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BUNDESLIGA MATCHDAY 22

vs.

LEVERKUSEN 0:4 RB LEIPZIG
BayArena (Capacity: 30,810)


Amadou Haidara shows his class on the math's first goal.

SCORING:
41' - (RBL) - A. Haidara
55' - (RBL) - Y. Poulsen
84' - (RBL) - F. Hartmann
88' - (RBL) - H. Chan

DISCIPLINE:
40' - (B04) - L. Bender (Yellow)
70' - (B04) - E. Tapsoba (Red)

2/21/21
Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia (AP) - RB Leipzig extracted a measure of revenge for an embarassing home loss earlier this campaign as they destroyed Bayer Leverkusen 4-nil on Saturday, further damaging the hosts Champions League aspirations. Three second half goals blew open a relatively close match as Leipzig continues to climb the table as they seek out their first Bundesliga title.

Leipzig (15-4-3, 49 pts) looked every bit the title contender on Saturday completely dominating Leverkusen both on the scoreline and in their possession, almost toying with the hosts.

Amadou Haidara put the Red Bulls out in front with pure class, scoring on a bicycle kick in the 41st minute. Yussuf Poulsen would make it 2-nil in the 55th minute on a one timer that left Lukas Hradacky no chance.

Edmond Tapsoba would get sent off in the 70th minute for a hard challenge just outside of the area and from that point on it was a foregone conclusion. Leipzig would add a coupl eof late goals to make the scoreline look much like the match played out. Leipzig outshot Leverkusen 19-6 and held possession for 70% of the match.

Leverkusen (10-2-10, 32 pts) looks like a team destined to finish mid-table and not in a European spot. The club has been missing Dani Olmo for almost three months and will finally get him back in the next week. They have struggled without the young midfielder and the hope is he can elevate their play down the stretch.

Leverkusen hosts Ajax on Thursday in the second leg of their Europa League Round of 32 tie leading 3-2 after winning in Amsterdam this past Thursday. They will return to Bundesliga action on Sunday as they will travel to Bielefeld to take on Arminia Bielefeld, who sit in a relegation position, but also beat Leverkusen 4-nil earlier this season.

Matchday 22 Results:
FC Koln 2:1 Arminia Bielefeld
Hertha Berlin 1:2 Wolfsburg
SC Freiburg 1:1 FC Augsburg
Stuttgart 1:2 Dortmund
1899 Hoffenheim 1:3 Mainz 05
Union Berlin 1:2 Schalke 04
Monchengladbach 1:0 Eintracht Frankfurt
FC Bayern 2:2 Werder Bremen

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UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE ROUND OF 32 (SECOND LEG)



vs.

LEVERKUSEN 4:1 AJAX
(Leverkusen advances on aggregate 7-3)
BayArena (Capacity: 30,810)


Moussa Diaby scored twice as Leverkusen advanced.

SCORING:
37' - (B04) - P. Schick
48' - (B04) - M. Diaby
76' - (AJA) - Q. Promes
82' - (B04) - K. Demirbay
90'+ - (B04) - M. Diaby

DISCIPLINE:
5' - (B04) - L. Bender (Yellow)
29' - (B04) - C. Aranguiz (Yellow)
80' - (B04) - E. Camavinga (Yellow)
90' - (B04) - K. Demirbay (Yellow)

2/25/21
Leverkusen North Rhine-Westphalia (AP) - Bayer Leverkusen cruised past Ajax 4-1 on Thursday evening to easily advance on aggregate into the Round of 16 of the Europa League. Moussa Diaby scored twice as Leverkusen cruised 7-3 on aggregate.

Patrick Schick got Leverkusen going in the 37th minute as he slipped one past the keeper on a nice setup pass from Mitchell Weiser.

Moussa Diaby extended the lead to 2-nil in the 48th minute as he finished off a two-on-one opportunity.

Quincy Promes got free in the box in the 76th minute and made quick work to cut the lead to 2-1, but that was all that Ajax had. Leverkusen would add a couple of late goals on the counterattack to win it 4-1 and easily advance on aggregate.

Ajax outshot Leverkusen 17-11 and held possession for 66% of the match. Leverkusen picked up four yellow cards in the match.

Up next for Leverkusen is a return to Bundesliga play on Sunday afternoon as they head to Bielefeld. to take on Arminia Bielefeld.

UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE ROUND OF 32 (SECOND LEG) RESULTS:
Standard Liege 1:1 (2:1) Malmo FF
Bologna 0:1 (2:1) Leicester City
Monchengladbach 3:0 (6:1) Vitesse
Crystal Palace 3:2 (5:3) 1899 Hoffenheim
Dortmund 4:2 (5:4) CSKA Moscow
Real Sociedad 2:1 (3:2) Konyaspor
FSV Mainz 05 0:3 (1:4) Olympiacos CFP
Elche CF 2:2 (3:3) RB Salzburg (RB Salzburg advanced on away goals)
Spartak Moscow 3:2 (3:5) SC Braga
Arsenal 2:0 (4:0) Sivasspor
Villarreal CF 3:2 (5:3) Chindia
Stade Rennes 2:2 (3:3) Feyenoord (Feyenoord advanced on away goals)
Roma FC 1:0 (4:2) Sporting CP
Napoli 3:1 (4:1) Dynamo Kyiv
RB Leipzig 1:1 (5:3) Sparta Rotterdam

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2020-21 EUROPA LEAGUE: ROUND OF 16 DRAW



ROUND OF 16 DRAW:
(March 11 and 18)
Crystal Palace vs. Olympiacos CFP
Leverkusen vs. Real Sociedad
Standard Liege vs. Napoli
Roma FC vs. Dortmund
RB Salzburg vs. RB Leipzig
SC Braga vs. Monchengladbach
Bologna vs. Arsenal
Villarreal CF vs. Feyenoord

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BUNDESLIGA MATCHDAY 23

vs.

ARMINIA BIELEFELD 5:1 LEVERKUSEN
Bielefelder Alm (Capacity: 26,515)


Arminia Bielefeld embarrassed Leverkusen for a second time this campaign on Sunday afternoon.

SCORING:
8' - (BIE) - M. Hartel
11' - (B04) - D. Olmo
49' - (BIE) - M. Hartel
65' - (BIE) - A. Maier
71' - (BIE) - S. Schipplock
90' - (BIE) - N. Seufert

DISCIPLINE:
51' - (BIE) - M. van der Hoorn (Yellow)
90' - (B04) - K. Demirbay (Yellow)
90' - (B04) - K. Demirbay (Yellow/Red)
90' - (B04) - S. Esposito (Yellow)

2/28/21
Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia (AP) - Things are starting to look bleak for Bayer Leverkusen's European hopes. On Sunday afternoon, Leverkusen was smashed for the second time this season by Arminia Bielefeld. This time it was 5-1 at Bielefeld Alm after dropping a 4-nil decision earlier this season at the BayArena.

Arminia Bielefeld (5-4-14, 19 pts) have two wins and nine goals in two match's against a team that many thought would be in a Champion's League position, yet sits below .500 with just ten matches remaining.

Bielefeld scored four second half goals and just embarrassed Leverkusen. Marcel Hartel was your Man of the Match, scoring twice and with relative ease. Leverkusen's manager Mister Ninja decided to go with the reserve centerbacks in this one and it proved a disaster. Aleksandar Dragovic and newcomer Dario Maresic left too much open space and Bielefeld strikers had a field day.

Leverkusen (10-2-11, 32 pts) has a favorable schedule over the next five matches not facing any team in the top half of the table, but at this point does that even matter? They have been outscored 11-1 in their last three Bundesliga matches in dropping all three.

Dani Olmo scored in his return to the lineup. It was the lone bright spot in a dismal afternoon.

Leverkusen will host Cologne next Sunday in what is looking like a must win for them.

Matchday 23 Results:
FC Augsburg 1:3 FC Bayern
Cologne 0:2 1899 Hoffenheim
Eintracht Frankfurt 2:2 Stuttgart
Werder Bremen 0:3 Hertha Berlin
Schalke 04 1:4 SC Freiburg
Mainz 05 1:1 Wolfsburg
Monchengladbach 3:0 Union Berlin
RB Leipzig 1:2 Dortmund

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BUNDESLIGA MATCHDAY 24

vs.

LEVERKUSEN 2:3 1. FC KOLN
BayArena (Capacity: 30,810)


Fedor Chalov bends one just inside the left post in the 5th minute to give Cologne the early lead.

SCORING:
5' - (CGN) - F. Chalov
30' - (B04) - P. Schick
73' - (CGN) - S. Andersson
79' - (CGN) - S. Andersson
86' - (B04) - P. Schick

DISCIPLINE:
9' - (B04) - L. Bender (Red)
19' - (B04) - Wendell (Yellow)
40' - (B04) - D. O'Neil (Yellow)
64' - (CGN) - J. Mere (Yellow)

3/3/21
Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia (AP) - Stunning.....Bayer Leverkusen dropped its fourth consecutive match on Wednesday evening, losing 3-2 to FC Koln at BayArena. Sebastian Andersson scored twice with six minutes late in the second half to send the visitors on to victory.

Fedor Chalov got it started early for Cologne, scoring in the 5th minute. Things got even worse for Leverkusen just moments later as Lars Bender was sent off for a tackle just outside of the box, leaving Leverkusen down a man for the final 81 minutes.

Leverkusen would find an answer in the 30th minute as Patrik Schick ran past a defender in the box and placed one just inside of the post to level the match. Leverkusen looked as though it may find its way to a point in this one, but Sebastian Andersson scored twice, in the 73rd and 79th minutes, to put it away for Cologne.

Patrik Schick would add a late tally to make the final a bit closer, but Leverkusen is now staring at a mid-table finish with just ten matches left. They will travel to Mainz on Saturday in desperate need of three points.

Matchday 24 Results:
Union Berlin 1:3 FC Bayern
1899 Hoffenheim 0:2 Monchengladbach
Hertha Berlin 3:1 Eintracht Frankfurt
Wolfsburg 1:0 Schalke 04
Dortmund 4:0 Mainz 05
RB Leipzig 2:0 FC Augsburg
Stuttgart 1:1 Arminia Bielefeld
SC Freiburg 0:2 Werder Bremen

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BUNDESLIGA MATCHDAY 25

vs.

1. FSV MAINZ 05 4:4 LEVERKUSEN
Opel Arena (Capacity: 34,034)


Jean-Philippe Metata equalized late to secure a point for Mainz.

SCORING:
12' - (B04) - K. Bellarabi
36' - (B04) - K. Bellarabi
45' - (M05) - D. Latza
51' - (M05) - J. Iturbe
54' - (M05) - P. Nebel
64' - (B04) - M. Diaby
70' - (B04) - P. Schick
79' - (M05) - J.P. Mateta

DISCIPLINE:
90' - (B04) - J. Baumgartlinger (Yellow)
90' - (B04) - M. Diaby (Yellow)

3/6/21
Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate (AP) - The struggles for Bayer Leverkusen continued on Saturday afternoon as they blew a two goal lead and had to settle for a 4-4 draw against FSV Mainz 05. This one was a thriller after halftime with five goals and Jean-Philippe Matela putting away the tying goal in the 79th minute.

Leverkusen went up 2-nil with Karim Bellarabi scoring twice in the opening 36 minutes and it looked like Leverkusen may finally get the three points that they so desperately needed. But a defensive breakdown in first half injury time allowed Danny Latza to score and pull Mainz back to within a goal.

Mainz would then score twice in the opening nine minutes of the second half to take the lead, 3-2. First it was Juan Iturbe knocking home a rebound in off of keeper Lukas Hradacky. Then it was Paul Nebel having a rebound bounce right to his feet and he easily put it away to give Mainz the improbable lead.

But Leverkusen had the answers. In the 64th minute Karim Bellarabi sent in a perfect pass to Moussa Diaby and he cashed in, slipping it past Finn Dahmen to level the match at 3-3. Just six minutes later Patrik Schick would put Leverkusen back in front, dribbling the ball into the back, stopping and moving past his marker and hitting it into the top left corner to make it 4-3 Leverkusen.

But the fireworks were not over. In the 79th minute Jean-Philippe Metata was left unmarked at the top of the six and he made Leverkusen pay, tapping home a pass from Paul Nebel to level the match at 4-4. Metata earned Man of the Match honors in this one with Mainz definitely feeling better about the draw.

Leverkusen sits at (10-3-12, 33 pts) and clearly has to focus on sixth place and a Europa League playoff spot, as any Champions League hopes have faded. Mainz 05 looks like a side destined to end mid-table at (6-9-10, 29 pts).

Leverkusen returns to Europa League action on Thursday as they host Spanish side Real Sociedad in the first leg of their Round of 16 tie at BayArena.

Matchday 25 Results:
Dortmund 2:0 Hertha Berlin
FC Augsburg 0:1 FC Cologne
Werder Bremen 1:2 Union Berlin
Schalke 04 0:1 1899 Hoffenheim
Eintracht Frankfurt 2:3 FC Bayern
Arminia Bielefeld 0:3 Monchengladbach
Wolfsburg 1:0 SC Freiburg
RB Leipzig 2:1 Stuttgart

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UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE ROUND OF 16 (FIRST LEG)



vs.

LEVERKUSEN 3:2 REAL SOCIEDAD
BayArena (Capacity: 30,810)


Alexander Isak cracks one into the top right corner past Lukas Hradacky.

SCORING:
26' - (B04) - D. Olmo
28' - (B04) - P. Schick
32' - (RSO) - M. Merino
50' - (RSO) - A. Isak
60' - (B04) - E. Topsoba (PEN)

DISCIPLINE:
NONE

3/11/21
Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia (AP) - Bayer Leverkusen has struggled in Bundesliga play this campaign, but they continue to shine in the Europa League. On Thursday evening, Leverkusen defeated Real Sociedad 3-2 at BayArena in the first leg of their Round of 16 tie with the Spanish side. Edmond Tapsoba's penalty conversion in the 60th minute proved to be the difference in an exciting contest.

Leverkusen jumped out to a 2-nil lead with two goals just moments apart. Dani Olmo scored in the 26th minute on a neat pass from Patrik Schick. Then just moments later, Schick scored to put Leverkusen up 2-nil and in complete control.

But defense has been an issue all year and it didn't take long for Real Sociedad to respond. In the 32nd minute Mikel Merino slipped one past Lukas Hradacy to pull the visitors back to within one.

Then just after the halftime break, Alexander Isak scored what may be the goal of the tournament. From about 24 yards out he cracked one into the top right corner over a diving Lukas Hradacky to level the match at 2-2.

A crucial call then came in the 59th minute as Karim Bellarabi was brought down in the box by Sociedad keeper Miguel Moya. Central defender Edmond Topsoba then stepped up and converted on the penalty to put Leverkusen back in front, 3-2. They would withstand the Sociedad attack and hold on for the 3-2 victory in the opening leg, needing just a draw to advance to the Quarterfinals.


Real Sociedad outshot Leverkusen 11-7 and 5-3 in on target attempts, but Leverkusen converted on all three. The German side held a 55-45% advantage in possession. Your Man of the Match was David Silva and it wasn't even close. He did not score or have an assist but he was dominant with the ball all night long.

Leverkusen will host Schalke 04 on Sunday in Bundesliga action before heading to Spain for the second leg next Thursday.

UEFA Europa League Round of 16 (First Leg) Results:
RB Salzburg 0:1 RB Leipzig
SC Braga 0:3 Monchengladbach
Bologna 0:2 Arsenal
Villarreal CF 1:2 Feyenoord
Crystal Palace 1:2 Olympiakos CFP
Standard Liege 0:2 Napoli
Roma FC 0:3 Dortmund

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BUNDESLIGA MATCHDAY 26

vs.

LEVERKUSEN 0:2 SCHALKE 04
BayArena (Capacity: 30,810)


Benito Raman tips one between the legs of Lukas Hradacky and sends Schalke onto victory.

SCORING:
50' - (S04) - B. Raman
57' - (S04) - A. Miranchuk

DISCIPLINE:
NONE

3/13/21
Leverkusen, North Rhine-Westphalia (AP) - FC Schalke 04 came into BayArena on Sunday afternoon and left with a full three points in a dominating 2-nil victory over Bayer Leverkusen. Two goals just seven minutes apart early in the second half doomed Leverkusen to their fifth loss in their last six Bundesliga outings.

Leverkusen (10-3-13, 33 pts) have just one point out of a possible 18 in their last six matches in the Bundesliga and hopes for a return to Europe in 21-22 are fading fast.

Benito Raman scored in the 50th minute tipping one past Lukas Hradacky to put Schalke up 1-nil. Then just seven minutes later, a defensive miscue led to a second goal as Anton Miranchuk knocked one home and Schalke was on its way.

After grabbing that lead, Schalke just sat back and Leverkusen had no answers in the offensive end. Moussa Diaby came on as a sub and his pace helped to create a few chances, but Leverkusen looked lost.

Leverkusen has no conceded the most goals in the Bundesliga and were outshot 15-4 in this contest.

Up next is a huge contest in San Sebastian on Thursday as they head to Spain for the second leg of their Round of 16 tie with Real Sociedad leading 3-2.

Matchday 26 Results:
Wolfsburg 1:0 FC Augsburg
Stuttgart 1:1 Mainz 05
1899 Hoffenheim 3:1 Werder Bremen
Union Berlin 0:2 Eintracht Frankfurt
FC Bayern 1:1 Arminia Bielefeld
Monchengladbach 1:2 FC Cologne
Hertha Berlin 0:2 RB Leipzig
SC Freiburg 0:3 Dortmund

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UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE ROUND OF 16 (SECOND LEG)



vs.

REAL SOCIEDAD 1:4 LEVERKUSEN
(Leverkusen advances on aggregate 7-3)
Anoeta Stadium (Capacity: 39,500)


Patrick Schick and Leverkusen are onto the quarterfinals.

SCORING:
21' - (B04) - K. Bellarabi
45' - (B04) - M. Diaby
50' - (RSO) - D. Silva
58' - (B04) - K. Bellarabi
72' - (B04) - P. Schick

DISCIPLINE:
17' - (B04) - D. Olmo (Yellow)

3/18/21
San Sebastian, Basque Country (AP) - Bayer Leverkusen continues to shine in European competition as they won 4-1 on Thursday evening in Spain over Real Sociedad to advance to the quarterfinals of the Europa League, advancing 7-3 on aggregate. A great team effort saw thre different players score in what could be described as a shockingly dominating performance.

Karim Bellarabi scored twice to lead the way. He opened the scoring in the 21st minute with a goal that he partially fanned on and the timing seemed to upset the keeper, allowing the ball to sneak past him and just inside the left post. He would add a second in the 58th minute after David Silva had scored on a header to give Real Sociedad some hope.

Moussa Diaby scored the back-breaker in the closing moments of the opening half as he broke in with Karim Bellarabi and Bellarabi sent a pass across the mouth of the goal to an open Diaby, who only had to tap it in to give Leverkusen a 2-nil lead at the break.

Patrick Schick would put a bow on it in the 72nd minute as Leverkusen could relax and enjoy the final quarter hour knowing that they would be advancing.

The Leverkusen defense was solid in this one, limiting Real Sociedad to just eight shots and only four on target. Leverkusen also held a 58-42% advantage in possession.

Karim Bellarabi earned Man of the Match honors with his two goals and he also added an assist.

Leverkusen returns to Bundesliga action sitting in ninth position and facing three consecutive matches away from the BayArena beginning on Sunday at FC Augsburg. They will then travel to Stuttgart and Borussia Monchengladbach.

UEFA Europa League Round of 16 (Second Leg) Results:
RB Leipzig 2:2 (3:2) RB Salzburg
Monchengladbach 3:1 (6:1) SG Braga
Arsenal 3:2 (5:2) Bologna
Feyenoord 0:3 (2:4) Villarreal CF
Olympiacos CFP 2:4 (4:5) Crystal Palace
Napolis 1:2 (3:2) Standard Liege
Dortmund 2:1 (5:1) Roma FC

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2020-21 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: ROUND OF 16



CHAMPIONS LEAGUE ROUND OF 16 RESULTS (SECOND LEG):
PSG 5:0 (7:1) Club Brugge
Real Madrid 0:2 (3:3) FC Bayern (Real Madrid advances on away goals)
Lazio 2:0 (4:2) OM
Liverpool 2:1 (5:2) Piemonte Calcio
Sevilla FC 0:1 (1:2) Manchester United
FC Barcelona 1:1 (2:2) Inter Milan (Barcelona advances 4-3 on penalties)
Atletico Madrid 0:1 (1:1) Chelsea (Chelsea advances 4-3 on penalties)
Manchester City 2:0 (3:2) Atalanta

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2020-21 EUROPA LEAGUE: QUARTERFINAL DRAW



QUARTERFINAL DRAW:
(April 8 and 15)
Crystal Palace vs. Dortmund
RB Leipzig vs. Napoli
Leverkusen vs. Monchengladbach
Villarreal CF vs. Arsenal

Interesting that Leverkusen will face Borussia Monchengladbach three consecutive matches as their Bundesliga tie falls in between their two Europa League quarterfinal ties.

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2020-21 CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: QUARTERFINAL DRAW



QUARTERFINAL DRAW:
(April 6/7 and April 13/14)
Manchester United vs. Manchester City
Liverpool vs. Chelsea
FC Barcelona vs. Lazio
PSG vs. Real Madrid

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BUNDESLIGA MATCHDAY 27

vs.

FC AUGSBURG 2:3 LEVERKUSEN
WWK Arena (Capacity: 30,660)


Eduardo Camavinga scored for the first time in over a month.

SCORING:
10' - (B04) - M. Diaby
33' - (FCA) - F. Niederlechner
48' - (B04) - E. Camavinga
63' - (B04) - P. Schick
81' - (FCA) - D. Caliguiri

DISCIPLINE:
80' - (B04) - K. Demirbay (Yellow)
84' - (B04) - C. Aranguiz (Yellow)

3/21/21
Augsburg, Bavaria (AP) - Bayer Leverkusen came up with a much needed three points on Sunday afternoon as they defeated FC Augsburg 3-2 at the WWK Arena. The win was Leverkusen's first Bundesliga victory since defeating Hoffenheim back on February 5th.

Moussa Diaby helped Leverkusen grab the lead in the 10th minute with a sneaky goal, beating Rafal Gikiewicz on the short side, just inside the post.

FC Augsburg would equalize in the 33rd minute on their only shot of the opening half as Florian Niederlechner beat Jonathan Tah in the box and slipped it past Lukas Hradacky. The teams went to the break level despite Leverkusen dominating play.

Leverkusen would get their reward early in the second half as Eduardo Camvinga made a run and Patrik Schick laid a perfect pass at his feet. Camavinga took on touch then slipped it just inside the left post to put Leverkusen back on top. Patrik Schick would then give them a cushion in the 63rd minute as he was left unmarked in th ebox and Dani Olmo fed him a pass for an easy goal to make it 3-1.

Leverkusen looked like it would cruise as Augsburg could generate no offense, but a foul on Kerem Demirbay set up FC Augsburg with a free kick from about 35 yards out in the 81st minute. Alfreo Finnbogason sent a ball into the box that Daniel Caliguiri got his head onto and directed it into the top left corner. Lukas Hradacky had no chance, and Augsburg was back in it.

But Leverkusen tighted down defensively and held on for the much needed 3-2 victory keeping their slim European hopes alive. Up next is a trip to Stuttgart to take on the last place club in the Bundesliga before the gauntlet of five games against the top teams in the league.

Leverkusen (11-3-13, 36pts) will face Borussia Monchengladbach three times in a row, twice in Europa League, host Bayern Munich and then travel to Leipzig for the DFB-Pokal semifinal, all in a 13 day period.

Matchday 27 Results:
1899 Hoffenheim 4:1 Stuttgart
Union Berlin 1:1 Hertha Berlin
Eintracht Frankfurt 2:1 Mainz 05
Werder Bremen 0:1 Schalke 04
Monchengladbach 0:1 Wolfsburg
FC Cologne 2:2 Dortmund
Arminia Bielefeld 0:1 RB Leipzig
FC Bayern 4:1 SC Freiburg

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