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With the club at risk of failing to qualify for the Champions League, RB Leipzig will have to win on Saturday against visiting Bundesliga opponents Hoffenheim at Red Bull Arena.
Die Roten Bullen have fallen to sixth place, and their points tally of 42 is three fewer than fourth-placed Mainz 05 with just seven matchweeks remaining, while Hoffenheim are fifth last in 14th place with 27 points following their 1-1 draw with Augsburg on March 29.
We say: RB Leipzig 1-2 Hoffenheim
Leipzig’s confidence is likely to be low following the dismissal of Rose and their loss in the DFB-Pokal semi-final.
Additionally, considering Hoffenheim’s strong away record, the visitors may emerge as victors against their struggling hosts.
> Bundesliga preview: RB Leipzig vs Hoffenheim
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If visitors Bayer Leverkusen have any hope of retaining their Bundesliga crown, they must beat relegation-threatened Heidenheim on Saturday at Voith-Arena.
The hosts are third last in 16th place with just 22 points and occupy the league’s relegation playoff spot, while the second-placed champions beat VfL Bochum 3-1 on March 28, but their points total of 59 is six fewer than first-placed Bayern Munich.
We say: Heidenheim 1-2 Bayer Leverkusen
Leverkusen will be keen to bounce back after their embarrassing defeat in the DFB-Pokal, but they could struggle against an improved Heidenheim side.
The visitors’ showings on the road in the Bundesliga have been phenomenal, and while they are unlikely to emerge unscathed on Saturday, they could earn all three points.
> Bundesliga preview: Heidenheim vs B. Leverkusen
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In a crucial Bundesliga clash that could significantly impact the race for European football, Freiburg will welcome Borussia Dortmund on Saturday to Europa-Park Stadion.
Freiburg suffered a damaging 2-1 defeat against Union Berlin on March 30 and are in seventh place with 42 points, while BVB managed to triumph 3-1 against Mainz 05 last Sunday and are four points behind the home side in 10th place.
We say: Freiburg 2-1 Borussia Dortmund
Freiburg are unlikely to prevent Dortmund from scoring given their poor form of late, but the visitors’ record on the road is also concerning.
BVB may struggle at the back with so many defenders ruled out, while the absence of a traditional striker up front could prove costly in the final third.
> Bundesliga preview: Freiburg vs Dortmund
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Mainz 05 will be looking to consolidate their place in the top four of the Bundesliga when they welcome basement club Holstein Kiel to MEWA Arena on Saturday afternoon.
Victory for the hosts would see them complete the double over the visitors after winning the reverse fixture 3-0 at Holstein-Stadion in November.
We say: Mainz 05 2-0 Holstein Kiel
Only twice in the Bundesliga have Mainz ever lost a home game against a team sitting bottom of the table – the last of those came back in 2014 against Werder Bremen (2-1) – and it is difficult to envisage the 05ers coming up short in this contest.
Indeed, Henriksen’s side will be regarded as favourites for this weekend’s match, despite their recent wobble, and they should have enough quality in their side to secure a routine home victory to keep their top-four hopes alive.
> Bundesliga preview: Mainz vs Holstein Kiel
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Fresh from punching their ticket to the DFB-Pokal final, Stuttgart will endeavour to boost their European qualification hopes when they travel to Vonovia Ruhrstadion to face relegation-threatened VfL Bochum in the Bundesliga on Saturday afternoon.
Die Roten are looking to complete the double over Die Unabsteigbaren after winning the reverse fixture 2-0 at MHPArena in November.
We say: VfL Bochum 1-2 Stuttgart
Neither side have been firing on all cylinders in the Bundesliga in recent weeks, but Stuttgart’s semi-final cup win in midweek has given them a much-needed morale boost and they will be regarded as favourites to come out on top against a Bochum side who will likely find it difficult to keep Die Roten quiet in the final third.
> Bundesliga preview: VfL Bochum vs Stuttgart
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Third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt will hope to maintain their advantage in the race to secure Champions League football in the Bundesliga when they play hosts Werder Bremen on Saturday at Weserstadion.
The Green-Whites beat Holstein Kiel 3-0 on March 29 and are in 12th place with 36 points, while the visitors’ tally of 48 points is five more than fifth-placed Borussia Monchengladbach following their 1-0 victory against Stuttgart last Saturday.
We say: Werder Bremen 2-2 Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt and Werder Bremen are both in strong goalscoring form, and it would be surprising if either side kept a clean sheet.
The Eagles may not be able to play as intensely as they would like to considering their Europa League match on Thursday is on the horizon, and they could be held to a stalemate on Saturday.
> Bundesliga preview: Werder Bremen vs Frankfurt
