5 games to watch: Bundesliga title race on the line in Der Klassiker
By Adam Stocker
Here are five of the best matches from Europe this weekend, headlined by Der Klassiker between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
The club season is in its final stretch. While some title races have been decided, some won’t be determined until the final game of the season. On Saturday, first-place Borussia Dortmund play second-place Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena to potentially decide the Bundesliga. Germany has a strong set of games this weekend, with three games clubs in the top seven. Elsewhere, La Liga also has a game between first and second, while Serie A gives fans two games between clubs in the top six.
5. Bayer Leverkusen vs. RB Leipzig — Saturday, April 6, 9:30 a.m. ET (FS2)
Honorable mention: Borussia Monchengladbach vs. Werder Bremen — Sunday, April 7, Noon ET (FS2)
A lot of races could be determined in the Bundesliga this weekend. The race for the final Champions League and Europa League spot are extremely tight. Leverkusen and Werder Bremen are chasing the final spot in the Europa League with both teams tied with 42 points, while Borussia Monchengladbach are two points behind Eintracht Frankfurt in the race for the final Champions League spot.
On Saturday, Bayer Leverkusen host RB Leipzig at BayArena. Leverkusen have lost three of their last five games to fall out of the race for the Champions League. Teenage superstar Kai Havertz is one of the best young players in Europe. The 19-year-old is second on the club with 10 goals. Leverkusen will be in tough to score goals against the best defensive club in Germany, RB Leipzig. Ralf Rangnick’s team are unbeaten in their last nine games. Timo Werner and Yussuf Poulsen have had a great season, combining for 27 goals.
Gladbach have fallen apart lately, picking up only five points in their last seven games. The poor run dropped the Foals from a Champions League spot. Gladbach will look to get back into the Champions League race with a win against Werder. Bremen are flying under the radar. Werder have not lost since the start of the second half of the season. The Green and Whites will need to continue their unbeaten streak if they are going to remain in a European qualification spot.
4. Inter Milan vs. Atalanta — Sunday, April 7, Noon a.m. ET (ESPNews)
Inter Milan are closing in on a Champions League spot, holding an eight-point lead over fifth-place Roma. After an uncomfortable contract situation, Mauro Icardi returned to the Inter lineup and scored. The Argentina striker will start again on Sunday when Inter host Atalanta at the San Siro.
Atalanta are one of four teams tied with 48 points and fighting for a spot in the Europa League. Ultimately only two of the four clubs are guaranteed a spot in Europe next season. With the clubs so close together, points are at a premium. The result of one game could drop a club from fifth to eighth. Atalanta will rely on their attacking style to pick up points against Inter. The Goddess have been one of the most entertaining sides in Italy, scoring the second most goals this season. Colombian striker Duvan Zapata leads the club with 19 goals this season.
3. Juventus vs. AC Milan — Saturday, April 6, Noon ET (ESPN+)
Juventus-AC Milan is one of the biggest rivalries in Serie A. This season, Juventus have run away with the Scudetto. The White and Blacks are 18 points ahead of second place Napoli. AC Milan have a four-point lead over Roma for the final Champions League spot but have slipped up lately, picking up only one point in their last three games. Another loss could be Milan’s spot in the Champions League in jeopardy.
The first meeting between Juventus and Milan was the beginning of the end for Gonzalo Higuain in Milan. The Argentine striker was sent off with a red card and Milan lost 2-0. Milan decided to move on from Higuain, sending him to Chelsea and bringing in Krzysztof Piatek. The Polish striker has been excellent for Milan, scoring seven goals in 10 Serie A games. When Piatek scores, Milan have not lost. Piatek and his new club are hoping that trend continues on Saturday.
2. Barcelona vs. Atletico Madrid — Saturday, April 6, 2:45 p.m. ET (BeIN Sports)
There are eight games left in La Liga. Barcelona are eight points ahead of second-place Atletico Madrid ahead of their game on Saturday. While Barcelona will still likely win the title even if they lose on Saturday, a loss would certainly add some pressure. Barcelona needed Lionel Messi to come off the bench and score a goal to salvage a 4-4 draw against Villarreal in a thrilling game on Tuesday. Messi has again been the best player in La Liga, scoring 32 goals and adding 14 assists.
Atletico Madrid have consistently been one of the best teams in La Liga since Diego Simeone became the manager in December 2011. Simeone has finished inside the top three every season since 2012-13, winning La Liga in 2013-14. Additionally, Atletico have won two Europa League titles and twice reached the Champions League final under Simeone. However, the Atleti manager still hasn’t defeated Barcelona in La Liga.
1. Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund — Saturday, April 6, 12:30 p.m. ET (FOX)
Der Klassiker is the biggest game of the Bundesliga season. Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are the two most successful Bundesliga clubs in history. Saturday’s game between the two will be the biggest game since the 2013 Champions League final. The game in Munich’s Allianz Arena will likely determine the title race. Borussia Dortmund moved two points ahead of Bayern last weekend after Bayern settled for a draw with Freiburg.
A few months ago, it looked like Dortmund would finally end Bayern’s six-year title reign. Dortmund were up nine points but a slow start to the second half allowed Bayern to rally. Niko Kovac’s team won 13 of 15 games. Robert Lewandowski is again leading the Bundesliga in scoring this season. Lewandowski scored twice in Bayern’s thrilling 5-4 DFB Pokal victory on Wednesday. The Polish striker will lead the attack against his former team on Saturday. Bayern were able to go on a long winning streak after fixing their defensive flaws. Bayern have conceded only 11 goals since Dec. 1.
The strong play of Bayern put the pressure back onto Dortmund. Lucien Favre’s team go into Der Klassiker playing well, winning three straight games. In the first meeting this season, Bayern held leads twice but both times Dortmund came back, ultimately winning 3-2. Marco Reus scored twice in the first game against Bayern and has 15 goals and eight assists this season. Paco Alcacer scored the winner in the first game against Bayern. The Spanish striker has had a great first season in Dortmund, scoring 16 goals. Reus and Alcacer will be joined by Bundesliga assist-machine Jadon Sancho. The English winger has 16 assists this season and is flourishing under Favre.