2023/24 Bundesliga permutations: Who can qualify for Europe, who will be relegated?
Bayer Leverkusen are already champions, Bayern Munich are assured of UEFA Champions League football next season, while Darmstadt are confirmed as relegated. Find out which other teams' fates can be decided on Matchday 32...
Make your predictions for the remaining games to see how the table could look
Title
This is done and dusted already, with Leverkusen ending Bayern’s 11-year reign with the third-quickest title in 61 seasons of the Bundesliga on Matchday 29. The question now for the Werkself is whether they can become the first-ever unbeaten side, a dream they kept alive with yet another remarkable stoppage-time equaliser on Matchday 31 against third-placed VfB Stuttgart.
Watch: Leverkusen’s title story
UEFA Champions League
Leverkusen also became the first team from any country to book their place in the revamped 2024/25 Champions League way back on Matchday 27.
Matchday 31 saw semi-finalists Bayern officially clinch their Champions League spot with a win against Eintracht Frankfurt.
At least two more Bundesliga clubs will join Leverkusen and Bayern, with Stuttgart, RB Leipzig and Dortmund chasing the remaining spots and all guaranteed at least a top-five finish.
As things stand, the top four will compete at Europe's top table, fifth in the UEFA Europa League. Stuttgart will confirm their place if they equal or better Dortmund's result against Augsburg when they host Bayern. Leipzig will do the same if they win at Hoffenheim and BVB fail to win.
However, the right combination of results during the week's European semi-final first legs could see the the Bundesliga confirmed as a recipient of a fifth Champions League berth. If and when that does happen, then the current top five will all have their places booked in the new league stage for 2023/24.
Find out more about how the Bundesliga could earn a fifth Champions League spot
Watch: The season finale!
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Remaining European places
As it stands, sixth place will mean entry into the UEFA Conference League play-offs. This, though, could also change and drop to seventh or even eighth depending on the result of the DFB Cup final and how the European competitions play out.
Frankfurt have occupied sixth place since the mid-point of the season and are five points clear of Freiburg. Eintracht can secure that spot this weekend if they beat Leverkusen and each of Freiburg, Augsburg and Hoffenheim fail to win.
Currently, every team down to Werder Bremen in 11th place could still qualify for Europe. That could drop down to relegation-threatened Bochum in 15th if those extra berths become available. That will become clearer once the co-efficient places are assigned and the DFB Cup winner is known.
More on the Bundesliga's race for Europe
Relegation
The bottom two drop down to Bundesliga 2 automatically, while third from bottom will contest the play-off against the team that finishes third in the second division.
Bottom side Darmstadt are relegated after only one season back in the top flight after their loss to fellow promoted side Heidenheim.
Cologne in 17th are five points behind Mainz and will also go down this weekend if they lose at home to Freiburg on Saturday and Mainz win at Heidenheim on Sunday, or if the Billy Goats draw, the 05ers win and Union Berlin draw with Bochum.
Watch: Darmstadt's relegation confirmed
More on the relegation battle here
Survival
Coaches often talk about the magic 40-point mark to ensure safety. That total - in fact, 39 points - will indeed be enough to guarantee a place in the Bundesliga for 2024/25.
Freiburg (seventh), Augsburg (eighth) and Hoffenheim (ninth) are now mathematically safe and will play in the top flight again next season.
Heidenheim (10th), Werder Bremen (11th) and Wolfsburg (12th) cannot finish lower than 16th.
Top-flight debutants Heidenheim will be assured of a second season in the Bundesliga if they draw with Mainz or there's a winner between Union and Bochum.
Bremen will be safe if they avoid defeat to Gladbach, or Mainz fail to win, or there's a winner between Union and Bochum.
Wolfsburg will also be safe if they better Mainz's result when they host Darmstadt, or they win and there's also a winner between Union and Bochum.
Gladbach will avoid automatic relegation if they get at least a point or arch-rivals Cologne fail to win. The Foals will be completely safe if they win in Bremen and Mainz lose.
Union Berlin and Bochum will be assured of at least a play-off spot if one of them wins their Sunday encounter, or they play out a draw after Cologne fail to beat Freiburg on Saturday, or Cologne lose.
Mainz will also guarantee they can't automatically go down if they win in Heidenheim after Cologne fail to beat Freiburg.
Find out about the promotion race from Bundesliga 2
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