It’s the final weekend of Bundesliga action in the 2021-22 season, but there are still stories waiting to be told on the final day of hostilities in the German top flight. SC Freiburg can secure an unfathomable fourth-place finish and secure Champions League football next season with a little help from RB Leipzig who would have to slip up against 2.Bundesliga-bound Arminia Bielefeld. Union Berlin and 1.FC Köln are also in the hunt for Europa via their fight for Europa League places, while 1.FSV Mainz 05 will achieve their first top-half placement in the Bundesliga since 2015-16. The script has already been submitted at the bottom of the table, however, with Bielefeld and Greuther Fürth both consigned to relegation, while VfB Stuttgart will be made to navigate the relegation playoff against one of SV Werder Bremen, Hamburger SV, or SV Darmstadt 98 depending on results tomorrow. Here is 101 Great Goals’ final Bundesliga Betting Tips Preview of the season, for matchday 34.
Arminia Bielefeld (17th) vs RB Leipzig (4th)
There is little to play for when it comes to Bielefeld’s Bundesliga hopes this season. Mathematically, they trail Stuttgart by just three points in the table and could climb into 16th if they secure a big win against Leipzig in conjunction with a heavy Stuttgart defeat which would put them level on points and hopefully ahead on goal difference. But Die Arminen has been in poor form of late and coming into proceedings against a high-scoring Die Roten Bullen outfit that needs three points to guarantee their inclusion in the Champions League next season. RBL rebounded after losing two on the bounce with a 4-0 win against Augsburg last weekend, so they should be good for a repeat point haul here despite the situation at Bielefeld.
FC Augsburg (14th) vs Greuther Fürth (18th)
Both Augsburg and Fürth are settled into where their season comes to an end despite the final day of action in the Bundesliga, with Kleeblätter propping up the table in 18th and heading right back down to 2.Bundesliga, while Fuggerstädter has secured safety in the German top flight for another campaign despite flirting with disaster in certain stages. With little to play for but pride in matchday 34, a draw would make sense but Fürth’s deplorable away record (winless all season) could put Augsburg in a position to secure three points in front of the home support at WWK Arena and a guaranteed finish in 14th.
1.FSV Mainz 05 (9th) vs Eintracht Frankfurt (12th)
MAINZ, GERMANY – JANUARY 27: Kevin Stoeger of 1. FSV Mainz 05 and Almamy Toure of Eintracht Frankfurt battle for the ball during the Friendly Match between 1. FSV Mainz 05 and Eintracht Frankfurt at Bruchwegstadion on January 27, 2022 in Mainz, Germany. (Photo by Hasan Bratic/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)
Underperforming Eintracht Frankfurt, who are through to the final of the Europa League, has been a major disappointment in the Bundesliga this term despite their European exploits and are incapable of fighting their way to a top-half finish in the table this season. Mainz, however, is in the driver’s seat of its own destiny in 2021-22 and has already secured their first top-half finish since 2015-16, but could leapfrog struggling Hoffenheim into eighth with a win at home tomorrow. And home is where the heart is for Die Nullfünfer this term, losing just twice at MEWAArena while posting the fourth-best home record and best defensive record in the whole league on their home patch (10-4-2). Mainz to win but only just.
VfB Stuttgart (16th) vs 1.FC Köln (7th)
Though it is impossible for Stuttgart to climb out of 16th on goal difference, Die Schwaben can certainly fall into guaranteed relegation by the same metric if they do not secure at least one point when European-bound Köln comes to town tomorrow. Thankfully for Pellegrino Matarazzo’s men, they have secured four draws in their last six, so a share of the spoils is not out of the realm of possibility, but the fact that Die Geißböcke are capable of a higher finish than where they currently sit is plenty of motivation while star striker Anthony Modeste will be on the hunt to become the fifth player this season to reach the 20-goal mark. Köln has won the last two meetings in all competitions between them, and that could continue here.
Borussia Mönchengladbach (10th) vs TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (8th)
Hoffenheim can do no better than their current position in the Bundesliga table this season, which is undoubtedly disappointing considering it was not all that long ago where Die Kraichgauer was flirting with a chance at Champions League football next season, but fortunately for them, they cannot drop any lower than ninth and at least can take solace in being able to finish in the top half. The situation is not the same for home side Gladbach who could drop three places down to thirteenth in what has been a highly frustrating 2021-22 for Die Fohlen, though they do boast considerably better recent form (2-3-1) than Hoffenheim (0-2-4) of late. But Hoff is undefeated in their last four clashes with Gladbach, so a draw here is possible.
Union Berlin (6th) vs VfL Bochum (11th)
Both Union Berlin and Bochum deserve an enormous amount of credit for the 2021-22 Bundesliga campaigns they have undertaken this term, with Die Unabsteigbaren comfortably placed in mid-table after their return to the German top-flight while Die Eisernen are capable of either climbing up to fifth but also dropping to seventh depending on results, but at the very least can guarantee sixth with a win. Union will no doubt have confidence overflowing tomorrow as well, as the capital outfit is the in-form side in the Bundesliga of late, earning sixteen points from a possible eighteen in their last six meetings while boasting a 4-1-1 record against Bochum in recent meetings. With a potential finish in fifth at stake, they should come out on top at home.
Bayer Leverkusen (3rd) vs SC Freiburg (5th)
HAMBURG, GERMANY – APRIL 19: Christian Streich, Manager of SC Freiburg, celebrates their side’s win after the final whistle of the DFB Cup semi final match between Hamburger SV and SC Freiburg at Volksparkstadion on April 19, 2022 in Hamburg, Germany. (Photo by Martin Rose/Getty Images)
The clash of the weekend and what a way to end the 2021-22 Bundesliga season as Champions League-bound Bayer Leverkusen are guaranteed to end the current campaign in third after a very impressive season despite the untimely and unfortunate injury to German wunderkind Florian Wirtz. But they come into the final day of competitive football in the league against a high-flying Freiburg outfit under Christian Streich that has continued to defy the odds all season long and are themselves in with a chance to net Champions League football next season but will need all three points and hope for a Leipzig upset loss as well. Freiburg is good away from the Black Forest as well, and with the two sides splitting recent meetings right down the middle (2-2-2), anything is possible here.
VfL Wolfsburg (13th) vs Bayern Munich (1st)
Champions Bayern Munich has already left for summer vacation since securing their tenth-consecutive Bundesliga title two weeks ago and have not posted a three-point haul since their win over Dortmund that guaranteed them to be crowned champions. Wolfsburg will be looking to capitalize on that fact as Die Wölfe, who have been well below their standard all term, could climb up to tenth with a win and at the very least could save face to some degree. Should they lose, they cannot drop further down the table which perhaps takes some motivation away, but with Bayern having nothing at all to play for, a sneaky result could come to pass if the Bavarian giants remain on holiday.
Borussia Dortmund (2nd) vs Hertha BSC (15th)
Dortmund can take solace in the fact that they remain secure in their status as the best of the rest in the Bundesliga for another season, but their failure to close the gap to rivals Bayern Munich once more is a reminder of the work to be done; work that now must continue without star striker Erling Haaland who has secured a move to Manchester City in the summer. The Norwegian goal machine could be in fine form in front of the home support in one final performance before moving on to blue pastures in the transfer window, so defensively-frail Hertha must be on alert if they are not to be put to the sword. Dortmund has won five of their last six meetings as well, and with Hertha safe from relegation baring a record-breaking reversal in goal difference, Dortmund should win on the final day while bidding farewell to Haaland.
