Bundesliga Season 10/11

[Mario Gomez]

Bundesliga: Mainz 1 Borussia Moenchengladbach 0
16 April 2011

Relegation-threatened Borussia Moenchengladbach conceded a late goal in their 1-0 loss to Mainz in the Bundesliga on Friday.

Lucien Favre's men are two points from the relegation play-off spot, conceding an 87th minute goal at Mainz to deepen their troubles.

Andre Schuerrle struck from 25 yards past an outstretched Marc Andre ter Stegen to extend Mainz’s lead on fifth spot to five points.

It was the 20-year-old’s 13th goal of the season, equalling the best return for the club, which was set by Mohamed Zidan during the 2006/07 season.

The visitors' task of getting anything out of the game was made difficult when striker Mike Hanke was sent off after picking up a second yellow card in the 53rd minute.

It was a disappointing result for Moenchengladbach after their 5-1 thrashing of Cologne last weekend.

The win ended a four-game winless run for Mainz and put them within five points of the Champions League qualification spot, although Hannover will have the chance to restore the buffer with a trip to Hamburg on Saturday.

 

[Dodomeki]

Bundesliga wrap: Vital win for Stuttgart, Hannover falter

17 April 2011

Stuttgart moved a step closer to Bundesliga survival with a 3-1 win at Cologne on Saturday, while European hopefuls Hannover were held.

A three-goal burst in the second half sealed the result for Stuttgart, sending the relegation-threatened club four points clear of the drop zone with four games to play.

Midfielder Christian Trasch burst clear on 51 minutes and blasted a well-aimed shot beyond Cologne goalkeeper Michael Rensing, and two minutes later striker Martin Harnik finished off Serdar Tasci's good work for a 2-0 lead.

Serbian midfielder Zdravko Kuzmanovic cashed in Pedro Geromel's handball with a penalty on the hour mark - a goal that was soon matched by Milivoje Novakovic's consolation strike for the hosts.

Elsewhere, Hannover's push for a Champions League berth stalled with a 0-0 draw at Hamburg.

The result means Hannover could finish the weekend outside of the top three if Bayern Munich can topple Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday.

Nuremberg moved within two points of the Europa League places with a 2-0 defeat of Kaiserslautern, owing to goals from Christian Eigler and substitute Robert Mak.

Eigler got his head to Timothy Chandler's whipped-in cross in the 34th minute, and had a hand in Mak's goal when he blocked an attempted clearance from the Kaiserslautern defence and the ball fell for the Slovakian striker in stoppage time.

In other results, relegation battlers St Pauli and Wolfsburg fought out a 2-2 draw that leaves both four points adrift of safety.

Eintracht Frankfurt hover above the drop zone following a 1-0 loss at mid-table Hoffenheim, while Schalke marginally improved their chances of beating the drop by holding on for a 1-1 draw at Werder Bremen.

 

[Mario Gomez]

 

[Dodomeki]

Bundesliga wrap: Wins for Dortmund, Bayern

18 April 2011

Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund wrapped up a Champions League berth on Sunday, while Bayern Munich edged closer to one of their own.

Dortmund ensured a top-three finish is the minimum that awaits them at campaign's end with a 3-0 win over visiting Freiburg, shortly after Bayern rode Mario Gomez's hat-trick to a 5-1 thumping of second-placed Bayer Leverkusen.

Leverkusen's heavy defeat allowed Dortmund to open up an eight-point lead at the top with four games remaining, while Bayern leapfrog Hannover into third place.

Dortmund imposed themselves on the contest early and took a deserved lead through Mario Gotze in the 23rd minute.

The Germany midfielder gleefully finished past Freiburg goalkeeper Oliver Baumann after Marcel Schmelzer played his way to the goal-line and pulled a pass back for his team-mate.

It only got more one-sided as Poland international Robert Lewandowski - who had earlier made a mess of two gilt-edged opportunities - pounced on Omer Toprak's deflection, rounded Baumann and poked into the open net on 43 minutes.

Chances flew thick and fast in the second half as Freiburg searched for a goal, but it was Dortmund who would succeed once more as Kevin Grosskreutz made the most of a terrific squared ball by Gotze for a 3-0 result 12 minutes from time.

Elsewhere, Bayern gave Leverkusen manager Jupp Heynckes a good look at the talent that will be at his disposal next season with a classy 5-1 victory at the Allianz Arena.

Heynckes is set to take over from caretaker boss Andries Jonker at Bayern next term, but will see out the season in charge of Leverkusen.

And while Bayern's win came at the expense of his current side, Heynckes will be gladdened that he will soon have the services of Gomez, who extended his goal tally to a league-leading 22 with a hat-trick inside 20 first-half minutes.

The early signs were ominous for Leverkusen when midfielder Simon Rolfes deflected Franck Ribery's cross into his own net in the seventh minute to gift Bayern a 1-0 lead.

Frontman Gomez took over from there, knocking in Thomas Muller's cross in the 28th minute and again in the 44th minute.

The Germany international then nabbed his hat-trick goal on a counter-attack in first-half injury time, blasting a low, angled strike that was simply too good for Leverkusen goalkeeper Rene Adler.

With four goals to their credit, Bayern had no need to press in the second half and seemed content to sit back until Leverkusen striker Eren Derdiyok smashed a cross into the roof of the net in the 62nd minute.

That prompted a brief flurry of activity from the hosts, who earned their fifth and final goal through Ribery after the France international played himself into the area on a one-two with Daniel van Buyten and clinically finished past Adler.

 

[jw5]

Next time, don't let your current coach sign on as the coach of the opponent for next season ok?

 

[Mario Gomez]

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Bayern München 5 - 1 Bayer Leverkusen
Goals & Highlights 17.04.2011


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Borussia Dortmund 3 - 0 Freiburg
Goals & Highlights 17.04.2011


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[Dodomeki]

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Robben stays true to Bayern

21 April 2011

Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben has declared his loyalty to the German club, quashing speculation he would move at season's end.

The announcement is something of a backflip for the Holland international, who has in recent months been the creator of much of that speculation.

Earlier, Robben bitterly declared that he would refuse to take part in the Europa League should Bayern fail to finish in the Champions League places on the Bundesliga table, saying the second-tier competition was not worth winning.

The 27-year-old was still at it earlier this week, telling reporters "nothing in life is certain" when asked if he would wear the Bayern shirt next season.

But with the club sneaking past Hannover into third on the table and seemingly flourishing under caretaker manager Andries Jonker, it seems Robben has had a change of heart.

"I have never said I am planning to move on," he told German newspaper TZ.

"I did not say I need to move on if we are only going to feature in the Europa League next season. I am contracted to Bayern, so I am going to stay."

"I intend to be honest towards the supporters of the club. It's a fact that I have never thought about moving on from Bayern Munich."

 

[Manuel Neuer]

Neuer for Bayern?

22 April 2011

Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is expected to move from Schalke to Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich at the end of the season.

Schalke captain Neuer, 25, has confirmed that he will not be signing an extension to his contract with the Gelsenkirchen outfit.

His current deal expires in 2012, meaning Schalke will be forced to sell one of their prized assets for a cut-price or accept losing him for nothing when his contract runs out.

"I wanted to be honest and explain my decision," Neuer said.

"I want to develop further and take a new big step in my career."

"I want to continue playing in the Champions League, at the highest level."

"I know this is not a great moment for Schalke fans, but I am a professional footballer and I am looking from a different perspective."

"It is clear some fans will be upset."

Neuer had been heavily linked with a move to replace retiring Dutchman Edwin van der Sar at English Premier League leaders Manchester United.

But he is now tipped to remain in Germany with Schalke's fierce rivals Bayern.

Newspaper Bild claims the goalkeeper has agreed a four-year deal at the Allianz Arena, with the transfer fee rumoured to be approximately 17 million pounds.

 

[Dodomeki]

Bundesliga: Freiburg 1 Hannover 3

22 April 2011

Hannover moved back to third in the Bundesliga after a 3-1 away win at Freiburg on Thursday.

The result means Hannover have climbed two points ahead of Bayern Munich in the race for a Champions League qualifying berth next season, meaning Bayern's game in hand, to be played at Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, is crucial.

Hannover's win came thanks to a bright start that caught the eighth-placed hosts on the back foot, with Jan Schlaudraff particularly impressive in the early stages.

Schlaudraff initially provided the assist for Mohammed Abdellaoue's 24th minute opener before he turned scorer seven minutes later to double the lead.

Konstantin Rausch added a third 13 minutes into the second half, and although Jan Rosenthal pulled a goal back for the hosts with 11 minutes remaining, the visitors celebrated an impressive victory.

 

[Dodomeki]

Bundesliga preview: Title on the line for Dortmund

22 April 2011

The Bundesliga title could be decided on Saturday, when league-leading Borussia Dortmund visit Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Dortmund have set the pace for much of the campaign, and with four games to play they have an eight point lead over second-placed Bayer Leverkusen.

That means a win for Juergen Klopp's side - and any points dropped by Leverkusen from their home clash with Hoffenheim - would hand Dortmund their seventh Bundesliga crown, and first since 2001-02.

Klopp insists his side's focus will be squarely on claiming all three points from their own game against a desperate Moenchengladbach side eager to claim full points in a bid to lift themselves off the bottom of the league.

In a sign of just how seriously Klopp was taking Saturday's game, training sessions on both Thursday and Friday were closed to the public after crowds had increased throughout the week.

"We want to win and get the three points and I am not interested in anything more than that at this moment," Klopp said. "We cannot influence the rest anyway."

"I hope our fans understand the need for this measure - at the end of the day it is in our interest to prepare in a professional manner for the game in Gladbach."

Also on Saturday, Hamburg visit Stuttgart, who will be looking to put some room between themselves and the relegation zone, as will Kaiserslautern when they travel to Schalke.

Bayern Munich - unbeaten in their last five games - head to Eintracht Frankfurt and second-from-bottom St Pauli host Werder Bremen at Millerntor-Stadion.

On Sunday, fifth-placed Mainz could all but wrap up a place in the Europa League with a win over sixth-placed Nuremberg at EasyCredit-Stadion and Cologne travel to Wolfsburg who are four points short of safety in 16th position.

 

[Dodomeki]

Bundesliga wrap: Leverkusen triumph, Dortmund slip up

24 April 2011

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Bayer Leverkusen beat Hoffenheim 2-1 on Saturday to keep the Bundesliga title race alive, with leaders Borussia Dortmund shock losers.

Iceland international Gylfi Sigurdsson put visitors Hoffenheim ahead on 28 minutes at the BayArena.

But Czech fullback Michal Kadlec equalised for Leverkusen, before Arturo Vidal struck five minutes into the second half to make it 2-1 to the hosts.

The victory sees Leverkusen close to within five points of league leaders Borussia Dortmund with three matches remaining.

Dortmund remain favourites to win their first league championship since 2002, but they will have to wait at least another week after suffering a surprise 1-0 loss away to struggling Borussia Monchengladbach.

Mohamadou Idrissou scored the winner for the unfancied hosts in the 34th minute at Borussia-Park.

Monchengladbach's second victory in three matches sees the team climb off the foot of the table, although they remain five points away from safety.

Elsewhere, Bayern Munich dropped valuable points in their attempt to finish third - and secure the all-important Champions League qualification berth - following a 1-1 draw away to Eintracht Frankfurt.

Frankfurt led through Sebastian Rode's goal eight minutes into the second half and Bayern were lucky to escape with a point, salvaged through a Mario Gomez penalty on 88 minutes.

Bayern remain fourth, one point behind third placed Hannover, while Frankfurt are 15th, now five points clear of the relegation zone.

Stuttgart boosted their survival hopes with a 3-0 win at home to Hamburg.
A Cacau brace and Christian Gentner's goal secured the points for the hosts at the Gottlieb-Daimler-Stadion.

Stuttgart climb to 13th place, with a seven-point buffer protecting them from the drop.

St Pauli look likely to return to the second tier after just one season in the Bundesliga following their latest defeat - 3-1 at home to Werder Bremen.

They led through Fin Bartels' goal on 29 minutes at the Millerntor-Stadion, but a Markus Thorandt own goal brought the visitors level, before a Claudio Pizarro double in the space of two minutes guaranteed Werder all three points.

Monchengladbach victory means St Pauli are now bottom on goal difference, five points from safety.

Kaiserslautern managed a 1-0 win away to Champions League semi-finalists Schalke, with Srdjan Lakic scoring the only goal four minutes before the break at the Veltins Arena.

The win puts Kaiserslautern 12th, three points behind 10th-placed Schalke.

 

[Dodomeki]

Bundesliga wrap: Wolfsburg take vital step to safety

25 April 2011

Wolfsburg earned a vital 4-1 win over Cologne on Sunday in the battle to avoid relegation from the Bundesliga.

Croatia international Mario Mandzukic scored twice in the first half to give the hosts the lead at the Volkswagen Arena.

Striker Sebastian Freis netted just after Mandzukic's second to keep Cologne within a goal going into the half-time break.

But a second-half brace from Iranian-German forward Ashkan Dejagah secured Wolfsburg their first win in five matches since Felix Magath returned as coach.

The victory sees Wolfsburg, third from bottom, close to within two points of 15th-placed Frankfurt.

Cologne are now just three points clear of the drop zone in 14th, with three matches of the season remaining.

In the other game on Sunday, Nuremburg played out a goalless draw at home to Mainz, in a match between two teams vying to finish fifth - the final Europa League qualification berth.

A point apiece leaves Mainz fifth, with Nuremburg two points back in sixth.

 

[Dodomeki]

Cisse staying at Freiburg

26 April 2011

Senegal international Papiss Demba Cisse is yet to receive an offer regarding a move away from Bundesliga club Freiburg.

Cisse, 25, has come to the attention of some of Europe's biggest teams after scoring 20 goals in the Bundesliga this season.

Liverpool are rumoured to be one of those clubs in the hunt but Cisse, who is under contract until 2014, insists he is yet to receive a formal offer for his services.

"Everyone is talking about me leaving the club but I have not received any concrete offers from another club," Cisse told Sudwestrunkfunk.

"And as long as I do not receive anything like that, I am to stay on at Freiburg for sure."

"I enjoy being at this club, it is very tough to find a similar club."

Freiburg general manager Dirk Dufner acknowledges that Cisse will be tempted if a significant pay rise is on offer, but he is also adamant a transfer will only be completed on the club's terms.

"You could not blame Papiss Demba Cisse for leaving if there is a club coming up that would hand him a much better salary," Dufner said.

"The final decision will definitely be our decision."

 

[Dodomeki]

Schaefer walks out on Cologne

27 April 2011

Cologne manager Frank Schaefer has walked out on the club with just three matches remaining in the Bundesliga season.

Schaefer had already decided that he would leave the club at the end of the season, but has resigned with immediate effect on the eve of a crucial period of the season.

Cologne sit 14th, just three points above the relegation zone, and will now be guided by sporting director Volker Finke, who will manage the team for the remaining three games of the season.

"I take the responsibility in my position to make the best decisions for the club and the team," Schaefer told the club's official website.

"In view of recent results and in particular of the way we've played I have come to the decision that for the remaining games the team urgently needs another change and above all new impetus."

"I have come to the realisation that at the moment I can no longer help the team in the way I consider necessary and therefore have decided to take this step."

Schaefer's decision to leave three games before the end of the season is made even more puzzling by the fact he only took over last November, when he replaced Zvonimir Soldo.

Cologne president Wolfgang Overath admitted the club was surprised by Schaefer's decision, but said they were now focused on ensuring the team remained in the top flight next season.

"The board and management have tried jointly to persuade Frank Schaefer to change his decision to resign the post at such short notice," Overath said.

"Unfortunately, this was not possible. We must accept the decision by Frank Schaefer and now together we are committed for the remaining games to reach the top flight."

 

[Dodomeki]

Bundesliga wrap: Wolfsburg rise, St Pauli crash

30 April 2011

Wolfsburg secured a major victory in their battle to avoid relegation from the Bundesliga with a 1-0 win away to Werder Bremen on Friday.

Defender Sascha Riether scored the winner for visitors Wolfsburg in the 22nd minute at Weserstadion.

It was their second consecutive victory following a 4-1 win over Cologne last Sunday.

Felix Magath's team remain third from bottom, but they are now just two points behind Eintracht Frankfurt with two matches of the season remaining.

Elsewhere on Friday, St Pauli inched closer to relegation following a 2-0 defeat away to Kaiserslautern.

Midfielder Christian Tiffert put Kaiserslautern in front 29 minutes into the match at the Fritz-Walter-Stadion.

Defender Mathias Abel doubled the lead on 67 minutes.

The victory lifts Kaiserslautern five points clear of the relegation zone.

St Pauli are now bottom, five points adrift of safety with just six more points up for grabs.

 

[Dodomeki]

Bundesliga preview: Title battle still on the line

28 April 2011

Borussia Dortmund may have to wait another week to lift the Bundesliga title if Bayer Leverkusen have their way again this weekend.

Dortmund had to put the champagne on ice after falling at relegation-threatened Borussia Monchengladbach last Saturday, while Leverkusen defeated Hoffenheim.

That narrowed the gap between the top-placed club and their closest challenger to five points, ensuring Leverkusen's slim hopes of stealing the trophy remained alive.

Dortmund can still clinch their first league title since 2002 if they defeat visiting Nurnberg and Leverkusen lose or draw at Cologne on Saturday, though on paper this appears unlikely.

Firstly, Nurnberg, sixth on the table, will be desperate for points as they attempt to wrest a Europa League berth from Mainz, who are two points away in fifth.

Secondly, Cologne are slumping abysmally in the run-in to the season's end - losing five of their last seven - and will be under new direction from sporting director Volker Finke after coach Frank Schaefer ended his tenure early amid the spectre of death threats.

Earlier, St Pauli will fear taking a step closer to relegation on Friday when they visit Kaiserslautern, who sit mid-table with 37 points.

But the bottom-placed club can take some comfort in knowing Kaiserslautern have been less than spectacular at home, winning just one of their eight league fixtures at the Fritz-Walter-Stadion.

Also on Friday, relegation-threatened Wolfsburg make the trip to the improved Werder Bremen, who have gone unbeaten through their last eight matches.

On Saturday, Hannover's hopes of holding on to their Champions League berth will no doubt be lifted by a visit from second-bottom Monchengladbach, who are equal on points with St Pauli but still a chance of escaping the drop zone if they can pull out another unlikely victory.

Bayern Munich, one point behind Hannover and their main threat to third place, will welcome a bruised Schalke outfit still reeling from their 2-0 Champions League semi-final loss to Manchester United on Tuesday.

Mainz, who occupy the final Europe place on the table, welcome relegation-threatened Eintracht Frankfurt to the Stadion am Bruchweg in a match that could have dire implications for both.

Mainz may find themselves displaced by Nurnberg should the latter find a way past Dortmund, while Frankfurt could slip into the drop zone should Wolfsburg take the points at the Weserstadion.

Finally, seventh-placed Hamburg's slim hopes of a Europe berth rest on a visit from Freiburg, two points behind in eighth, while mid-table sides Hoffenheim and Stuttgart battle it out at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena.

 

[Dodomeki]

Bundesliga wrap: Dortmund crowned champions

1 May 2011

Borussia Dortmund are the 2010/11 Bundesliga champions following a 2-0 drubbing of Nurnberg and a helping hand from Cologne on Saturday.

Lucas Barrios and Robert Lewandowski piled on first-half goals to ensure Dortmund would take the points in front of a thrilled 80,000-strong home crowd at the Westfalenstadion.

Cologne dumped Bayer Leverkusen 2-0 to allow Dortmund an unassailable eight-point lead on the Bundesliga table with two games to play.

It is Dortmund's seventh league title, their fourth of the Bundesliga era and their first since the 2001/02 season.

Dortmund fans could perhaps sense something special about to take place as play got underway, one week after their club inadvertently let Leverkusen back into the title race with a shock loss to Borussia Monchengladbach.

Though it was a while coming, their first chance of the game produced a 1-0 lead as Barrios scored in the 32nd minute.

The Paraguay international poked a rebound into the net after Nurnberg goalkeeper Raphael Schafer could only parry Mario Gotze's shot into Barrios' path.

With renewed confidence Dortmund surged into attack again, and two minutes from half-time Lewandowski latched on to Mats Hummels' through-ball and dipped his shot over Schafer.

If that was not enough to lift Dortmund supporters to full voice, the announcement that Leverkusen had fallen a goal behind in the second half sent the capacity crowd into ecstasy.

With eight minutes to go it became apparent that Dortmund had secured the title, and manager Jurgen Klopp allowed himself some small celebrations on the touchline before the final whistle had even blown and the party got underway.

Milivoje Novakovic was the unsung hero of the day for Dortmund, piling a second-half brace past Leverkusen goalkeeper Rene Adler to ensure the title hopefuls would fall short in this campaign.

The Slovenia international, who now has 16 goals for the season, scored on 67 minutes and again in the 82nd minute for Cologne, who rise four points clear of the relegation places in 14th.

Elsewhere, Hannover went down 1-0 at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach, with Marco Reus (76) the lone goal-scorer.

Bayern Munich took full advantage of the slip-up, beating Schalke 4-1 to climb into third place, and the final Champions League qualification berth, at Hannover's expense.

Forward Thomas Muller struck a brace in the win for Bayern, with the other goals coming from Dutch winger Arjen Robben and striker Mario Gomez.

Elsewhere, Colombia international Elkin Soto sent 10-man Eintracht Frankfurt into the drop zone, scoring a brace in Mainz's 3-0 defeat of the relegation battlers, while Stuttgart boosted their survival hopes with a third straight win, 2-1 at Hoffenheim.

Finally, Freiburg dumped Hamburg 2-0 on Papiss Cisse's brace, leapfrogging their opponents into seventh place.

 

[Dodomeki]

Bayern step up bid to sign Neuer

1 May 2011

Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is confident the club can secure the services of Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer.

Neuer has confirmed he wants to move from Schalke at the end of this season, and Manchester United had been tipped as a potential destination for the 25-year-old.

But Rummenigge told German television station ZDF that Bayern is in the box seat to secure the 'keeper's services because he would prefer to stay in Germany.

"Let's talk about the facts," Rummenigge said.

"Fact one is Manuel Neuer will not be staying with Schalke beyond 2012. Fact two is that Manuel Neuer will not be moving abroad."

Rummenigge, however, insists Bayern still have a lot of work to do to capture the signature of Neuer, who is regarded as one of the world's best shot stoppers.

"We are in talks with Schalke, but I am not as optimistic as certain members of the media," he said.

"We don't have any urgency, though. It is only April 30 and the transfer market closes on August 31."

"We will see if we can find a solution. If there is one, then okay, but if not then both clubs will have to live with it."

Bayern fans voiced their displeasure at the possible signing of Neuer during their 4-1 win over them on Saturday, but Bayern midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger said he would love to play alongside his fellow German international at club level.

"If you can sign Manuel Neuer, who is not only the world's best, but Germany's goalkeeper too, you have to sign him," Schweinsteiger said.

"If there is the chance to strengthen the position, so that no other team is better, then you have to do it."

"I personally hope the club manage to sign him."

Neuer's talents will be on view again at Old Trafford on Wednesday when Manchester United tackle his club in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final.

 

[Dodomeki]

Bayern re-sign Butt, discard Kraft

4 May 2011

Goalkeeper Hans-Jorg Butt has re-signed with Bayern Munich for a further year, but the club confirmed Thomas Kraft is on his way out.

Butt's current contract was set to expire at the end of the season, but the 36-year-old has signed a one-year extension which will keep him at the Allianz Arena until 2012.

It is likely that Butt will be the back-up keeper in new coach Jupp Heynckes' team, with Bayern expected to sign Schalke's Germany number one Manuel Neuer during the off season.

"Jorg Butt is a first-class goalkeeper and I am very happy that he will stay with us for another year," said Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

Kraft on the other hand will be allowed to leave Bayern at the end of the season as the 22-year-old goes in search of more first-team opportunities.

He was replaced in the side by Butt late in the season, and Hertha Berlin has been touted as a possible destination for him next term.

Bayern's director of sport Christian Nerlinger said: "Thomas Kraft's goal is to be first-choice goalkeeper and we can't guarantee that. We wish him all the best for his future."

 

[Dodomeki]

Bundesliga wrap: Do or die for duo

6 May 2011

Borussia Monchengladbach and Eintracht Frankfurt will be fighting for their lives in the Bundesliga on Saturday, while St Pauli look doomed.

Monchengladbach have spent much of the season propping up the table.

But they beat Hannover 1-0 away last week and are now three points off safety with two matches remaining.

They host overachievers Freiburg this weekend, before a trip to Hamburg on the last day of the season.

Faced with a similar situation in the 1997/98 season, a Steffen Effenberg-inspired Gladbach won both of their last two matches to narrowly survive.

It remains to be seen if the 2011 edition can match those heroics.

Frankfurt fans also face a nerve-wracking conclusion to the season.

Third from bottom and just one point away from safety, they play host to Cologne, who are four points better off in 14th place and require just a draw to guarantee their survival.

Wolfsburg are the other team battling to avoid the drop.

They have won their last two matches - Felix Magath's first victories since returning as coach in March - to climb out of the bottom three.

League champions as recently as 2008/09, they remain just one point clear of the relegation zone and are at home to Kaiserslautern on Saturday.

St Pauli looked destined to return to the second tier after just one season back in the top flight.

Six points from safety with a vastly inferior goal difference to the teams above them, they would need big wins in both matches to have any chance of a remarkable escape.

And with Champions League contenders Bayern Munich arriving at the Millerntor on Saturday, it would appear an impossible task.

Worse still for St Pauli, Bayern will not be lacking in motivation.

They finally moved into third place - the final European Cup qualification berth - after Hannover lost last week and will fiercely defend their two-point advantage in the last two matches.

Werder Bremen are still just four points clear of the drop and will be hoping newly crowned champions Borussia Dortmund arrive nursing a hangover from their title-winning celebrations.

Stuttgart, five points above the bottom three, must take points off third-placed Hannover as they seek to guarantee their survival.

Elsewhere, Hamburg travel to second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, while sixth plays eighth when Nuremburg host Hoffenheim.

Mainz can secure Europa League qualification with a win away to Schalke, who exited the Champions League at the hands of Manchester United on Wednesday.