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Bundesliga Matchday 33 roundup

James Thorogood
May 5, 2018

Defeats for Wolfsburg and Hamburg sends the relegation battle to the final day, while Schalke finish second for the first time in eight seasons. Catch up on all the action from the penultimate weekend of the Bundesliga.

Fußball 1 Bundesliga Eintracht Frankfurt Hamburger SV Enttäuschung
Image: Imago/Jan Huebner

Leipzig 4-1 Wolfsburg

(Lookman 24‘ 52‘, Werner 33‘, Augustin 63‘ – Didavi 47‘)

Leipzig kept their slim chances of qualifying for the Champions League alive with a convincing win over relegation-threatened Wolfsburg. Goals from Ademola Lookman and Timo Werner put the hosts in a commanding position at the break and, though Daniel Didavi pulled one back in a positive spell for the Wolves, Lookman’s second and a tidy finish from Jean-Kevin Augustin moved Leipzig to within two points of Hoffenheim in fourth.

Frankfurt 3-0 Hamburg

(Wolf 31’, Mascarell 77’, Meier 90’)

Hamburg can still survive this season, but their great escape took a hit on Matchday 33 as they failed to capitalize on Wolfsburg’s loss to Leipzig in Frankfurt. Marius Wolf put the Eagles in front shortly after Tatsuya Ito’s effort was ruled out for offside, before second half goals from Omar Mascarell and the returning Alex Meier put the game beyond doubt. HSV have one chance left and need to better Wolfsburg’s result on the final day to avoid automatic relegation.

Read more: Hamburg can look to Frankfurt for rebuilding inspiration

Augsburg 1-2 Schalke

(Max 27’ – Kehrer 23’, Kehrer 34’)

Centre-back Thilo Kehrer bagged a brace as Schalke secured a second-place finish - their best result in a Bundesliga season since the 2009/10 campaign – and with it their return to the Champions League following a three-year absence. Set-pieces proved problematic for the hosts as Kehrer twice profited from their inability to clear their lines either side of Philipp Max netting a rare goal.

Dortmund 1-2 Mainz

(Philipp 16’ – Baku 4’, Muto 13’)

Mainz secured their safety this season with an upset win in Dortmund, who would have guaranteed themselves Champions League football next season with a point. 20-year-old Bote Baku opened the scoring with the first shot of the game before Yoshinori Muto doubled the visitors’ advantage less than 15 minutes into the game. Maximilian Philipp reduced the arrears, but despite their best efforts, Dortmund were unable to pick up a positive result in their final home game of the season.

Read more: Weidenfeller exits, and more should follow

Cologne 1-3 Bayern Munich

(Süle OG 30’ – Rodriguez 59’, Lewandowski 61’, Tolisso 78’)

Bundesliga champions Bayern had to come from behind to pick up their 27th win of the current campaign. A spirited performance from relegated Cologne saw them rewarded with a half-time lead after Niklas Süle deflected into his own net. However, the tides turned after the break as James Rodriguez, Robert Lewandowski and Corentin Tolisso ensured the visitors’ dominance told come the final whistle.

Gladbach 3-1 Freiburg

(Hazard 18‘, Elvedi 57‘, Drmic 64‘ – Kleindienst 59’)

Gladbach still have an outside shot of qualifying for Europe next season after picking up a win in their final home game of the season. Thorgan Hazard rounded Alexander Schwolow to open the scoring before Nico Elvedi doubled the hosts’ advantage with his second goal of the season. Tim Kleindienst opened his Bundesliga account to pull a goal back, but Josip Drmic stifled any hopes of a Freiburg comeback just past the hour-mark.

Hannover 3-1 Hertha Berlin

(Harnik 4’, Sane 40’, Füllkrug 42’ – Selke 73‘)

Hannover 96 retained their Bundesliga status for next season courtesy of a comfortable win over a lackluster Hertha Berlin side. The hosts capitalized on a dominant first-half to race out to a three-goal lead at the break thanks to efforts from Martin Harnik, the departing Salif Sane and Niclas Füllkrug. The capital city side struggled to find a way back into the game, but did grab a consolation goal through the industrious Davie Selke.

Stuttgart 2-0 Hoffenheim

(Gomez 25’ 74’)

Hoffenheim hung onto fourth place for the time being despite suffering a disappointing defeat to ten-man Stuttgart. An early injury to Lukas Rupp quelled the early momentum of the visitors and Stuttgart took full advantage, as Mario Gomez scored either side of half-time to take his tally this season to nine.

Bremen 0-0 Leverkusen

Leverkusen passed up the chance to leapfrog Hoffenheuim in the standings as they were held to a frustrating goalless draw by Bremen, who maintained their unbeaten home record under Florian Kohfeldt. Bayer 04 had the better chances throughout the game and thought they had grabbed a winner through Kevin Volland only to see his effort ruled out for a foul on Jiri Pavlenka.

+++++++RECAP ALL THE ACTION IN OUR MATCH BLOG+++++++

FULL TIME!

Don't forget to cast your vote! 

FULL TIME!

The clock is ticking on Hamburg's time in the Bundesliga. 

FULL TIME!

Wolfsburg and Hamburg both slipped up today, but so to did Freiburg. They're three points clear in 15th place, but their inferior goal difference (-26) compared to the Wolves (-15) could come back to haunt them. Mathematically speaking, nothing is set in stone for Christian Streich's men.

Gladbach picked up a 3-1 win over Freiburg on Matchday 33 to keep their hopes of a top-six finish alive.Image: picture-alliance/dpa/F. Gambarini

FULL TIME!

Schalke will be back in the UEFA Champions League next season - no less than they and Domenico Tedesco deserve. 

FULL TIME!

Here are the headlines:

  • Schalke secure second-place for the first time since the 2009/10 campaign.
  • Dortmund, Hoffenheim and Leverkusen will battle it out for a top-four finish on Matchday 34.
  • Leipzig, Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Gladbach can still claim European qualification.
  • Hannover and Mainz secure safety.
  • Wolfsburg and Hamburg both lose, sending relegation battle to the final day.

90' FRANKFURT 3-0 HAMBURG

Alex Meier: Fußballgott Part 2! Hamburg throw men forward, get caught on the counter and it's Meier who sprinkles a bit of magic on the result for the Eagles. 

86' FRANKFURT 2-0 HAMBURG

Alex Meier: Fußballgott! 

85' LATE GOALS?

Five minutes remain. Will we see any late drama. A goal for Leverkusen would certainly mix things up, while Dortmund will be determined to level the scores at home to Mainz. Otherwise, there's little that could change in the closing stages unless one of these sides has a miracle up their sleeves. 

Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/T. Starke

82' FRANKFURT 2-0 HAMBURG

Meanwhile in Frankfurt... 

80' STUTTGART 2-0 HOFFENHEIM

Just seconds after hitting the post, Adam Szalai has a goal ruled out for offside. Hoffenheim's superior goal difference is the only thing keeping them ahead of Leverkusen in the standings right now.

78' GOAL! COLOGNE 1-3 BAYERN

Corentin Tolisso gets in on the goalscoring act for the German record titleholders. Cologne have fallen apart in the second half. what a shame. 

76' GOAL! FRANKFURT 2-0 HAMBURG

Things go from bad to worse for Frankfurt. Jetro Willems is denied by Julian Pollersbeck, but with the HSV players dilly-dallying in their attempts to clear the ball, Omar Mascarell seizes upon the opportunity to send a deflected effort into the top corner. This will be a huge opportunity missed for the Red Shorts.

75' GOAL! STUTTGART 2-0 HOFFENHEIM

Stuttgart are down to ten-men, but two goals to the good as Mario Gomez races in behind, gets Kevin Akpoguma to commit to ground before bagging his brace with a curling effort. Lovely stuff from the World Cup hopeful. 

75' BREMEN 0-0 LEVERKUSEN

Another update just to say that nothing is happening... still. Destined for a goalless draw.

73' GOAL! HANNOVER 3-1 HERTHA BERLIN

This game has long been decided, but Davie Selke improves the aesthetics from a Hertha perspective as he lashes a fierce drive in at the near post. He's the only player who has looked likely to score for the capital city side.

70' AS IT STANDS!

  • Schalke will finish the season in second. 
  • Hannover and Mainz will guarantee safety.
  • Wolfsburg will not.
  • Hamburg still have a chance of surviving.

69' GOAL DISALLOWED! FRANKFURT 1-0 HAMBURG

For the second time today, Hamburg have had a goal ruled out for offside. While Ito's was close in the first-half this was an easy decision for the assistant referee. Kostic's shot was touched onto the post, but Lewis Holtby had not got himself onside before tapping home the reboudn.

66' RED CARD! STUTTGART 1-0 HOFFENHEIM

Stuttgart are ahead, but down to ten men. Santiago Ascacibar catches Robert Zulj on the ankle studs up and is sent for an early shower. He's not happy with the decision. When he watches the replays he won't have any complaints. Zulj is lucky not to have broken his ankle! 

65' GOAL! GLADBACH 3-1 FREIBURG

With Lars Stindl out injured, Josip Drmic caps off his return to the starting line--up by placing a stunning header beyond the reach of Lukas Hradecky. 

63' GOAL! LEIPZIG 4-1 WOLFSBURG

A slick passing move by the home side ends with Diego Demme slipping in Jean-Kevin Augustin to put the Wolves to bed. Now it's up to Hamburg to capitalize. 

60' GOAL! COLOGNE 1-2 BAYERN

Two goals in as many minutes in Cologne as well! That games has been turned on it's head. Cologne were incredible in the first half, but no find themselves behind as Robert Lewandowski grabs his 29th goal of the season thanks to some brilliant hold-up play from Thomas Müller on the edge of the six-yard box. 

59' GOAL! GLADBACH 2-1 FREIBURG

Two goals in as many minutes in Gladbach, but this time it's Freiburg getting in on the scoring act. Kempf flicks a corner on at the near post and Tim Kleindienst finishes at the back post.

59' GOAL! COLOGNE 1-1 BAYERN

The champions are level. Rafinha finds space on the right and picks out James Rodriguez at the front post with the Colombian making no mistake. Unlike in midweek, he celebrates here.

57' GOAL! GLADBACH 2-0 FREIBURG

Nico Elvedi is up like a salmon to extend Gladbach's lead from a corner. Only the second goal of the season for Elvedi. His first came on Matchday 1.

56' GOAL DISALLOWED! AUGSBURG 1-2 SCHALKE

Marco Richter thought he had leveled the scores, but is denied by the offside flag.

55' FRANKFURT 1-0 HAMBURG

Meanwhile, in Frankfurt, Kyriakos Papadopoulos has just hit the side netting for Hamburg. 

53' GOAL! LEIPZIG 3-1 WOLFSBURG

I spoke too soon! Leipzig are gifted a goal by Felix Uduokhai who lets Timo Werner ghost past him unchallenged, chases back to win the ball, concedes possession to Werner again, allowing the German international to tee-up Ademola Lookman. Shocking defending. 

50' LEIPZIG 2-1 WOLFSBURG

The complexion of this game has changed completely since the break as Nany Dimata almost levels the scores for the visitors. Wolfsburg are going at Leipzig, who haven't adjusted to the Wolves' half-time changes and at the rate this game is going, anything is possible. 

48' GOAL! LEIPZIG 2-1 WOLFSBURG

Bruno Labbadia made an attacking change at the break with Dimata replacing Knoche and it's paid off early as Wolfsburg's greater sense of ambition results in Daniel Didavi pulling a goal back. Where would Wolfsburg be without his nine goals this season? Easy answer. In the 2. Bundesliga. 

46' SUBSTITUTION COLOGNE 1-0 BAYERN

Substitution at the break for the champions as 17-year-old Franck Evina comes off to be replaced by Thiago.

SECOND HALF!

We're back underway around the grounds in Germany's top-flight. Still plenty to play for and, if the second half is anything like the first, then we could be in for a wild ride!

HALF TIME! STUTTGART 1-0 HOFFENHEIM 

A quick injury update for you...

HALF TIME! 

Bote Baku. 20 years old and with two Bundesliga goals to his name in as many top-flight games. What a story!Image: picture-alliance/dpa/I. Fassbender

HALF TIME! 

The tips of my fingers are have been put through their paces much like the heart rates of many a Bundesliga fan. As it stands, Schalke are on course to clinch a top-four finish, Mainz and Hannover are on course to guarantee their survival, while Hamburg and Wolfsburg are both behind leaving things as they were at the foot of the table.

44' BREMEN 0-0 LEVERKUSEN

Apologies for the lack of updates if you're a fan of either Bremen or Leverkusen, but being honest, there's been virtually nothing to write about. Chances at a premium!

42' HANNOVER 3-0 HERTHA BERLIN

I reckon that two-for-one deal on beers after the game in Hannover we told you about earlier may see plenty of taps go dry. It's party time in Hanover as Niclas Füllkrug gets in on the scoring act, netting a lovely finish as the 96ers grab a quickfire double. 

40' HANNOVER 2-0 HERTHA BERLIN

Set to join Schalke in the summer, Salif Sane leaves a parting gift in Hanover as he rises highest to head the hosts further in front.

38' SUSBTITUTION DORTMUND 1-2 MAINZ

Ömer Toprak has picked up an injury and Marcel Schmelzer is on in his place. 

35' GOAL! AUGSBURG 1-2 SCHALKE

Thilo Kehrer will want to claim it, but I think it's going to go down as an Alfred Finnbogason own goal after the ball deflects off the Icelandic striker to beat the departing Marwin Hitz. The Royal Blues are back on course to secure Champions League football next season.

34' GOAL! LEIPZIG 2-0 WOLFSBURG

The good news for Hamburg is that Wolfsburg are now two-down with Timo Werner extending Leipzig's lead with his first goal since the 2-1 win over Bayern Munich back in March. In other news my fingers are on fire!  

31' GOAL! FRANKFURT 1-0 HAMBURG

In the space of a few minutes this game has turned on it's head. Hamburg have a goal ruled out for offside and soon after Frankfurt break down the other end with Marius Wolf breaking HSV heart... for now at least.

30' GOAL! COLOGNE 1-0 BAYERN

Yes you read that right. The side bottom of the table are in front against the champions! Marcel Risse gets the ball off of James Rodriguez out wide and, after whipping a cross into the box, sees Niklas Süle get the decisive touch to turn the ball into his own net. Two goals in two games for Süle, unfortunately this one was at the wrong end.

27' GOAL! AUGSBURG 1-1 SCHALKE

It's all level in Augsburg. Philipp Max, who has registered the most assists of any Bundesliga player this season, gets him name on the scoresheet for only the second time this season.

27' NO GOAL! FRANKFURT 0-0 HAMBURG

Just as we finish writing that entry, VAR has ruled Ito offside. A blow for Hamburg.

26' GOAL! FRANKFURT 0-1 HAMBURG

Oh. My. Word. Tatsuya Ito, the 20-year-old Japanese winger, has put Hamburg in front and potentially etched his name in HSV folklore. As it stands they currently sit above Wolfsburg in the standings, occupying the relegation play-off spot. The dream is still alive for HSV!

26' GOAL! STUTTGART 1-0 HOFFENHEIM

Mario Gomez has broken the deadlock in Stuttgart, but there's a more important goal that's been scored up North...

25' GOAL! LEIPZIG 1-0 WOLFSBURG

Big cheers in Leipzig, but there will be bigger cheers in Hamburg when the news filters through. The hosts take the lead with Ademola Lookman tapping home from Bruma's cutback, but the significance of that goal will only become apparent at the final whistle.  

22' GOAL! AUGSBURG 0-1 SCHALKE

A Schalke centre-back has scored and it's not Naldo surprisingly. Daniel Caligiuri's free-kick isn't dealt with and when Guido Burgstaller fires the loose ball back into the box, Thilo Kehrer gets the sweetest of glacing touches to move the Royal Blues a step closer to their Champions League return.  

18' GOAL! GLADBACH 1-0 FREIBURG

Gladbach close the gap on the European qualification spots as Thorgan Hazard puts them in front. Tobias Strobl, making a rare start, picks out a lovely pass to find the Belgian and, after taking the ball around Alexander Schwolow, taps in despite Kempf's best efforts to clear off the line. 

16' GOAL! DORTMUND 1-2 MAINZ

Dortmund and Mainz are hogging all the early goals, but the hosts are back in it. Jadon Sancho goes on a mazy run down the left before finding Maximilian Philipp, who takes one touch to turn his marker before placing the ball in the back of the net. 

13' GOAL! DORTMUND 0-2 MAINZ

Is this real life? What a start for Mainz who are two up inside 15 minutes. An inquest will take place amongst Dortmund's backline with Ömer Toprak and Roman Bürki not covering themselves in glory, but Yoshinori Muto won't care as he pokes home Mainz's second of the afternoon. 

10' - AUGSBURG 0-0 SCHALKE

Schalke have their sights set on clinching a top-four finish ahead of their final home game of the season, but it's Augsburg who have made the more promising start, enjoying more possession and hitting the post through Alfred Finnbogason. 

7' - We second this opinion! 

4' GOAL! DORTMUND 0-1 MAINZ

Can you believe it! Just a week after being hauled of the Mainz reserves bus to play for the first-team only to score in a 3-0 win over Leipzig, Bote Baku is back at it again, opening the scoring in Dortmund with a tidy finish that could guarantee the club top-flight football next season. What a story! 

4' GOAL! HANNOVER 1-0 HERTHA BERLIN

A huge goal for Hannover who can secure safety today, as Niclas Füllkrug knocks the ball down for Martin Harnik to fire a left-footed volley beyond Rune Jarstein. That's Hannover's fastest goal of the season. Perfect start for the hosts.

15:30 - KICK OFF!

We're underway around the grounds in Germany. The Bundesliga is perfectly poised for this to be a decisive day. Some teams will experience immense joy, others may have to cope with serious heartbreak.

Anything but a win could rid Hamburg of the ever-present status in Germany's top flight, while victory for Schalke and Dortmund would guarantee them UEFA Champions League football next season. Are you ready?

15:28 - Oooh! A nice touch from Thomas Müller. 

15:25 - Time to say goodbye. given that nine sides are playing their final home games of the campaign there were plenty of send-offs ahead of kick-off. 

15:19 - Franck Evina finds himself in the Bayern starting line-up for the second consecutive game. A big moment for the youngster. 

15:16 - Flashback to Matchday 1 when Nicolai Müller scored in Hamburg's opening day of the season only to injure himself during the celebration. He's back in the Matchday squad for the first time since today. 

15:13 - Mario Gomez hasn't exactly been striking fear into the hearts of opponents with his goalscoring form this season, but Hoffenheim will still need to keep a close eye on the natural finisher if his record is anything to go by! 

15:10 - If you have the time to get to Hannover, it may be worth it for the post-match refreshments alone!

+++++++TEAM NEWS+++++++

15:05 - Let's take a look at the line-ups shall we.

Frankfurt vs Hamburg

Frankfurt: Hradecky – Da Costa, Salcedo, Abraham, Willems – Wolf, Boateng, Mascarell, Fernandes, Chandler – Haller

Hamburg: Pollersbeck – Sakai, Papadopoulos, Jung, Douglas – Ekdal, Steinmann, Holtby – Hunt, Wood, Ito

Cologne vs Bayern

Cologne: T. Horn – Risse, Maroh, Heintz, J. Horn – Clemens, Koziello, Höger, Hector – Zoller, Terodde

Bayern: Ulreich – Kimmich, Süle, Hummels, Rafinha – Martinez, Rudy – Müller, James, Evina – Lewandowski

Dortmund vs Mainz

Dortmund: Bürki – Piszczek, Sokratis, Toprak, Akanji – Weigl – Pulisic, Reus, Götze, Sancho – Philipp

Mainz: Müller – Brosinski, Bell, Hack, Diallo – De Jong, Gbamin – Öztunali, Baku, De Blasis – Muto

Leipzig vs Wolfsburg

Leipzig: Gulasci – Klostermann, Upamecano, Konate, Bernardo – Kaiser, Demme, Kampl, Lookman – Augustin, Werner

Wolfsburg: Casteels – Knoche, Bruma, Uduokhai – Steffen, Guilavogui, Arnold, William – Brekalo, Origi, Didavi

Werder Bremen vs Leverkusen

Werder Bremen: Pavlenka – Gebre Selassie, Langkamp, Veljkovic, Friedl – Junuzovic, Delaney, Bargfrede, Eggestein, Kainz – Kruse

Leverkusen: Leno – Retsos, Baumgartlinger, Jedvaj, Wendell – Kohr, Aranguiz – Brandt, Havertz, Bailey – Volland

Gladbach vs Freiburg

Gladbach: Sommer – Elvedi, Ginter, Jantschke, Wendt – Hazard, Cuisance, Strobl, Hofmann – Drmic, Raffael

Freiburg: Schwolow – Kübler, Gulde, Kempf, Günter – Terrazzino, Schuster, Frantz, Höfler  – Kleindienst, Petersen

Augsburg vs Schalke

Augsburg: Hitz – Richter, Gouweleeuw, Hinteregger, Max – Khedira, Baier – Schmid, Gregoritsch, Caiuby – Finnbogason

Schalke: Fährmann – Stambouli, Kehrer, Naldo – Caligiuri, Goretzka, McKennie, Schöpf – Burgstaller, Di Santo, Konoplyanka

Hannover vs Hertha Berlin

Hannover: Tschauner – Hübers, Sane, Sorg – Bebou, Bakalorz, Schwegler, Karaman, Albornoz – Harnik, Füllkrug

Hertha Berlin: Jarstein – Pekarik, Rekik, Stark, Plattenhardt – Lustenberger, Darida – Leckie, Lazaro, Kalou – Selke

Stuttgart vs Hoffenheim

Stuttgart: Zieler – Pavard, Baumgartl, Badstuber, Insua – Gentner, Ascacibar, Aogo, Thommy – Gomez, Ginczek

Hoffenheim: Baumann – Akpoguma, Vogt, Nordtveit – Zuber, Rupp, Grillitsch, Amiri, Schulz – Uth, Kramaric

15:00 - Hello and welcome one and all to the penultimate weekend of Bundesliga action in the 2017/18 campaign! There are permutations aplenty as all 18 sides in Germany's top-flight take to the pitch simultaneously and we'll be keeping you bang up-to-date with all of them as the goals go in around the grounds.

Can Hamburg keep their great escape alive? Will Schalke secure their return to the UEFA Champions League and is there one last hoorah in store for Borussia Dortmund's Roman Weidenfeller? Welcome to DW's live coverage of Bundesliga Matchday 33 - don't miss a beat!

James Thorogood Sports reporter and editor, host of Project FußballJMThorogood
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