BERLIN (AP) — Bayern Munich hopes to confirm the resumption of normal service in the Bundesliga by wrapping up another title on Saturday.
An outstanding campaign from Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen ended Bayern’s record 11-year reign last season, but the Bavarian powerhouse has bounced back from that unexpected interruption to put itself in position for what would be a record-extending 34th German championship.
A win in Leipzig on Saturday would clinch it, irrespective of Leverkusen’s visit to Freiburg the next day. Bayern leads the defending champion by eight points with three rounds remaining.
This round could also see the first team relegated from the division with Bochum fighting for its survival on Friday.
Key matchups
— Bayern will need to beat Leipzig without the suspended Harry Kane, who looks set to win his first ever major title while watching from the stands. Kane picked up his fifth yellow card last weekend in the 3-0 win over Mainz. Leipzig is fighting for Champions League qualification and could delay Bayern’s party as it bids to finish among the top four.
— Leverkusen is already thinking of next season with Bayern poised to clinch the title but fourth-placed Freiburg is also fighting for Champions League qualification.
— Bottom side Bochum visits relegation rival Heidenheim on Friday, when it realistically needs a win to keep alive its slim hopes of avoiding the drop. Heidenheim, in the relegation playoff place four points above Bochum, would send Bochum down to the second division if it wins.
— Borussia Dortmund’s late push for Champions League qualification continues at home to Wolfsburg on Saturday. Dortmund appears to have turned a corner under new coach Niko Kovač with three straight wins across all competitions since its 2-2 draw at Bayern.
Players to watch
— Michael Olise is arguably Bayern’s stand-out player this season after arriving from Crystal Palace last summer. The France winger set up one goal and set up another against Mainz to take his tally to nine goals and 16 assists in the Bundesliga.
— Thomas Müller will likely fill in for the suspended Kane against Leipzig. It might be the veteran’s last start for Bayern in his 501st Bundesliga appearance as he’s set to leave the club at the end of the season.
— Florian Wirtz is another player who could potentially leave amid speculation linking the Leverkusen star to Manchester City and Real Madrid.
Injury list
— Hoffenheim captain Oliver Baumann is out of his team’s match at Borussia Mönchengladbach because of concussion from his clash with Carney Chukwuemeka in the loss to Dortmund last week. Chukwuemeka’s knee struck the goalkeeper’s head in a race for the ball.
— There’s better news for another goalkeeper as Freiburg’s Noah Atubolu has recovered from a shoulder injury and could return against Leverkusen.
Transfer news
— Leverkusen is reportedly resigned to coach Xabi Alonso leaving for former club Real Madrid and is considering former Barcelona coach Xavi and former Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag as possible successors.
— The 2024 champion announced Ibrahim Maza from Hertha Berlin as its first signing for next season on Thursday. Leverkusen has also been linked with Serbian goalkeeper Đorđe Petrović — on loan at Strasbourg from Chelsea — and Paris Saint-Germain’s 17-year-old defender Axel Tape.
— Eric Deier’s contract at Bayern is up at the end of the end of the season and the England defender has reportedly opted for a switch to Monaco. Gladbach defender Ko Itakura has emerged as a target for Bayern, though Dortmund is also interested in the Japan international with Nico Schlotterbeck out for several months.
What they’re saying
— “I’ll need a ticket next year.” — Thomas Müller considers a novelty after 25 years at Bayern.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Ciarán Fahey, The Associated Press
