By Barry Whelan, dpa
Bayern Munich are in Berlin hoping to seal a fourth straight Bundesliga title, while relegation and European berths are at stake in the German league’s weekend fixtures.
Berlin (dpa) – Bayern Munich could make sure of a record fourth straight Bundesliga title if they win at Hertha Berlin and Borussia Dortmund lose at Stuttgart on Saturday.
Bayer Leverkusen will meanwhile be seeking another step towards direct qualification for next season’s Champions League when they visit Schalke, who also have European ambitions.
The battle to avoid relegation remains tight, with Friday evening’s northern derby between Werder Bremen and SV Hamburg a key game for both sides.
Bayern, fresh from a 2-0 cup semi-final victory over Bremen to put them into next month’s final in Berlin against Dortmund, are in the German capital to face Hertha as they move closer to their 25th Bundesliga and 26th national league title.
Depending on results, the title could be sealed in Berlin, as it was in 2010 and 2014, but Pep Guardiola’s side cannot afford to slip with Dortmund seven points behind and four matches left.
Defender Jerome Boateng could be back in the squad after injury for a match which also comes ahead of Bayern’s Champions League semi-final against Atletico Madrid.
Dortmund, who defeated Hertha 3-0 in the cup Wednesday, are at a Stuttgart side in the middle of a relegation scrap involving at least half a dozen teams. Dortmund are unbeaten in 11 matches against Stuttgart, who are five league games without a win.
Bottom side Hanover will definitely go down if they lose at Ingolstadt, while second last Eintracht Frankfurt badly need a win against visiting sixth-placed local rivals Mainz on Sunday.
Third-last Bremen believe a 3-2 victory over Wolfsburg last weekend and a strong performance against Bayern in the cup has put them in good stead for the short trip to Hamburg, who are three points ahead.
Striker Claudio Pizarro said: «When we continue to play like this we will get a good result in the northern derby. The team is in good shape and we have our game back.»
Of the other relegation candidates, Augsburg are at Wolfsburg, who need a win to keep their hopes alive of reaching a Europa League place, while Hoffenheim – unbeaten in five games with four wins – are at fifth-placed Borussia Moenchengladbach on Sunday.
Cologne and Darmstadt meet both looking for points to banish any lingering relegation fears.
Leverkusen are now the frontrunners for the third direct Champions League spot after five wins in a row and a club record six games without conceding a goal.
Roger Schmidt’s side are now two points ahead of Hertha and six up on Moenchengladbach, Mainz and Saturday’s opponents Schalke, and have have CL qualification very much in their own hands, with Hertha and Moenchengladbach next up after this weekend.
Leverkusen striker striker Karim Bellarabi told the Bundesliga
website: «I still see Schalke as a direct rival so we really want to take the three points to make sure of third place.»
Schalke have captain Benedikt Howedes back in training after almost four months out injured, but Saturday’s game comes too early for the defender.
Victory over Leverkusen is a must and «everyone in the ground should be able to sense how badly we want to win,» Hoewedes said.
«Unfortunately we haven’t been able to pick up as many points as we’d intended to in the last few games. But still, everything is possible at our end of the table.»
