Bundesliga Preview: What to watch in German soccer this weekend

By Canadian Press on April 17, 2025.

DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are trying to bounce back from bruising losses in the Champions League quarterfinals when Bundesliga action resumes.

With a six-point lead over Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern will secure the title with three wins from the last five games and give Harry Kane the first major trophy of his career, barring a huge swing on goal difference. Bayern needs to recover quick from its Champions League exit at Inter Milan.

Even if it wasn’t enough to reach the semifinals, Dortmund’s 3-1 second-leg win over Barcelona showed the sort of fighting spirit it needs in the final Bundesliga games just to qualify for next season’s Champions League. A win on Sunday against a local rival is crucial.

Key matchups

— Bayern must avoid a repeat of a notorious collapse when it visits Heidenheim on Saturday. The last time Bayern played at Heidenheim 12 months ago, it gave up a 2-0 lead and lost 3-2 in a heavy blow to its already-floundering title defense.

— Leverkusen needs to be near perfect and hope for Bayern mistakes if Xabi Alonso’s team is to retain the title. Realistically, only a win will do at St. Pauli on Saturday.

— Dortmund is eighth and Champions League qualification is a long shot. Beating seventh-placed Borussia Moenchengladbach on Sunday is vital, especially when other teams above Dortmund have less challenging games, such as Leipzig’s against Holstein Kiel on Saturday.

Players to watch

— Florian Wirtz returned for Leverkusen last week as a substitute after more than a month out injured, but couldn’t stop the team dropping points in a 0-0 draw with Union Berlin. If Wirtz can start on Sunday it will boost Leverkusen’s chances.

— Serhou Guirassy had a hat trick as Dortmund threatened to defy the odds against Barcelona. After an assist against Bayern last week, Guirassy seems to be back to his best following an inconsistent start to Niko Kovac’s tenure as coach.

— Midfielder Nadiem Amiri has had a big role in Mainz’s bid to qualify for the Champions League for the first time. He’s due to return against Wolfsburg on Saturday after missing last week’s 2-0 loss to Hoffenheim due to suspension.

Injury list

— Vincent Kompany is working Bayern’s depleted squad hard because of long-term injuries. Among the remaining fit players, Thomas Müller has become increasingly important along with defenders like Kim Min-jae, Raphael Guerreiro and Eric Dier.

— Dortmund captain Emre Can is a doubt after he was ruled out just before Tuesday’s game against Barcelona, though the team coped well without him.

— Mainz top scorer and captain Jonny Burkardt was ruled out with illness last week. It’s not clear whether he’ll return against Wolfsburg.

Transfer news

— Eintracht Frankfurt confirmed on Wednesday that Denmark right back Rasmus Kristensen’s loan move from Leeds has been made permanent. Third-placed Frankfurt plays Augsburg on Sunday.

What they’re saying

— “We shouldn’t let it spoil the season. We have the chance to regain the title in the Bundesliga.” — Harry Kane reacts to Bayern’s Champions League elimination.

“If we play with this intensity, in this way, we’ll win a lot more games. We want to be playing internationally next season, too, and for that we definitely have to win Sunday against Gladbach.” — Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl after Tuesday’s game against Barcelona.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

James Ellingworth, The Associated Press

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