 16th birthday.

Watch: Moukoko, the Bundesliga’s youngest-ever debutant

Bundesliga: At what point is the season considered a success for Stuttgart, currently fourth in the Bundesliga and through to the DFB Cup semi-finals?

Angelo Stiller: "Yes, I think that can be answered on May 23 or 24, then it can be answered definitively, but I already believe that we are playing an extremely good season so far with good football, and I believe that everyone in the city, everyone who watches us, appreciates what we are trying to do and what we stand for in football."

Bundesliga: You’ve contributed a lot to the team’s success with your outstanding performances. At what point would you be satisfied from a footballing perspective?

Stiller: "I think when we have maximum team success. I believe the main focus is how the team performs, because if the team performs, then I also perform better. That is why I think we hopefully still have eight games left and want to make them as successful as possible, and then I would say that I have had a very good season and I am very satisfied with myself."

Bundesliga: From your personal perspective, would anything else need to happen after the current season to be completely satisfied?

Stiller: "Yes, I think it is always a bonus if you can play in a World Cup. I think that is the biggest thing for every footballer. If you can be part of that, it is the icing on the cake of the season."

Bundesliga: How has the season been going so far for Dortmund?

Carney Chukwuemeka: “We’re having a good season. We’re currently second and quite comfortable there. We wanted more at the start, but Bayern Munich have been exceptional. We’ve had games where we let leads slip and dropped points, but overall it’s been a good season.”

Bundesliga: And how’s it going for you?

Chukwuemeka: “Honestly, I don’t feel like I’ve really got going yet or found my rhythm. I know I can bring much more quality that I’ve shown so far. My playing time has been limited, but this is the first season where my body has felt good and I’ve not had any real injuries. That’s been the most important thing for me. I know it’s only a matter of time before I show what I can do.”

Watch: Chukwuemeka against the clock

At both destinations, two 'Audi Football Summits' have already been arranged. On 4 August, the Bavarians will face off against local South Korean side Jeju SK at the Jeju World Cup Stadium. Then, on 7 August, Der Rekordmeister will meet English club Aston Villa at the Kai Tak Stadium in Hong Kong.

Information about ticket sales will be disclosed at a later date via the club's website.

More than two thirds of all teams have Harry Kane in them. Indeed, not starring the Bayern Munich talisman when he's fit to play is almost a guarantee to lose rank.

So, instead of pointing out the well-known points machines, we're here to shine the spotlight on those hidden gems that could help you climb up the table...

Jakub Kamiński (Cologne), 9.06m

Fresh off the back of a star turn for struggling Cologne, the Polish international is hitting form at just the right time. A fine individual display caught the eye on Matchday 28, where he scored Cologne's first goal and picked up the Man of the Match award. Against relegation rivals Werder Bremen at home on Matchday 29 - a side which has only recorded one clean sheet in 2026 - Kamiński will fancy his chances of doing something similar, whilst earning a bagful of points for Fantasy players everywhere (at 18% selection).

Watch: Eintracht Frankfurt 2-2 Cologne

At the heart of the back four, Ginter was a rock, preventing the Spanish visitors from registering a single shot on target throughout the game. And, after Vincenzo Grifo and Niklas Beste had put the hosts two to the good, he added extra gloss to the scoreline with a header from Beste's corner to put Freiburg on the brink of the last four.

The Bundesliga caught up with the teenaged winger to discuss life at Leipzig, as well as his footballing idols and hopes for the FIFA 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA...

Bundesliga: What is the difference between the clubs that you played for and the Bundesliga?

Yan Diomande: "I didn’t know a lot about the Bundesliga before. But Leipzig, it’s the biggest club that I have played for since I became a professional. It’s a much more physical league, there’s a lot of respect because everyone here is so professional."

Watch: Yan Diomande in sparkling form

Zwayer will be among the tournament referees at the finals. The 44-year-old has presided over 370 Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 matches to date, as well as 42 in the UEFA Champions League, four at UEFA Euro 2024 and two during the FIFA 2025 Club World Cup. 

Fellow Germany-based match officials Kempter and Dietz will be involved as assistants, while Dankert will assume video assistant referee (VAR) duties.

Watch: How do referees announce VAR decisions during matches?

Any institution in the Hessen and Rhine-Main areas with young people can apply for tickets up until 11.59 pm CEST on 12 April. Each application is for up to 30 tickets, which includes five for accompanying adults. Those who are successful will also receive free transport on Frankfurt's public transport services on the day of the game.

Watch: Eintracht Frankfurt: City & stadium tour

In Kompany’s 100 games in charge, Bayern have won 76 games, drawn 13 and lost 11, a record that averages out to a staggering 2.41 points per game. Bayern have also scored 302 goals during Kompany’s tenure and conceded just 100.

Having won the Bundesliga in his debut campaign, Bayern have stepped it up another gear this season, winning each of their first 16 games in all competitions before drawing 2-2 with Union Berlin on Matchday 10 in the Bundesliga. That fine form has continued, with Bayern still competing on all fronts, having already won the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup in August.

Watch: Bayern's Supercup win

Dortmund moved up to second that day and have just about held onto that position ever since. By contrast, Leverkusen have slid from third to sixth, meaning they’re currently outside the UEFA Champions League qualification places.

Watch: Dortmund won in Leverkusen earlier this season

In Kompany’s 100 games in charge, Bayern have won 76 games, drawn 13 and lost 11, a record that averages out to a staggering 2.41 points per game. Bayern have also scored 302 goals during Kompany’s tenure and conceded just 100.

Having won the Bundesliga in his opening campaign, Bayern have stepped it up another gear this season, winning each of their first 16 games in all competitions before drawing 2-2 with Union Berlin on Matchday 10 in the Bundesliga. That fine form has continued through, with Bayern still firmly competing on all fronts, having already won the Franz Beckenbauer Supercup this season.

Watch: VfB Stuttgart 1-2 Bayern Munich (Supercup)

However, the nine-point gap to leaders Bayern Munich means BVB's dreams of landing the Meisterschale are all but over, meaning they can already look ahead to 2026/27 as they aim to win the title for the first time in 15 years.

However, could it be the top five and not just the top four who make it into Europe's top club competition - as was the case in 2024/25 - for the 2026/27 campaign?

See the latest list of suspended players and those close to suspensions here

Mbappé did manage to squeeze a goal past Neuer after Luis Díaz and Harry Kane had put Bayern 2-0 up, but that took nothing away from what was a true goalkeeping clinic by the evergreen German custodian.

"I think Neuer was MVP," admitted Real coach Álvaro Arbeloa. "We had so many chances to score more goals, but we didn't do it."

The Champions League quarter-final clash between Real and Bayern was billed as a meeting of European heavyweights, and it certainly lived up to expectations.

There was pre-match concern over Kane's fitness after an ankle injury, but the striker was deemed fit enough to start in a strong Bayern line-up. Real Madrid, meanwhile, were looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2-1 league defeat to Mallorca, with former Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham starting on the bench due to recent injury issues.

Bayern strike first

Bayern started the brighter of the two sides with Konrad Laimer firing over in the opening minutes as they established early control. The visitors should have taken the lead in the ninth minute when Kane headed across goal to find Dayot Upamecano with an empty net at his mercy, but the French defender somehow failed to convert.

Real gradually grew into the contest, with Manuel Neuer making crucial saves to deny both Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior.

The breakthrough came in the 41st minute when Bayern punished a Real turnover. Serge Gnabry and Kane combined brilliantly before Gnabry slipped in Díaz, who coolly slotted past Andriy Lunin to give the Bavarians a deserved half-time lead.

The Champions League quarter-final clash between Real and Bayern was billed as a meeting of European heavyweights, and it certainly lived up to expectations.

There was pre-match concern over Kane's fitness after an ankle injury, but the striker was deemed fit enough to start in a strong Bayern line-up. Real Madrid, meanwhile, were looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2-1 league defeat to Mallorca, with former Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham starting on the bench due to recent injury issues.

Bayern strike first

Bayern started the brighter of the two sides with Konrad Laimer firing over in the opening minutes as they established early control. The visitors should have taken the lead in the ninth minute when Kane headed across goal to find Dayot Upamecano with an empty net at his mercy, but the French defender somehow failed to convert.

Real gradually grew into the contest, with Manuel Neuer making crucial saves to deny both Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior.

The breakthrough came in the 41st minute when Bayern punished a Real turnover. Serge Gnabry and Kane combined brilliantly before Gnabry slipped in Díaz, who coolly slotted past Andriy Lunin to give the Bavarians a deserved half-time lead.

The title

• Nine points clear of second-placed Borussia Dortmund, Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich cannot win the title on Matchday 29. The earliest they could do it is on Matchday 30.

Watch: Bayern's first 100 goals of the Bundesliga season

The Billy Goats will have home advantage for this business-end encounter, or will they? They’ve won just four of 14 games on home turf so far this campaign, drawing four and losing six.

Home or away, the Rhineland club are also winless in eight games, with their last three all finishing in draws.

That said, Cologne have faced RB Leipzig, Borussia Dortmund, TSG Hoffenheim and Eintracht Frankfurt in recent weeks - all teams in the top seven.

And they showed real spirit to hit back from 2-0 down to draw with Frankfurt in interim coach René Wagner's first game following Lukas Kwasniok's dismissal.

Watch: Cologne drew in Frankfurt last weekend

Friday 10 April (6.30pm CEST kick-offs)

Fortuna Düsseldorf vs. Holstein Kiel

Karlsruhe vs. Arminia Bielefeld

Saturday 11 April (1pm CEST kick-offs unless otherwise stated)

Nuremberg vs. Dynamo Dresden

Hertha Berlin vs. Kaiserslautern

Preußen Münster vs. Greuther Fürth

Darmstadt vs. Hannover (kick-off: 8.30pm CEST)

The two clubs differ vastly in terms of structure, ethos and history, with St. Pauli a famously punk-inspired, fan-inclusive 'neighbourhood club' from a working-class area of Hamburg.

Meanwhile, Bayern are a publicly traded company from the country's economic powerhouse in the affluent south with a turnover in the hundreds of millions every year. 

In essence, the more wins and further a league’s teams go in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League, the higher that league climbs in the rankings, meaning if Bayern and Freiburg both defeat their Spanish counterparts across two legs, it puts the Bundesliga in an excellent position to earn a fifth Champions League spot, with Germany currently third in the standings, just behind Spain.

Nikola Vasilj
Club: St. Pauli
Position: Goalkeeper
Points: 344

Phillipp Mwene
Club: Mainz
Position: Defender
Points: 315

Derrick Köhn
Club: Union Berlin
Position: Defender
Points: 317

Patrick Mainka
Club: Heidenheim
Position: Defender
Points: 395

Mainka produced a captain’s performance as Heidenheim earned a valuable point away at Borussia Mönchengladbach. The defender’s three attempts on goal were the most of any player in the game as he scored his second of the campaign to equal his personal best from 2023/24.

Watch: Gladbach 2-2 Heidenheim - highlights

Lukeba's exact return date is currently unknown and it will depend on his recovery, but it's unlikely that he will feature against Borussia Mönchengladbach on Saturday.

In contrast, Albert Riera's Eintracht Frankfurt were aiming to maintain their impressive home record, having won all three fixtures at Deutsche Bank Park under the Spaniard without conceding a goal.

Simply click on the PLAY buttons below to enjoy individual Matchday 28 highlights or watch them all in one place in the video above

Freiburg 2-3 Bayern Munich

Bayern dramatically came from two goals down to defeat Freiburg in stoppage time, with Lennart Karl scoring the all-important winner. 

Union came into this Matchday 28 encounter looking to bounce back from a heavy 4-0 defeat at Bayern Munich just before the international break, while St. Pauli arrived desperate for points in their battle against relegation.

The hosts made five changes to their starting lineup after that disappointing performance in Munich, with Diogo Leite, Wooyeong Jeong, András Schäfer, Oliver Burke and Andrej Ilić all returning to the starting eleven.

The visitors, fielding their oldest-ever Bundesliga lineup with an average age of 29.1 years, were forced into three changes due to injuries, with Adam Dźwigała, Karol Mets, and Martijn Kaars coming into the side.

Schalke 1-0 Karlsruhe
Goals: 1-0 Karaman 72'

Schalke retained top spot in the Bundesliga 2 table after a narrow home win against Karlsruhe. In the absence of star forward Edin Džeko, captain Kenan Karaman was once again the talisman, handing Miron Muslić’s side a valuable lead in the 72nd minute. Worryingly for the Schalke boss, Karaman limped off the pitch moments later with what appeared to be a knee injury. Nevertheless, the result means Schalke stay on course for promotion with just six games remaining.

Prior to the match, England head coach Thomas Tuchel said: "It's a minor injury that came practically out of nowhere."

The problem also kept him out of Bayern's incredible 3-2 comeback win in Freiburg on Saturday. The club's board member for sport Max Eberl indicated after the match that he could return for the big first leg in Madrid, saying: "The physios are working on him. He's constantly receiving treatment. We believe he will be fine."

Watch: Bayern Munich ready to renew Real Madrid rivalry

Watch: Highlights of Bayern's win in Freiburg

After the game, the 28-year-old German revealed exactly what the gesture was about.

"My daughter drew me a picture, and I’ve been carrying it with me since the last matchday. She told me it’s supposed to bring me a lot of luck to score goals again. And so I have my daughter to thank for that," he explained.

Watch: Tietz talks about his goalscoring inspiration

But then, something rather unexpected happened. Instead of taking the set-piece in what was a very dangerous position, the former Hamburg striker turned to referee Deniz Aytekin and informed him that it wasn't a foul.

Watch: Referee reverses decision after Gregoritsch's sportsmanship

Watch: Gladbach 2-2 Heidenheim - highlights

Bayern travelled to Freiburg without the services of star striker Harry Kane, who was ruled out with an ankle injury sustained on England duty. The Black Forest club, meanwhile, were hoping to end a dismal run against the record champions, having won just once in their previous 45 Bundesliga meetings.

The absence of Kane didn't prevent Bayern from controlling possession in the early stages, with Tom Bischof testing Noah Atubolu from distance. Freiburg grew into the game, though, and nearly took the lead when Philipp Treu fired just wide after good work from Niklas Beste.

Manuel Neuer - who turned 40 on 27 March - then demonstrated his enduring class with two outstanding reaction saves, denying Lucas Höler and Philipp Lienhart, albeit with both efforts subsequently flagged offside.

Leverkusen hosted Wolfsburg at the BayArena with both sides desperate for points for very different reasons. The hosts are chasing UEFA Champions League qualification, sitting four points outside the top four after a disappointing run of just two wins from their previous six league matches.

Wolfsburg, meanwhile, arrived deep in relegation trouble under returning coach Dieter Hecking, without a Bundesliga win since January and facing the prospect of a first-ever relegation from the top flight.

Two teams in good form faced off at the Weserstadion as Bremen hosted Leipzig on Matchday 28. Both sides had won three of their previous four Bundesliga matches, with Bremen opening up a seven-point gap on the relegation zone and Leipzig reigniting their push for Champions League qualification. 

The match marked a significant return for Leipzig head coach Ole Werner, who spent three-and-a-half years in charge of Bremen before departing in May 2025. Bremen boss Daniel Thioune was still in the early days of his tenure, having recorded three wins and four defeats since taking over from Horst Steffen at the start of February. The home side were hampered by an extensive injury list, with Victor Boniface , Mitchell Weiser, Keke Topp among those unavailable.

Bremen started brightly, with the hosts enjoying more possession in the opening exchanges. Justin Njinmah had an early opportunity but dragged his shot wide after being set up by Felix Agu. The home side continued to probe, and Romano Schmid tested Maarten Vandevoordt with a decent effort from inside the box following good work from Njinmah.

The century of goals means Vincent Kompany's side have now equalled the total set by the club's 2019/20 crop that won the Bundesliga, UEFA Champions League and DFB Cup treble under Hansi Flick. 

Watch: Karl scores Bayern's 100th Bundesliga goal of the season

Heidenheim, on the other hand, arrived in desperate form, winless in 14 Bundesliga matches and rooted to the bottom of the table, nine points from safety. Head coach Frank Schmidt responded with four changes, as Marvin Pieringer returned to partner Budu Zivzivadze in attack, while Jonas Föhrenbach started for the first time since Matchday 19.

Mohya opens scoring before Mainka levels

Heidenheim started the brighter of the two teams with Eren Dinkçi testing the reflexes of Moritz Nicolas early on. But it was the hosts who struck first in the 16th minute when Jens Castrop found space on the right and played a clever ball to Wael Mohya, whose shot squirmed under the body of Diant Ramaj into the net.

*All kick-offs 3.30pm CEST unless otherwise stated 

See the latest list of suspended players and those close to suspensions here

The Portuguese forward, who has registered eight goal involvements in all competitions so far this season, told the Bundesliga that he is particularly grateful to the Dortmund fans for aiding his transition to a new team, country and culture...

Bundesliga: You joined Dortmund last summer. How would you describe your journey so far?   

Fábio Silva: "I think my journey so far was really good. I think I arrived, of course, not in the best shape. Everyone knows I had some injuries last season. I came from an operation, so I was taking my time to try to get back to 100 percent in terms  of physicality, and I think at this moment, I'm at that point.

Bundesliga: Despite having to pull out of Germany’s March squad with injury, you were no doubt keeping an eye on how they got on. Did you watch them? How was it when you received the call-up?

Jonas Urbig: “It was definitely a nice moment. And it makes you proud to be involved. Training there was also lots of fun. And I was able to watch the games from a distance.”

Watch: Vincent Kompany on Urbig's Germany call-up

Jonas Hofmann: “I’m fit. We had a few days off to recover and recharge our batteries. I definitely did that.”

Bundesliga: What do you make of your season so far? Last season you played just 352 minutes in the Bundesliga, scoring two goals and providing one assist. This season you’re at 972 minutes with 11 starts. That’s quite different...

Hofmann: “It’s definitely different but still not enough for my liking. You always want to be out there playing. But when you just look at the facts, it’s slight progress. I’m happy to be playing again. I think I’ve been able to prove often enough this season that I can help the team, even if not scoring or assisting in every game. But there are lots of other important things in a team, and it’s the success of the team that comes first. I’m definitely a team player.”

The selection process consists of two stages: first, the players' performance data is considered, and then the votes of fans and experts.

The determining factor for a Matchday is the month in which its Saturday falls. For March, the data referred to Matchdays 25 to 27.

March winner

Deniz Undav (VfB Stuttgart)

There was no ignoring Undav in March - not even for Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann. The VfB Stuttgart forward is currently the Bundesliga’s most in-form finisher, having scored in each of his last six matches, which represents a league-best run this season. Across the last three alone, he’s racked up four goals and six goal involvements, both the highest tallies in the league.

Between Matchdays 25 and 27, Undav led the Bundesliga for both shots (13) and overall involvement in shooting attempts (18), while remaining ruthlessly efficient. He converted four of his five clear-cut chances across those three games in March. The 29-year-old has been central to Stuttgart’s rise to third place, and right now, in the Bundesliga - just like in the national team - he has been simply impossible to overlook.

Still fresh-faced and as spritely as ever in Bayern Munich’s midfield, it is easy to forget that Kimmich is now up to 108 international caps with Germany – a haul that puts him 10th in the all-time list, one behind Jürgen Klinsmann. Philipp Lahm (113) and Toni Kroos (114) could be reeled in if Julian Nagelsmann’s side go all the way.

They may very well do that with Kimmich pulling the strings, even if he is now likely to do so from right-back, the position he made his breakthrough with Bayern in.

Watch: A tactical look at the right-back Kimmich was

Nathaniel Brown

Age: 22 (born 16 June 2003)
Club: Eintracht Frankfurt
Position: Full-back
Country: Germany (three caps)

Key stats

Brown signed for 2021/22 UEFA Europa League winners Frankfurt in January 2024, before being loaned back to Nuremberg for the remainder of the season. The 5'10" left-footer started all but seven of Der Club's Bundesliga 2 assignments in the 2023/24 season – producing seven assists – as well as a further three during their run to the DFB Cup last 16.

Watch: The best of Nathaniel Brown

There is plenty of competition for the left-back berth in Julian Nagelsmann’s starting XI, with RB Leipzig’s David Raum and VfB Stuttgart’s Maximilian Mittelstädt also in the mix. 

The full-back, who was also eligible to represent the USA through his father, started out at Nuremberg, making his debut in 2022/23 and becoming a key member of the Bundesliga 2 side’s team in 2023/24. The Eagles clearly liked what they saw and acquired his services ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.

Watch: The best of Nathaniel Brown

Prior to the play-offs – in which Bosnia also edged past Wales 4-2 on penalties in the semi-finals last week – Demirović told Sky that “if we manage to do it, drinks are on me for all of Stuttgart. I’ll buy beer for the fans, that would be insane.”

“Eintracht Frankfurt means a great deal to me,” said Götze, who joined Die Adler from PSV Eindhoven at the start of the 2022/23 season. “I’ve been here for almost four years and have had a fantastic time so far.”

“I hope Edin’s injury isn’t serious and he can be at the World Cup,” remarked Bosnia head coach Sergei Barbarez, who spent his playing career in Germany.

Prior to the match, England head coach Thomas Tuchel said, "It's a minor injury that came practically out of nowhere. He had to stop training after 15 minutes yesterday. He won't be playing today. He's currently undergoing further examinations."

Heading into the final seven games of the season, the record champions have a nine-point buffer over second-placed Dortmund. They have taken that commanding lead in some style, too, scoring 97 goals across their opening 27 games to sit four strikes off the all-time season record of 101, which has stood since the 1971/72 term. Harry Kane has 31 of them alone, and could still surpass Robert Lewandowski's single-season record of 41 strikes.

Watch: It's happy days at Bayern right now

Teams below have qualified as of 31 March 2026. Players listed have appeared for their country during World Cup qualifying or in other matches in 2025. 

Algeria
Mohamed Amoura (Wolfsburg), Ramy Bensebaini, Elias Benkara (Borussia Dortmund), Farès Chaïbi (Eintracht Frankfurt), Ibrahim Maza (Bayer Leverkusen)

Argentina
Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen)

Australia
Kasey Bos (Mainz), Jackson Irvine, Connor Metcalfe (St. Pauli)

Watch: The Bundesliga's World Cup 26-bound stars

The World Cup is the highest-profile event on the global football calendar. Taking place every four years in different host countries, it provides a major celebration of football and sees intense competition among many of the stars of the Bundesliga and other major leagues to win the World Cup for their national team and write their place in football history.

The 2026 World Cup will be jointly hosted by the USA, Canada and Mexico and will take place from 11 June to 19 July 2026. 

Lennart Karl 

The 18-year-old has seriously impressed at club level this season in what has been a remarkable breakout campaign for Bayern Munich. His four Bundesliga goals and three assists so far, allied to four and two in each column in the UEFA Champions League, no doubt influenced Nagelsmann’s decision to call him up for the first time.

The left-footer made his debut against Switzerland and, during approximately 30 minutes on the pitch, he was heavily involved in creating the winner for Florian Wirtz in a 4-3 victory. Karl played for the entire second half against Ghana in Stuttgart, and evidently made an impact on Nagelsmann.

Watch: Lennart Karl lighting up the game

More than two thirds of all teams have Harry Kane in them. Indeed, not starring the Bayern Munich talisman when he's fit to play is almost a guarantee to lose rank.

So, instead of pointing out the well-known points machines, we're here to shine the spotlight on those hidden gems that could help you climb up the table...

Montrell Culbreath (Leverkusen), 2.39m

With Arthur and Lucas Vázquez sidelined by injury, Montrell Culbreath has begun to cement his position on the right of Bayer Leverkusen’s usual 3-4-2-1 formation. Listed as a defender but given license to attack down his flank, Culbreath also finds himself up against a Wolfsburg side who are winless in 10 this Saturday – not bad for 2.39m!

Serge Gnabry (Bayern), 12.81m

Bayern Munich are taking a cautious approach with Jamal Musiala’s comeback from an ankle injury, meaning Serge Gnabry should get significant playing time once again when the champions make the trip to Freiburg. A forward in-game, Gnabry’s an arch differential vs. Harry Kane (4%-owned compared to the Englishman’s 41%), and plundered two goals and some 502 points in the 4-0 win over Union Berlin in the final game before the recent international break.

Watch: Gnabry star’s against Union

Previous winners

February 2026: Dejan Ljubičić (Schalke)

Schuster: “It has to be said that as a club, we have really managed to develop in recent years and have enjoyed sporting success. We have even got to play internationally. But now we definitely find ourselves in a special situation going into April.

“As a team, we set ourselves the goal to go into spring with a double workload. But now, we’re still playing in three competitions. That is anything but a given. Of course, I am very happy that we’ve got to this stage in the season. There is great anticipation for the upcoming, exciting challenges.

*All kick-offs 3.30pm CEST unless otherwise stated 

See the latest list of suspended players and those close to suspensions here

Current BVB stars Waldemar Anton and Serhou Guirassy were still part of the Swabians’ ranks then, playing their part in Stuttgart’s close encounter with relegation that season. Having dispatched Hamburg in the relegation play-off, winning 6-1 over the two legs, Sebastian Hoeneß’s side ensured at least two more meetings with Dortmund in the following season.

Watch: VfB Stuttgart 3-3 Borussia Dortmund - revisited

Vincent Kompany's men top of the table on 70 points but with a huge +72 goal difference.

After winning their opening nine games of the campaign, they looked on course to break the points record for a season, set by Bayern in 2012/13 with 91 (plus a goal difference of +80). 

Watch: Dortmund 2-3 Bayern - highlights

"Figures from contemporary history usually take decades, often even centuries, to find their way into the annals of museums. At just 22 and 23 years of age, Jamal Musiala and Florian Wirtz are already making their mark on the exhibition world at the German Football Museum. That's quite the statement!" said German Football Museum director Manuel Neukirchner. 

"With our new blockbuster exhibition, we are closer to the pulse of the times than ever before. The way we are presenting Jamal and Florian in the museum is as spectacular as their playing style itself."

Watch: Take a closer look at the unique Musiala and Wirtz exhibition

For fans voting on the Bundesliga app, it was a tight result as Stöger narrowly beat teammate Jens Castrop, Hamburg's Fábio Vieira and Michael Olise of Bayern Munich.

Disagree? Watch all 10 contenders again below.

Saturday, 4 April (1pm CEST kick-offs, unless stated)

Magdeburg vs. Bochum

Kaiserslautern vs. Fortuna Düsseldorf

Arminia Bielefeld vs. Darmstadt

Dynamo Dresden vs. Hertha Berlin (kick-off: 8.30pm CEST)

Bayern's board member for sport Max Eberl was full of praise for the departing Guerreiro, saying: “We would like to thank Rapha warmly for the time we have spent together. You could always rely on Rapha on the pitch, and players of his calibre enrich any dressing room. Our discussions with him have been positive, based on trust and mutual understanding. Now, together with him, we are focusing on our goals until the summer – together we still want to achieve a great deal.”

Jonas Adjetey

Club: Wolfsburg
Position: Centre-back
Age: 22

Adjetey has only been in Germany for a few months, having joined Wolfsburg in February from Swiss giants Basel.

The defender has started just one game for the Wolves so far, although he has been a regular for Ghana of late, starting each of their last three matches against Comoros, Japan and South Korea. 

We take a closer look at some of German football's leading cult classics.

St. Pauli

THE cult club of German football - arguably world football - saw the light of day in 1907 in Hamburg, and has spent most of its history overshadowed by neighbours HSV.

Well, for starters, not even runaway leaders Bayern Munich have picked up more points than Stuttgart and Dortmund since Matchday 19.

Niko Kovač’s side have collected 22 in that time - two more than Sebastian Hoeneß’s charges, who have lost only once in 14 league games and have claimed as many points as the defending champions in their last nine.

Watch: Dortmund 3-3 Stuttgart - highlights

While his form for Dortmund didn’t lead to an England call-up (whom he represented at youth level), it did catch the eye of Austria head coach Rangnick.

Having been born in Vienna, the midfielder made a successful request to switch allegiance to Austria earlier this year. For both the national team and Chukwuemeka, it appears to be a match made in heaven, as he was called up immediately for the national team's friendly matches this month. 

Watch: Carney Chukwuemeka: Dortmund's latest gem

Saturday afternoon brought the weekend's highlight. The sold-out clash at Anfield featured a host of former stars, including Gerrard, Thiago and Peter Crouch, managed by the watchful eye of Klopp on the sidelines. 

“Angelo Stiller is an excellent footballer, but I think that Aleksandar Pavlović is just that bit better than him at the moment, and Angelo doesn’t make the starting XI,” Nagelsmann said after unveiling his latest squad. 

However, following injuries to Pavlović and Borussia Dortmund’s Felix Nmecha, Stuttgart’s No. 6 started Germany’s 4-3 victory against Switzerland on Friday, impressing in a double-pivot alongside Bayern Munich’s Leon Goretzka.

No members of the current Italy squad ply their trade in Germany, but there are plenty of Bosnian players who feature in either the Bundesliga or Bundesliga 2.

National legend and current Schalke centre-forward Edin Džeko scored a late equaliser against Wales in the semi-final of Qualification Path A before watching his side win the subsequent shoot-out from the bench. The 40-year-old will likely captain his country again in the decider against the Azzurri.

He will be joined by Schalke teammate Nikola Katić, with St. Pauli's Nikola Vasilj between the sticks. Strike duo Ermedin Demirović (VfB Stuttgart) and Haris Tabaković (Borussia Mönchengladbach) will provide firepower alongside Džeko, while Karlsruhe's Dženis Burnić and Kerim Alajbegović, who will return to Bayer Leverkusen in the summer from Red Bull Salzburg, are also in the squad.

Watch: Džeko is back!

No members of the current Italy squad ply their trade in Germany, but there are plenty of Bosnian players who feature in either the Bundesliga or Bundesliga 2. National legend and current Schalke centre-forward Edin Džeko scored a late equaliser against Wales in the semi-final of Qualification Path A before watching his side win the subsequent shoot-out from the bench. The 40-year-old will likely captain his country again in the decider against the Azzurri.

He will be joined by Schalke teammate Nikola Katić, with St. Pauli's Nikola Vasilj between the sticks. Strike duo Ermedin Demirović (VfB Stuttgart) and Haris Tabaković (Borussia Mönchengladbach) will provide firepower alongside Džeko, while Karlsruhe's Dženis Burnić and Kerim Alajbegović, who will return to Bayer Leverkusen in the summer from Red Bull Salzburg, are also in the squad.

Watch: Džeko is back!

With Germany leading 3-2 in Basel in their pre-World Cup warm-up against Switzerland, Karl took to the field in the 63rd minute as a replacement for Leroy Sané.

His 25-yard drive in the sixth minute brought the score level at 1-1, cancelling out an early opener from Jhon ​Arias had sent Colombia ahead.

Having just turned 19 last month, Vušković's goal saw him become the second-youngest goalscorer for Croatia ever, after Luka Ivanušec. 

Watch: Best of Vušković

Winner 

Luka Vušković (Hamburg)

His signing has been a blessing for Hamburg – and he is on course to help them secure their Bundesliga survival. Vušković was a pillar of the Hamburg defence again in March, winning an outstanding 83 percent of his duels. That was the best figure in the Bundesliga over the last three matchdays. The Croatian was virtually unbeatable in the air and didn't commit a single foul during the evaluation period (Matchdays 25, 26 and 27)!

The club’s director of professional football, Claus Costa, had nothing but praise for the young star in an interview with Transfermarkt: "Luka is playing at a very, very high level – week after week. His consistency is truly impressive. He's a huge asset to the team and to Hamburg.”

The 19-year-old Croatia international averaged 64 touches in three matches during the month against Wolfsburg, Cologne and Dortmund, making him the most involved player for Hamburg (among those who started more than once). His only shot on goal in March led to his fifth goal of the season – a penalty against Wolfsburg.

Previous winners

February 2026

Yan Diomande (RB Leipzig)

Whether the 18-year-old gets a chance to play in the World Cup or not, the young attacker will line up for Bayer Leverkusen next season after the Bundesliga outfit confirmed on Friday they are to activate a buy-back clause from July, with the player signing a five-year contract.

Bundesliga

• Matchday 31: Mainz - Bayern | Saturday, 25 April, 3:30 p.m. CEST
• Matchday 31: Cologne - Bayer Leverkusen | Saturday, 25 April, 3:30 p.m. CEST
• Matchday 31: VfB Stuttgart - Werder Bremen | Sunday, 26 April, 3:30 p.m. CEST
• Matchday 32: Eintracht Frankfurt - Hamburg | Saturday, 2 May, 3:30 p.m. CEST
• Matchday 32: Hoffenheim - VfB Stuttgart | Saturday, 2 May, 3:30 p.m. CEST
• Matchday 32: Bayer Leverkusen - RB Leipzig | Saturday, 2 May, 6:30 p.m. CEST
• Matchday 33: Borussia Dortmund - Eintracht Frankfurt | Friday, 8 May, 8:30 p.m. CEST
• Matchday 33: VfB Stuttgart - Bayer Leverkusen | Saturday, 9 May, 3:30 p.m. CEST
• Matchday 33: Hamburg - Freiburg | Sunday, 10 May, 3:30 p.m. CEST

>>> Get the full fixture list here

Sota Kawasaki

Age: 24 (born 30 July 2001)
Club: Mainz
Position: Midfield       
Country: Japan (nine U23 caps)

Key stats

Kawasaki arrived in the Bundesliga from Kyoto Sanga, the only team he represented professionally in his homeland, having amassed 179 appearances in all competitions for the club and captaining them from the 2022/23 season onwards.

Whether he gets a chance to play in the World Cup or not, the young attacker will line up for Bayer Leverkusen next season after the Bundesliga outfit confirmed on Friday they are to activate a buy-back clause from July - with the player signing a five-year contract.

Christian Ilzer's team from the Baden-Württemberg town of Sinsheim occupied third place between Matchdays 18-26, before slipping to fifth on the back of a heavy loss to top-four rivals RB Leipzig in their final game before the March international break.

It's a race that will likely go down to the wire - Hoffenheim trail Leipzig on goal difference and third-in-the-table VfB Stuttgart by three points with seven games to go - but one the well-oiled Kraichgauer are capable of winning.

Consistency will be key, a quality free summer 2025 transfer Coufal has in abundance.

"Good footballers are good footballers regardless of the league they play in," he said. "Of course, the standard is different, but I know the Bundesliga and Dortmund well. At the end of the day, it's about what fits the team and the style of play the coach wants.

"We want to work closely together to find gems who will help the club. The approach will be very similar, though I now have additional resources in scouting and analysis."

Watch: The best of Nick Woltemade in the Bundesliga

Here are the players, aged 18 or under, who have made their maiden appearance for Bayern under the Belgian’s watch.

Adam Aznou – 18 years, 5 months

Like Osmani, Aznou made his league bow against Union, coming on in the 80th minute for Alphonso Davies as Bayern won 3-0 on Matchday 9 last term. A Morocco youth international, he made three further appearances for the Bavarians before joining Real Valladolid on loan for the second half of 2024/25.

With first-team opportunities limited, Aznou moved to Everton last summer, although he has managed just one appearance for the English club to date.

The selection process consists of two stages: first, the players' performance data is considered, and then the votes of fans and experts.

The determining factor for a Matchday is the month in which its Saturday falls. For February, the data referred to Matchdays 25 to 27.

March nominees

Deniz Undav (VfB Stuttgart)

There was no ignoring Undav in March - not even for Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann. The VfB Stuttgart forward is currently the Bundesliga’s most in-form finisher, having scored in each of his last six matches, which represents a league-best run this season. Across the last three alone, he’s racked up four goals and six goal involvements, both the highest tallies in the league.

Vote for Undav here!

Between Matchdays 25 and 27, Undav led the Bundesliga for both shots (13) and overall involvement in shooting attempts (18), while remaining ruthlessly efficient. He converted four of his five clear-cut chances across those three games in March. The 29-year-old has been central to Stuttgart’s rise to third place, and right now, in the Bundesliga - just like in the national team - he’s simply impossible to overlook.

Schwartz is set to be officially presented by his new club on Wednesday 25 March, with a friendly match against Havelse to follow the next day. 

After Matchday 2, Leverkusen chose to move in another direction and relieved ten Hag of his duties, with Kasper Hjulmand presented as the new coach a week later. Ten Hag is currently the technical director at Twente.

bundesliga.com lifts the veil on the sporting directors masterminding the future of Germany's top-flight clubs.

As ever, it's your votes that will determine the winner. Voting takes place each month exclusively on the Bundesliga app. Watch all 10 contenders above and have your say!

Despite never operating as a sporting director for a top-flight club, Book's reputation is stellar in club football - and deservedly so. 

During his time at Elversberg, he took the club from the fourth tier of German football to a Bundesliga promotion play-off last season. His skill for spotting burgeoning talent saw him bring the likes of Nick Woltemade, Fisnik Asllani and Paul Wanner to Elversberg on loan. Each player went on to make the step up to the Bundesliga in the years that followed - and now Book is following suit.

So, which current Bundesliga players have made it into head coach Murat Yakin’s group this time around?

David Santos Daiber

Age: 19 (born 1 January 2007)
Club: Bayern Munich
Position: Defensive midfielder
Country: Portugal (six U19 caps)

Key stats

After being selected in Bayern Munich's squad for the inaugural FIFA Club World Cup, Daiber has gone on to play twice under Vincent Kompany in the Bundesliga, earning a first professional deal through to summer 2030 for his efforts. It is just reward for a player who has overcome obstacles to earn recognition.

Daiber joined Bayern from local club TSV Milbertshofen in 2016, aged nine. He debuted for the club's U17s in 2022/23, and was a regular the following season, scoring twice and providing six assists in 21 U17 Bundesliga appearances.

He continued to progress in 2024/25, making the step up to the U19s. Unfortunately, an injury prevented him from playing in more than the 17 matches he did throughout the campaign, but he recovered to feature in the final three matches of the U19 Bundesliga season, starting all three and even captaining the team twice.

The goals continued to flow on Sunday, culminating in VfB Stuttgart’s 5-2 away win at Augsburg, which saw the visitors tighten their grip on a UEFA Champions League qualification spot. All in all, 40 goals were scored this weekend, the most of any matchday so far this season.

All but one game had three goals or more, with Werder Bremen’s crucial 1-0 victory over Wolfsburg being the only exception. By contrast, the most goals came in Stuttgart’s aforementioned win against Augsburg, where Deniz Undav, fresh from his Germany call-up, netted twice.

Watch: Augsburg 2-5 VfB Stuttgart - highlights

Mio Backhaus
Club: Werder Bremen
Position: Goalkeeper
Points: 337

Julian Ryerson
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Position: Defender
Points: 311

Hennes Behrens
Club: Heidenheim
Position: Defender
Points: 325

David Raum
Club: RB Leipzig
Position: Defender
Points: 274

Brajan Gruda
Club: RB Leipzig
Position: Midfielder
Points: 552

Gruda bagged his first Bundesliga brace and provided an assist – the first time he’s contributed three goals in a single league game in Germany – as Leipzig made light work of fellow top-four challengers Hoffenheim in a 5-0 thrashing. The 21-year-old was heavily involved in attacking play throughout, further boosting his points haul to the biggest of the matchday.

Watch: Leipzig 5-0 Hoffenheim - highlights

Darmstadt 1-1 Schalke
Goals: 0-1 Sylla 44’, 1-1 Lidburg 45’+5

Schalke maintained their lead at the top of the table after a hard-fought draw with fellow promotion chasers Darmstadt in a high-tempo match at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor. The Royal Blues dominated the first half and took a deserved lead in the 44th minute, Moussa Sylla – in for the suspended Edin Džeko – heading home after Timo Becker had hit the post. The hosts responded almost immediately and equalised through Isac Lidberg’s smart finish as the half-time whistle approached. In the second period, Darmstadt missed a number of chances, but the Schalke rearguard held firm for a share of the spoils.

The goals continued to flow on Sunday, culminating in VfB Stuttgart’s 5-2 away win at Augsburg, which saw the visitors tighten their grip on a UEFA Champions League qualification spot. All in all, 40 goals were scored this weekend, the most of any matchday so far this season.

All but one game had three goals or more, with Werder Bremen’s crucial 1-0 victory over Wolfsburg being the only exception. By contrast, the most goals came in Stuttgart’s aforementioned win against Augsburg, where Deniz Undav, fresh from his Germany call-up, netted twice.

Watch: Augsburg 2-5 VfB Stuttgart - highlights

It means that Sebastian Hoeneß’s charges have now scored at least once in each of their last 18 games on the road in the Bundesliga, equalling their club record set between 1984 and 1985.

Only Bayern Munich have scored more than Stuttgart’s 34 goals away from home this term, with VfB’s five against Augsburg their best return in 2025/26. Remarkably, Undav and Co. have already amassed four goals in wins over Bayer Leverkusen and Werder Bremen, while putting three past Wolfsburg, Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Heidenheim.

Watch: Augsburg 2-5 VfB Stuttgart - highlights

Stuttgart arrived at the WWK Arena looking to bounce back from their Europa League exit against Porto, facing an Augsburg side unbeaten in their last eight home matches.

Sebastian Hoeneß's men had won their last six competitive meetings with the Fuggerstädter and made five changes from their European disappointment.

Manuel Baum's Augsburg, meanwhile, had lost their last two Bundesliga matches against RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund, but still maintained a healthy seven-point cushion above the relegation places.

St. Pauli entered the match seeking to extend their impressive unbeaten home run of six Bundesliga matches, a streak that had proven vital in their fight against relegation. 

The hosts were the Bundesliga's lowest scorers coming into Matchday 27 with just 23 goals, but had been solid at the Millerntor since turning around an early-season slump. For Vincenzo Grifo of Freiburg, the occasion marked his 300th Bundesliga appearance, with the veteran leading out a side that had demolished Belgian outfit Genk 5-1 just three days earlier to reach their first-ever European quarter-final.

Saturday’s result left Cologne just two points above St. Pauli in the Bundesliga’s relegation play-off place with seven rounds of fixtures left to play.

Assistant coach Frank Kaspari has also left the club.

Fresh from their midweek UEFA Conference League success against Sigma Olomouc - which was their maiden qualification for the quarter-finals of a UEFA competition - Mainz made just one change, with Sheraldo Becker replacing Nelson Weiper. Frankfurt, who have kept clean sheets in four of their six matches under new coach Albert Riera, were missing suspended defender Robin Koch, with Arthur Theate captaining the side.

Bayern's razor-sharp No.9 now has 31 league goals in 2025/26, keeping him on course to equal - or perhaps even beat - the Bundesliga's single-season goals record of 41 set by Robert Lewandowski in 2020/21.

The 32-year-old struck twice in a potentially pivotal clash with title rivals Borussia Dortmund on Matchday 24, meaning he had scored four consecutive Bundesliga braces. After having a goal disallowed against Bayer Leverkusen, Kane has only failed to find the target in seven German top-flight games this term.

Watch: Kane's double in the Matchday 24 win against Dortmund

Upon the announcement, managing director Lars Ricken said, "In a very open discussion, Sebastian Kehl, Carsten Cramer, and I came to the shared conclusion that the summer is the right time for changes. To allow both sides to prepare, we mutually agreed to an immediate termination of Sebastian's contract.

Union Berlin were the latest side left reeling from an unstoppable attacking onslaught in Munich on Saturday. Serge Gnabry lashing in a brilliant drive sealed a 4-0 win and moved Bayern to a sensational 97 goals after 27 matches of the 2025/26 season.

Not only are Kompany's incredible charges within a whisker of completing a century of goals for the campaign, they also have the all-time Bundesliga record of 101 goals (set by Bayern in 1971/72) firmly in their sights.

Watch: Bayern hit four past Union

With both Cologne and Gladbach struggling at the bottom end of the table, the sides could have been forgiven had the 100th Rhine derby been a cagey, tense affair short on excitement and high in anxiety.

However, with both sides desperate for a pressure-relieving three points rather than taking home one each, we got the exact opposite.

Jens Castrop and Saïd El Mala both scored against their former clubs within the opening five minutes to get derby day off to an electric start. A long way from their academy days at the sides who were now their opponents in the fight for Bundesliga survival, both El Mala and Castrop proved they were more than capable of getting their sides out of trouble and performing under pressure.

Watch: Cologne 3-3 Borussia M'gladbach

Simply click on the PLAY buttons below to enjoy individual Matchday 26 highlights or watch them all in one place in the video above

Bayern Munich 4-0 Union Berlin

Serge Gnabry grabbed himself a double as Bayern swept aside Union with ease.

Dortmund entered the match in imperious form, having lost just twice all season - both defeats coming against Bayern Munich - and already surpassing their points total from the previous campaign. The hosts were unbeaten against any team other than Bayern for over a year, making them strong favourites against a Hamburg side battling for Bundesliga survival.

Julian Ryerson had been in scintillating form with 12 assists for the season, while teenage defender Luca Reggiani was making his mark after scoring recently against Augsburg. Niko Kovač opted to field an unchanged lineup from Dortmund's 2-0 victory over Augsburg - the first time this season BVB had named the same starting eleven in consecutive matches.

Watch: Highlights of Bayern's win over Union

*All kick-offs 3.30pm CET unless otherwise stated. 

See the latest list of suspended players and those close to suspensions here

The 100th Rhine derby between Cologne and Gladbach certainly lived up to its billing, producing a six-goal thriller that ended 3-3.

Both sides came into the match with contrasting fortunes – the hosts without a win in six Bundesliga matches, while Gladbach had kept their 10th clean sheet of the season in their previous match against St. Pauli.

The rivalry took on added significance as both first-year Bundesliga coaches, Lukas Kwasniok and Eugen Polanski, sought crucial points in their respective battles to avoid relegation.

In a crucial relegation battle at the Volkswagen Arena, Wolfsburg hosted Werder Bremen with both sides desperate for points.

The hosts came into the match without a win in nine Bundesliga games, while Bremen had suffered a setback after two consecutive victories with a 2-0 home defeat to Mainz. 

With only one point separating Wolfsburg in 17th from the relegation playoff position, and Bremen just four points clear of danger, the match represented a true six-pointer in the battle for Bundesliga survival.

Heidenheim welcomed Leverkusen to the Voith-Arena with the odds firmly stacked against them. Frank Schmidt's side entered the contest winless in 13 Bundesliga matches and facing a 10-point gap to the relegation playoff spot.

Meanwhile, Kasper Hjulmand's Leverkusen, fresh from UEFA Champions League elimination at the hands of Arsenal, were looking to reignite their push for European qualification. Die Werkself had won all five previous meetings with Heidenheim, including a commanding 6-0 victory in the reverse fixture back in November.

Bayern headed into their clash with Union looking to maintain their nine-point cushion at the top of the Bundesliga table. Despite dropping more points in the second half of the season than in the first, the defending champions remained firmly in control of the title race.

Vincent Kompany was forced to rotate his squad with several key players unavailable, including Luis Díaz and Nicolas Jackson through suspension, while Jonathan Tah, Alphonso Davies, and Jamal Musiala were also absent. Union, meanwhile, arrived at the Allianz Arena in good spirits after their crucial win against Freiburg had lifted them into the upper half of the table.

Gladbach may have more often gained the bragging rights in the 99 previous Bundesliga clashes (53 times), but that counts for nothing ahead of the centenary edition. 

With Cologne just a single point ahead of the relegation play-off spot in 14th, and the Foals three points ahead of them in 12th, the winners on Saturday can gain a big boost to their survival hopes at the expense of their regional rivals.

Die Grün-Weißen have collected 25 points after 26 matchdays. Only twice have they picked up fewer points at this stage of the season (1974/75 and 2019/20), although a silver lining is that they managed to remain in Germany’s top flight on both occasions.

He bookended that with a goal in the 2-2 draw vs. Bayern Munich on Matchday 20 in late January and another strike in defeat to RB Leipzig on Matchday 24 in early March. Anyone who saw his goal against Cologne on Matchday 26 will be wondering whether he can top that world-class strike. Hamburg fans will be salivating at the prospect.

Watch: Vieira's strike vs. Cologne

Leipzig and Hoffenheim met at the Red Bull Arena with Champions League qualification firmly in their sights. Both sides entered the match with minimal changes to their established starting XIs, with Ole Werner bringing Gruda and Xaver Schlager into his Leipzig team, whilst Christian Ilzer handed starts to Grischa Prömel and Tim Lemperle for the visitors.

Hoffenheim arrived in impressive form, having accumulated a club record 50 points after 26 matches, with both teams looking to strengthen their claim for a top-four finish in what promised to be a high-speed encounter between two attack-minded sides.

Saturday, 21 March (1pm CET kick-offs unless stated)

Elversberg vs. Arminia Bielefeld

Paderborn vs. Dynamo Dresden

Nuremberg vs. Kaiserslautern

Darmstadt vs. Schalke (kick-of: 8.30pm CET)

Sunday, 22 March (1.30pm CET kick-offs)

Bochum vs. Holstein Kiel

Fortuna Düsseldorf vs. Hertha Berlin

Preußen Münster vs. Magdeburg

Furthermore, Bayern’s tally of 28 goals in the competition in 2025/26 is behind only Atlético de Madrid (29) and Paris Saint-Germain (31), with the caveat that both of those teams played two extra games by virtue of going through to the last 16 via the play-offs.

Watch: Kane on fire this season

Finn Dahmen

Augsburg’s Finn Dahmen was a first-choice selection in October. Germany’s U21 EURO 2021-winning goalkeeper boasts almost identical statistics to Noah Atubolu in terms of xGOT conceded – 43.3 to 43.2 – and the pair have played virtually the same number of Bundesliga games, leaving Nagelsmann to try and split them if he is looking for another ‘keeper.

Noah Atubolu

Freiburg's Atubolu actually boasts a better shots-to-saves ratio than Manuel Neuer this season – 64.2 per cent to the Bayern legend’s 60.5 – and was Nagelsmann’s choice to replace Baumann in October when the Hoffenheim veteran was forced to withdraw through illness. The 23-year-old has significant international experience with Germany’s U21 squad too, having made 22 appearances – could this summer be when he makes the step up?

Watch: The best of Noah Atubolu

"Luca has made great progress, not just in recent weeks but over the past few months," said sporting director Sebastian Kehl. "There's a lot of potential in Luca, and we'll support him in releasing that. We're delighted by his first steps in professional football."

"It's unusual to see a Germany shirt in this colour, but it's a really good one," said former Bayer Leverkusen and current Liverpool midfielder Florian Wirtz. "I'm really looking forward to playing in it soon.

Watch: Julian Nagelsmann reacts to Germany's World Cup group 

*All kick-offs 3.30pm CET unless otherwise stated. 

See the latest list of suspended players and those close to suspensions here

Two thirds of all teams have Harry Kane in them. Indeed, not starring the Bayern Munich talisman when he's fit to play is almost a guarantee to lose rank.

So, instead of pointing out the well-known points machines, we're here to shine the spotlight on those hidden gems that could help you climb up the table...

Lennart Karl (Bayern), 3.21m

Luis Díaz is suspended, opening up a space in Bayern Munich’s final third ahead of the visit of Union Berlin. Lennart Karl has shown he is more than capable of plugging said gap, with his eight direct goal-involvements in the Bundesliga complemented by another six in the UEFA Champions League. The 18-year-old is only 3.21m in Fantasy, and owned by just 4% of managers, making him a fine budget-busting differential.

Watch: Karl’s incredible Bayern start

Discrimination in Germany – figures that give pause for thought

The social challenges are immense: hatred and discrimination continue to rise in Germany. In 2024, the Federal Anti-Discrimination Agency received around 11,400 requests for advice (link in German) from people who had experienced discrimination – a record high. A Forsa study commissioned by the DAK-Gesundheit (link in German) shows that around three-quarters of those surveyed feel there are more insults, disrespect and aggression in social interactions. 

Marc Lenz, DFL Managing Director and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the DFL Foundation, emphasises: “Football brings millions of people together. It is precisely this power and reach that we want to harness to set boundaries and stand up for respectful interactions. A positive future can only be shaped together – in sport just as much as in our society.”

With just five points between Hoffenheim and sixth-placed Bayer Leverkusen, both TSG and Leipzig know that any slip-up between now and the end of the season could prove costly, especially given Leipzig’s narrow 1-0 defeat at Stuttgart last time out.

Despite their respective strong league positions, both Hoffenheim and Leipzig have lost some of their consistency recently, with both sides having won two, drawn two and lost one of their last five. In Hoffenheim’s case, many of those dropped points came against teams battling relegation, as Cologne, St. Pauli and Wolfsburg all took points off TSG.

Watch: VfB Stuttgart 1-0 RB Leipzig

Andrich later played a decisive role at the opposite end of the pitch as he put his side in front. Arsenal have earned a reputation for being corner specialists this term, but it was Leverkusen who found the back of the net from such a dead-ball situtation. The tactic of keeping the target of the delivery free was ultimately crucial, and it is one the Gunners have perfected this season.

It was just the latest fantastic display in a season that appears to be showing no signs of slowing down for the 24-year-old. He now has 15 goals and 22 assists in all tournaments, terrifying opposition defences with his blend of pace, trickery and clinical finishing.

Watch: Best of Michael Olise in the Bundesliga

The 23-year-old has since made over 95 competitive appearances for the Foals, captaining the side throughout the 2025/26 season in the absence of injured first-choice skipper Tim Kleindienst.

The 18-time Germany youth international has signed a five-year deal that will keep him at Leipzig until 2031.

Simply click on the PLAY buttons below to enjoy individual Matchday 26 highlights or watch them all in one place in the video above

Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 Bayern Munich

Bayern had two players sent off, including goalscorer Luis Díaz, but still managed to earn a point away to Leverkusen. 

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A goalkeeping crisis that began with Neuer and Urbig being out of action at the weekend has deepened after news broke that third-choice stopper Ulreich had now also torn a muscle.

The 37-year-old suffered the injury in his right adductor during Bayern’s 1-1 draw with Leverkusen, and will now be out of action “for the time being”.

Watch: Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 Bayern Munich - highlights

They brought that same energy to their Bundesliga clash with Vincent Kompany's side, with a result necessary to keep their hopes for a top-four finish alive.

They started the better of the two sides, with confident passing and stubborn defending resulting in Aleix García firing them into an early lead. 

Watch: Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 Bayern Munich

Kamil Grabara
Club: Wolfsburg
Position: Goalkeeper
Points: 330

Nnamdi Collins
Club: Eintracht Frankfurt
Position: Defender
Points: 361

Luca Reggiani
Club: Borussia Dortmund
Position: Defender
Points: 425

Reggiani netted his first Bundesliga goal as Dortmund saw off Augsburg with a comfortable 2-0 win. The Italian defender is the 19th different teenager to score in Germany’s top flight this season and also won an impressive 82 percent of his duels to post the biggest Fantasy points haul of the matchday.

Watch: Dortmund 2-0 Augsburg - highlights

* All kick-offs 3.30pm CET unless otherwise stated. 

The action kicks off with Gladbach hosting St. Pauli, with the Foals sitting four places, but just one point, above the Kiezkicker in the table. The hosts gained an impressive point at home to UEFA Champions League hopefuls Bayer Leverkusen at the start of February, before falling to consecutive defeats to Eintracht Frankfurt and Freiburg. They managed to bounce back with a win against Union Berlin, but any hopes of building on that result were dashed by a 4-1 defeat at league leaders Bayern Munich.

They’ll now welcome Alexander Blessin’s side to Borussia-Park with hopes of pushing themselves away from danger, and Pauli closer to the mire. Eugen Polanski’s men haven’t exactly impressed on their own turf this season, however, winning just three of 13 games, putting them 16th in the home table.

The selection process consists of two stages: first, the players' performance data is considered, and then the votes of fans and experts.

The determining factor for a Matchday is the month in which its Saturday falls. For February, the data referred to Matchdays 21 to 24.

February winner

Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)

Kane is in no mood to slow down – quite the opposite, in fact. Last month, no other player scored as many goals as the Bayern superstar, who was crowned Player of the Month in September and December earlier this season. Kane increased his incredible season scoring tally from 22 to 30 throughout February, putting him well on his way to breaking Robert Lewandowski's legendary 41-goal record from the 2020/21 campaign. The 32-year-old even registered consecutive braces in four league matches, a feat previously achieved by only two players in history.

Once again – or rather, four times again – Kane demonstrated his incredible composure from the penalty spot, and has now successfully converted all 24 of his spot-kicks in the Bundesliga. Last month, the England captain, who often prefers to drop deep, once again showed how devastating he is as a classic number nine, also taking the most shots in the league with 22.

Watch: Kane's prolific February

Two thirds of all teams have Harry Kane in them. Indeed, not starring the Bayern Munich talisman when he's fit to play is almost a guarantee to lose rank.

So, instead of pointing out the well-known points machines, we're here to shine the spotlight on those hidden gems that could help you climb up the table...

Wael Mohya (Gladbach), 1.32m 

Wael Mohya is a bit of a punt, but a worthwhile one if recent form is anything to go by. The 17-year-old came off the bench to snatch a consolation against Bayern Munich last Friday, and should get significant minutes for Borussia Mönchengladbach at home to St. Pauli in this weekend’s curtain-raiser. His last two games have generated 100-plus points hauls, starts or not, and for just 1.32m, there is very little to lose.

Sven Ulreich (Bayern), 2.47m

Manuel Neuer has been ruled out of Bayern Munich’s trip to Bayer Leverkusen with a calf injury, while first deputy Jonas Urbig was concussed as the record champions thrashed Atalanta 6-1 in the Champions League on Tuesday. That puts Sven Ulreich in the firing line against Leverkusen, who have had the fourth-most shots in the Bundesliga this term but remain underdogs against Bayern. Busy but victorious is exactly what Fantasy managers want from their goalkeepers.

Watch: Ulreich's top five saves

The sandstone colour scheme is inspired by the distinctive walls that have framed the Rote Erde since it was first opened back in 1926.

Similarly, the pattern embossed onto the shirt plays on that shared nostalgia, the design evoking the stadium’s two main entrance gates, and especially the famous Marathon Gate. Details on the sleeves and collar also make reference to the athletics track that runs around the outside of the pitch.

Simply click on the PLAY buttons below to enjoy individual Matchday 25 highlights or watch them all in one place in the video above

Bayern Munich 4-1 Borussia Mönchengladbach

Vincent Kompany's side took another step towards the title with a convincing win over 10-man Gladbach.

The Bavarian juggernaut has continued to build up steam in recent weeks. After a two-game winless stumble in the Bundesliga, Bayern have won each of their last six across all competitions to not only open up an 11-point gap at the top of the table, but also progress to the semi-finals of the DFB Cup.

That run has hardly been simple, either. While Werder Bremen are struggling at the wrong end of the table and were expected casualties, Borussia Dortmund and Hoffenheim – who sit second and third respectively in the league table – were outdone by Kompany and Co., with the latter suffering a 5-1 defeat. In the cup, meanwhile, Bayern defeated RB Leipzig, two-time winners of the competition in the last five years.

Watch: Borussia Dortmund 2-3 Bayern Munich - highlights

While the Gunners topped the league phase, Leverkusen’s recent good form and strong record against English clubs will give them every chance of progressing.

Kasper Hjulmand’s side may have started 2026 with a wobble, losing each of their first three games, but Die Werkself have improved dramatically since then.

Leverkusen have now lost just one of their past 12 games in all competitions, a run that includes a two-legged play-off against Olympiacos in this competition. The 2023/24 Bundesliga winners also find themselves in the battle for a top-four spot and into the DFB Cup semi-finals, making this clash with Arsenal one of several huge games over the coming weeks.

Finn Dahmen
Club: Augsburg
Position: Goalkeeper
Points: 405

Danny da Costa
Club: Mainz
Position: Defender
Points: 386

Luka Vušković
Club: Hamburg
Position: Defender
Points: 350

Vušković won both of Hamburg’s penalties and converted the first of them as they came from behind to win at struggling Wolfsburg. He also came out on top in an excellent 95 percent of his duels and is now HSV’s joint-top scorer alongside Rayan Philippe with five goals each.

Watch: Wolfsburg 1-2 Hamburg - highlights

Bundesliga

• Matchday 28: Werder Bremen – RB Leipzig | Saturday, 4 April, 3:30 p.m. CEST
• Matchday 28: VfB Stuttgart – Borussia Dortmund | Saturday, 4 April, 6:30 p.m. CEST
• Matchday 28: Eintracht Frankfurt – Cologne | Sunday, 5 April, 5:30 p.m. CEST
• Matchday 29: Borussia Dortmund – Bayer Leverkusen | Saturday, 11 April, 3:30 p.m. CEST
• Matchday 29: St. Pauli – Bayern Munich | Saturday, 11 April, 6:30 p.m. CEST
• Matchday 29: VfB Stuttgart – Hamburg | Sunday, 12 April, 5:30 p.m. CEST
• Matchday 30: Werder Bremen – Hamburg | Saturday, 18 April, 3:30 p.m. CEST
• Matchday 30: Eintracht Frankfurt – RB Leipzig | Saturday, 18 April, 6:30 p.m. CEST
• Matchday 30: Bayern Munich – VfB Stuttgart | Sunday, 19 April, 5:30 p.m. CEST

>>> Get the full fixture list here

Ramy Bensebaini: “Well, we knew it was going to be a very difficult match. This game would obviously make or break our season, even if there are still games left to play. But it was clearly a match we really wanted to win. We started the match well and scored first. After that, well, it’s Bayern. It was a very difficult, very tight match. They managed to score from the few chances they had, and they deserved it. We didn't deserve to lose, they also deserved to win. So it was a good, tight match."

Watch: Borussia Dortmund 2-3 Bayern Munich - highlights

Aleksandar Pavlović: “It was a great day for us - a great win. It was not an easy game against Dortmund, who are in very good form at the moment. They played well, especially in the first half. In the second half we grew into the game, took control and deservedly won in the end.”

Watch: The best of Pavlović

* All kick-offs 3.30pm CET unless otherwise stated

At the time, head coach Vincent Kompany said of Davies' anticipated absence: "I don't know if it will be two or four weeks. My gut feeling is that it won't take that long." He has been proven right.

Watch: Kompany's press conference ahead of facing Gladbach

We train the spotlight on the teams eyeing a place in the top flight next term…

Nikola Vasilj
Club: St. Pauli
Position: Goalkeeper
Points: 384

Jarell Quansah
Club: Bayer Leverkusen
Position: Defender
Points: 388

Quansah’s second goal in his last two Bundesliga appearances earned Leverkusen a 1-1 draw at home to Mainz and big points for the English defender. He topped up his haul with another 132 for winning 11 duels with a success rate of 79 percent.

Watch: Leverkusen 1-1 Mainz - highlights

Simply click on the PLAY buttons below to enjoy individual Matchday 24 highlights or watch them all in one place in the video above

Borussia Dortmund 2-3 Bayern Munich

Joshua Kimmich scored a fantastic late winner after a Harry Kane brace as Bayern edged out Dortmund in an enthralling Klassiker to move 11 points clear at the top of the table.

Dejan Ljubicic rescued leaders Schalke a point away to struggling Greuther Fürth. The home side scored against the run of play through Dennis Srbeny's composed finish into the corner with just 12 minutes gone. Schalke proceeded to spurn several inviting opportunities, before Ljubicic finally hammered home an eye-catching 75th-minute leveller. The Royal Blues pushed hard for a winner, but the battling Clover Leaves held firm for a point.

After regaining the title from Bayer Leverkusen in 2024/25, Bayern have applied their foot even further to the gas this season. They started off with an 18-game unbeaten run, amassing a record 50 points along the way.

A blip – by Bayern standards – followed as they lost their first game of the Bundesliga campaign against Augsburg prior to drawing 2-2 at Hamburg, but three consecutive wins versus Hoffenheim, Werder Bremen and Eintracht Frankfurt have steered them back on course.

Watch: Bayern Munich 3-2 Eintracht Frankfurt - highlights

* All kick-offs 3.30pm CET unless otherwise stated

Saturday, 28 February

Greuther Fürth vs. Schalke (kick-off: 8.30pm CET)

Sunday, 1 March (1.30pm CET kick-offs)

Magdeburg vs. Karlsruhe

Hertha Berlin vs. Nuremberg

Eintracht Braunschweig vs. Preußen Münster

Der Klassiker is always a spine-tingling battle between the two biggest clubs in the land, but with Dortmund determined to do everything to wrestle the title out of Bayern's grasp with the famous Yellow Wall behind them, we could just have a Klassiker for the ages in store this coming Saturday (kick-off: 6.30 pm CET).

>>> Bundesliga title race latest!

Borussia Dortmund

Niko Kovač (head coach): "Bayern are a top team that will demand everything from us. We have to play to our very best from the first to the last second. We have to be brave in possession and keep hold of the ball for long periods. But it also depends on the opponent, who will certainly want to impose their game on us. It will be a very intense game over 90 minutes. We will put 11 players on the pitch who will give everything. They will try everything to beat the German champions here in our stadium with our fans behind us."

Watch: Kovač targets Klassiker scalp

“Great players, great coaches, a long tradition and a big rivalry.”

Watch: Klassiker preview - who will have the edge when the title rivals meet?

* All kick-offs 3.30pm CET unless otherwise stated

“Against Bayern, you have to be strong defensively”, said Alonso after the game. “We did a great job; we were disciplined and compact. We didn’t give them anything”. It is impossible to disagree with that analysis – the way Leverkusen neutralised the record champions was almost unprecedented. Explaining his side’s approach, Alonso added, “Even though we wanted to dominate, on occasion we needed to wait and defend compactly.”

Watch: How Leverkusen beat Bayern - analysis

bundesliga.com takes you through five of Die Werkself’s best wins over the Bavarian giants…

Bayer Leverkusen 5-2 Bayern Munich, 1996/97 Matchday 21

The head-to-head record is admittedly one-sided in favour of Bayern down the years with 60 wins to 20, and you have to go back to 1997 for Leverkusen’s most comprehensive victory as a team featuring Niko and Robert Kovac, Paulo Sergio and Jens Nowotny raced into a 3-0 half-time lead, with the Brazilian and later Bayern attacker opening the scoring inside just five minutes.

Simply click on the PLAY buttons below to enjoy individual Matchday 23 highlights or watch them all in one place in the video above

Bayern Munich 3-2 Eintracht Frankfurt

Harry Kane scored twice but Bayern had to withstand a second-half Frankfurt fightback to secure all three points in Munich.

Saïd El Mala drilled a cross from the right in the box where Ache span, leapt, and slammed a simply sensational overhead kick past a bamboozled Oliver Baumann in the Hoffenheim goal.

Watch: Ragnar Ache's remarkable bicycle kick

Kauã Santos
Club: Eintracht Frankfurt
Position: Goalkeeper
Points: 295

Josip Stanišić
Club: Bayern Munich
Position: Defender
Points: 286

Edmond Tapsoba
Club: Bayer Leverkusen
Position: Defender
Points: 300

Ozan Kabak
Club: Hoffenheim
Position: Defender
Points: 372

Kabak makes the Team of the Week for the second matchday running after netting his fourth goal of the season – a new personal best for him in the Bundesliga – in Hoffenheim’s 2-2 draw at Cologne. Although powerless to prevent a Goal of the Season contender from Ragnar Ache, the Turkish defender still picked up plenty of extra points for his 12 duels won.

Watch: Cologne 2-2 Hoffenheim - highlights

Schalke 5-3 Magdeburg
Goals: 1-0 Hugonet (OG) 15’, 1-1 Nollenburger 17’, 2-1 Džeko 39’, 3-1 Karaman (pen) 49’, 3-2 Zukowski 53’, 4-2 Ljubicic 65’, 5-2 Karaman 68’, 5-3 Zukowski (pen) 84’

In an electric atmosphere at the Veltins-Arena, Schalke returned to the top of the Bundesliga 2 table with a hard-fought win over a battling Magdeburg side. In an entertaining and spectacular affair, the Miners, propelled by vibrant performances from their entire front line, scored five times through a Jean Hugonet own goal, a Kenan Karaman brace, Edin Džeko and Dejan Ljubicic. The visitors’ resilience was admirable, as they continued to keep themselves in touching distance with goals at crucial times – two of which, by Alexander Nollenberger and Mateusz Zukowski, were of the eye-catching variety – but in the end Schalke had the requisite quality to secure an important victory.

The presentation will take place after the teams have walked out onto the pitch at the Allianz Arena on Saturday. Handshakes and the coin toss will begin only after the ceremony has concluded.

Watch: The goals keep flowing for Bayern

Additionally, Deniz Undav and Ermedin Demirović - who had a goal ruled out for offside - are in excellent form themselves. Undav has already plundered six goals and provided seven assists in all competitions in 2026 while his Bosnian teammate has returned five goals.

Possessing two of Europe’s clinical goal-getters, VfB’s attacking duo are a force to be reckoned with. What’s more, Hoeneß has a plethora of attacking talent at his disposal with Jamie Leweling and Tiago Tomás also among the goals in Glasgow.

Watch: Every Undav goal this season

Both sides entered the match in good form, with HSV unbeaten in five league outings and the hosts having won their last three home games under 60th birthday boy Urs Fischer. The match started 10 minutes late after traffic problems delayed Hamburg's arrival, but once underway, it developed into an absorbing contest between two evenly matched sides with plenty at stake in their push for top-flight survival.

Mainz started brightly with Silas Katompa Mvumpa causing problems down the left. As the half progressed, Hamburg grew into the match with Vieira testing Daniel Batz from distance. The breakthrough came in the 42nd minute when Nadiem Amiri met Danny da Costa's cross with a sublime first-time volley into the corner beyond Daniel Heuer Fernandes.

All 3.30pm CET kick-offs unless stated

Niko Kovač’s side are currently in the middle of a 15-game unbeaten run in the Bundesliga, winning each of the last six, to close the gap to six points at the top of the table.

With Kauã Santos between the sticks and Robin Koch at the heart of defence, Saturday’s clean sheet was Eintracht’s first in 10 games across all competitions since their last victory, which came against Augsburg in mid-December 2025.

Frankfurt’s newfound defensive solidity is a stark improvement on how they entered 2026, despite what their shots-against metric suggests. Having conceded three goals in each of their first five fixtures of the calendar year, Die Adler have allowed 32 shots on their goal across Riera’s first two games in charge, conceding just one clear-cut chance - the successfully converted spot-kick in Berlin.

Watch: Frankfurt hit reset with Riera

In what could prove to be a decisive period in their season, a trip to RB Leipzig is sandwiched by their European endeavors before a home instalment of Der Klassiker against Bayen Munich on 28 February.

Come the end of the month, Dortmund could well find themselves attacking on all fronts, or eliminated from the Champions League and potentially 12 points behind leaders Bayern. For now, though, optimism reigns supreme at the Signal Iduna Park.

Watch: Something brewing in Dortmund

Two thirds of all teams have Harry Kane in them. Indeed, not starring the Bayern Munich talisman when he's fit to play is almost a guarantee to lose rank.

So, instead of pointing out the well-known points machines, we're here to shine the spotlight on those hidden gems that could help you climb up the table...

Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund): 16.93M

After four goals in the opening three games of the season, Guirassy scored just two more over the following 16 matchdays. Now, though, the big striker looks to have burst back to life, netting five times in the last three Bundesliga fixtures – plus one more against Atalanta in midweek. Dortmund as a team are in great form, now spearheaded once again by a firing Guirassy, who is only owned by 11 percent of managers. Can you afford to miss out on him up against an RB Leipzig side that has lost its way defensively of late?

Watch: All of Guirassy's Bundesliga goals 

Friday, 13 February

Nuremberg 5-1 Karlsruhe
Goals: 1-0 Justvan 25’, 2-0 Justvan 28’, 3-0 Zoma 41’, 4-0 Zoma 50’, 4-1 Wanitzek 58’ (pen), 5-1 Zoma 65’

Nuremberg extended their unbeaten streak at home to eight games with a commanding victory over Karlsruhe. Showcasing their ruthlessness in the final third, Julian Justvan opened the scoring midway through the first period before doubling his team’s tally with a ferocious effort moments later. Mohamed Alì Zoma scored a third as Miroslav Klose’s men took a deserved lead into the break, before adding a fourth shortly after. Marvin Wanitzek’s converted penalty was quickly erased when Zoma completed his hat-trick, leaving Christian Eichner’s side with just one win in their last 11 games.

Fortuna Düsseldorf 0-0 Preußen Münster

Düsseldorf and Münster played out a goalless draw in Friday’s relegation six-pointer where chances were squandered at both ends. Fortuna’s best opportunity came through Florent Muslija who fired his indirect free-kick straight into the wall before Cedric Itten fluffed an excellent chance from close range. As Münster chased the opening goal, Marcel Benger saw his effort deflected narrowly over the crossbar as both teams took a share of the spoils, leaving the visitors winless in eight games, while Markus Anfang’s Düsseldorf are unbeaten in three.

* All kick-off times 3.30pm CET unless otherwise stated. 

Club: Eintracht Frankfurt
Position: Attacking midfielder
Age: 27 (Born 16 June 1998)
Appearances: 21
Starts: 21

Having helped guide Freiburg into the UEFA Europa League with 10 goals and seven assists in 2024/25, Dōan is getting to showcase his skills in the UEFA Champions League this season after completing a summer switch to Eintracht Frankfurt.

Matchday 21

Dōan played 82 minutes of Frankfurt's 1-1 draw away to Union Berlin.

Watch: The best of Ritsu Dōan

However, since the new year, BVB have turned what was arguably one of their biggest weaknesses into one of their greatest strengths. Their 2-1 victory away to Wolfsburg on Matchday 21 was the fourth time in 2026 that they have managed to turn games around late on to claim points – in this case thanks to an 87th-minute Serhou Guirassy winner.

Guirassy was at it again in a much more comfortable Dortmund victory over Mainz on Matchday 22, scoring his fourth and fifth Bundesliga goals this month in a 4-0 triumph. Borussia's star of the show against the Zerofivers, however, was Julian Ryerson, who set up all four Dortmund goals with pin-point crosses.

Watch: Borussia Dortmund 4-0 Mainz - highlights