Five years ago, Hoffenheim clearly missed out on international business in ninth place with just nine defeats this season. TSG has now lost 13 times, Freiburg twelve times – but both still have the best chances in the snail race to Europe. A groundbreaking match day is approaching.
The reason for the “betting lag” is far less due to Bayer Leverkusen’s outstanding performance than to the collective weakness of the teams behind the top five. Leverkusen increases the prospects of the European aspirants because a victory for the champions in the DFB Cup final against 1. FC Kaiserslautern results in an additional place for the Bundesliga.
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Leverkusen can provide valuable help
In addition, Xabi Alonso’s team could also help Germany actually finish ahead of England in this season’s nations ranking by triumphing in the Europa League – and in the end perhaps even the eighth-placed team in the Bundesliga will be able to play in Europe.
In the end, neither Freiburg nor Hoffenheim, nor Augsburg nor Frankfurt will be interested in whether this is deserved. Even Heidenheim can still hope for the big fairy tale at the moment – in tenth place in the table with 34 points from 29 games.
Five years ago, not even 53 points were enough
For comparison: At the end of the 2018/19 season, Werder Bremen with an impressive 53 points and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim with 51 points missed out on European business. In 2019/20, SC Freiburg (48) missed out on the million-dollar business, followed by Borussia Mönchengladbach (49), 1. FSV Mainz 05 (46) and last year VfL Wolfsburg (49).
This time a scenario is possible in which a team with more defeats than victories – i.e. with a negative points ratio according to the previous ranking – plays internationally next season: Freiburg is currently eighth, tied on points with Augsburg, who are directly in front, with eleven wins and twelve defeats the account. Strictly speaking, the sports club is in the red.
Hoffenheim needs a defiant reaction
Right behind them, Hoffenheim can be involved again if they win next Saturday (April 21, 2024, live ticker at sportschau.de) against Gladbach – and that after such poor performances as the last embarrassing 4-1 defeat against relegation candidate Mainz. Midfielder Grischa Prömel is stunned: “Last week we announced that we have a goal for Europe and then it’s just not enough. The fact that you get four bells in one half is disastrous.”
Pellegrino Matarazzo has to get his Hoffenheim team back on track
It will be exciting to see whether the Hoffenheim team recover from this by Saturday and show the urgently needed defiance. The evening before, a “signpost game” takes place in the battle for Europe: Eintracht Frankfurt, which has already lost ten times this season in sixth place, welcomes its direct competitor on Friday (April 20th, 2024, live ticker at sportschau.de). from Augsburg, who, alongside Heidenheim, has perhaps made the most astonishing development this season.
Augsburg was the first club to dismiss the coach
On matchday 7, Augsburg was the first team of the season to take their coach on leave. Enrico Maaßen had to leave because his team had only scored five points by then. Under Jess Thorup, 34 have been added to date, most recently there was a very stable 2-0 against Union Berlin, whereas Eintracht had no chance at all in the 3-0 defeat in Stuttgart: The momentum in the “snail race” for Europe speaks most clearly in its favor at the moment FCA.