Crunch time in the Champions League chase: Bayer Leverkusen and Hoffenheim to host direct rivals on Matchday 32
Matchday 32 will see Bayer Leverkusen face RB Leipzig and Hoffenheim host VfB Stuttgart in two clashes that will play a big role in deciding who plays in next season's edition of the Champions League.
Sixth-placed Bayer Leverkusen are just two points behind Hoffenheim and Stuttgart, and with a 12-point advantage over Eintracht Frankfurt they can fully focus on what is above them as the season finale approaches.
Their preparation for their clash with third-placed Leipzig has seen them lose just twice in their last 10 games, a run which has included a draw with league leaders Bayern Munich, a victory against Borussia Dortmund and thrashing of struggling Wolfsburg with a six-goal blitz on Matchday 28.
While they were also frustrated by losses to Union Berlin, Augsburg and a draw with Heidenheim in that time, Die Werkself have proven themselves more than capable of turning up for the big occasion this season, in fact, their previous meeting with Die Roten Bullen saw them run out 3-1 victors.
Watch: RB Leipzig 1-3 Bayer Leverkusen
Furthermore, in this season’s Champions League campaign, Kasper Hjulmand’s side showcased their ability to go toe-to-toe with some of Europe’s best, beating Manchester City 2-0 away from home and holding Arsenal at the BayArena.
A win for Hjulmand’s men could see them climb into the top four, but that would require a stalemate between Hoffenheim and Stuttgart (both on 57 points) and Leverkusen (55 points) bettering both of their goal-differences in the process.
Their goal-difference (+20) currently betters that of Hoffenheim (+16) and is equal with Stuttgart’s, meaning it’s certainly possible, although all three sides would then be level on points.
A win over Leipzig will require a vast improvement on their performance in their 2-1 win over rivals Cologne though, according to Hjulmand: "We absolutely have to play better; we won't get anywhere like that against Leipzig," said the Dane. "If we analyse the Cologne game, we'll be very critical."
Their upcoming opponents Leipzig have won their last five games in a row, which includes a 5-0 thumping of top-four hopefuls Hoffenheim on Matchday 27. They did suffer a narrow defeat to Stuttgart a weak earlier, but that has been their only defeat in the last 10 games.
Their recent hot streak has seen them reach 19 wins with three games left to play, already six more than they managed in the whole of last season. That has them sitting five points clear of fourth-placed Stuttgart and just one win away from Champions League football.
Both on and off the ball, Leipzig have overwhelmed opponents in 2025/26. Of these four sides in a sprint toward the European finish line, Werner’s side have the best defence with 38 goals conceded, a tally made possible by relentless running and an appetite for tough tackling. They lead the way by some distance when it comes to duels won this season (3278), with hosts Leverkusen the next best team in that regard (3104).
Watch: RB Leipzig 5-0 Hoffenheim
They also sit second for total sprints (5388), and top again for shots against post and bar (17) – a strangely impressive record given they’re already the joint-fourth highest scoring side in the Bundesliga.
With a European place already confirmed for 2026/27, Werner is determined to make sure his side continue their end of season form. "We're in the running for Champions League spots and we're not finished yet. It's already good that we're back in Europe. Now we want more."
When it comes to intensity however, it’s fifth-placed Hoffenheim who take the cake. Leading the way in terms of distance covered (3816.2km), sprints (5531) and intensive runs (23200), Christian Ilzer’s side are quite literally chasing down Champions League football.
While they’ve been hugely improved in 2025/26, racking up the club’s highest ever number of league wins with 17 after battling relegation last term, their intensity may have hindered them during this end of season run-in.
Their recent consecutive victories over Dortmund and Hamburg were preceded by a run of one win in seven games, during which time they drew against Cologne and Wolfsburg and lost to St. Pauli, all of whom are currently battling against the drop. Their aforementioned heavy loss to Leipzig included, Ilzer’s side appeared to have lost their way when it mattered most.
If Hoffenheim can triumph over Stuttgart and Leverkusen lose their game, the Sinsheim club could jump into fourth with some breathing space over those below them, and striker Fisnik Asllani is keen on making that happen: "We have a big goal and we just want to give it our all. Another top match awaits us next week."
The fact that they remain well in the top four hunt despite such a wobble speaks volumes of how impressive they’ve been this season, and they’ll now welcome Sebastian Hoeneß’s Stuttgart with two wins behind them and a sense of renewed confidence.
Sat above Hoffenheim on goal-difference, DFB Cup finalists Stuttgart also come into this game with mixed form having won five of their last 10, but having taken just one point from their last two.
While their only two losses in that stretch came against Bayern and Dortmund, and they did beat Leipzig, draws against the likes and Heidenheim and Werder Bremen will have been seen as missed opportunities to gain a stronger grip on a top four spot.
However, given their recent draw against Bremen followed a DFB Cup semi-final win over Freiburg that went into extra-time, there’ll be few Stuttgart fans overly disappointed with that result, although their boss is still hungry for more.
"We've achieved something this club has never accomplished before. We're going to Berlin for the second year in a row," said Hoeneß on their cup heroics. "That also means we're guaranteed a spot in the Europa League. But we want more, we want to be in the Champions League."
Regardless of recent form and cup distractions, Stuttgart are one of the best attacking sides in the division, sitting third in the scoring charts with 63 goals scored and third again when it comes to shots taken (475). Front man Deniz Undav has netted 18 of those goals, second only to Harry Kane (33) in the leaderboard, and taken 110 of their shots, proving how central he is to their attacking game.
Capable of playing as a lone striker or paired with Ermedin Demirović, who has 10 goals himself in just 15 starts, Undav is just one cog within a free-flowing Stuttgart attack, which also boasts fellow Germany internationals Chris Führich and Jamie Leweling.
Although they’ll have plenty of confidence in their frontline going into this game, one area of concern for the Swabians will be their away form, with six losses on the road the worst record of the top six sides.
Watch: What makes Deniz Undav different from other strikers?
