Matchday 31 - LIVE bulletins
Cologne - If Matchday 31 was anything to go by - with goals, drama and last-minute twists aplenty - then Bundesliga fans are in for a treat in the season run-in.
Monday 4 May
bundesliga.com brought to you all the latest reaction from around Germany's top flight...
MATCHDAY 31 RESULTS:
VfL Wolfsburg 2-2 Hannover 96
SV Werder Bremen 1-0 Eintracht Frankfurt
FC Schalke 04 3-2 VfB Stuttgart
FC Augsburg 0-0 1. FC Köln
SC Freiburg 1-2 SC Paderborn 07
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim 1-1 Borussia Dortmund
Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2-0 FC Bayern München
1. FSV Mainz 05 1-2 Hamburger SV
Hertha Berlin 1-2 Borussia Mönchengladbach
Thank you and bis bald!
That brings to an end our Matchday 31 bulletins. We'll be back with a fresh round of rolling Bundesliga news on Thursday, including all the latest from the top-flight sides' pre-match press conferences. Before though, make sure you stay bang up to date with the latest from the Bundesliga on our News page, as European giants Bayern München and Barcelona clash in the Champions League on Wednesday.
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Höger boost
There was more good news from Schalke today, who confirmed this afternoon that midfielder Marco Höger (r.) has returned to team training following an ankle injury.
'Get well soon Elkin'
Junior Diaz (r.) is the latest player to wish his Mainz team-mate Elkin Soto a speedy recovery:
Goretzka satisfied
Leon Goretzka, who has missed the majority of the campaign through injury, got another 70 minutes under his belt in the Royal Blues' 3-2 victory over VfB Stuttgart.
New contract!
Gladbach centre-back Roel Brouwers has signed a one-year contract extension with the Foals.
GET INVOLVED!
Elkin Soto update
Elkin Soto is on his way to a knee specialist in Straubing, where he will be operated on in the coming days. Get well soon, Elkin!
FC Bayern press conference
Stay tuned to hear the thoughts of Jerome Boateng and Javi Martinez ahead of FC Bayern München's UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg against Barcelona on Wednesday.
13 years ago...
The force was strong with Borussia Dortmund that day.
Congratulations s04! #111Schalkeyears
On this day 115 years ago, 1. FC Nürnberg was founded in the Burenhütte at the Deutschherrenwiese!
Sunday 3 May
Bad news for Soto
It was a bad afternoon all round for Mainz, as Colombian midfielder Elkin Soto suffered a horrific knee injury that looks set to sideline him for many months. Here's to wishing you a full and speedy recovery Elkin!
TEAM NEWS!
TEAM NEWS!
GET INVOLVED!
Lewa 'ready'
Robert Lewandowski, who suffered facial injuries against former club Dortmund in the DFB Cup in midweek, has tweeted a picture of himself wearing a mask with the caption: 'I'm ready for the next challenge'.
Kittel injures knee in Bremen defeat
Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Sonny Kittel is set to miss the start of the 2015/16 Bundesliga season after suffering a serious knee injury in the Eagles' 1-0 defeat at Werder Bremen on Saturday afternoon. Kittel has made 18 league appearances for Thomas Schaaf's side this season.
Back into third?
Matchday! #Allaboard #getstuckin
Back in the fold
The return to the starting of Spanish international Javi Martinez was one of the few positives for Bundesliga champions FC Bayern on Saturday afternoon. Pep Guardiola's starting XI may have been unrecognisable to the team that has set the Bundesliga alight for much of the campaign, but a 2-0 defeat to Leverkusen is hardly ideal preparation for a midweek clash with an FC Barcelona side that won 8-0 on Saturday...
Saturday 2 May
Augsburg trio sign extensions
Great news for FC Augsburg fans: Before today's game against Köln, the club announced that Alex Manninger, Halil Altintop and Paul Verhaegh had all extended their contracts with the SGL Arena club.
TEAM NEWS!
TEAM NEWS!
Today's line-ups are coming in...
#AskChandler
A reminder to tweet in your questions to Eintracht Frankfurt's USA international defender Timothy Chandler using the above hashtag!
Bayern's bouncebackability
They have indeed, but the BayArena isn't the easiest place to go and get a win...
LIVE Bundesliga 2 action
There are two vital games in Bundesliga 2 this afternoon, both of which kick off at 13:00 CEST. Eintracht Braunschweig - still in with a shout of an instant return to the big time - welcome FSV Frankfurt, while fourth-place SV Darmstadt host 1. FC Kaiserslautern. You can follow the action via our ticker from 12:45 CEST!
Meeting on the pitch at the 'Bölle' - calm before the storm.
Top of the charts?
With the Bundesliga's top three goalscorers Alex Meier, Arjen Robben and Robert Lewandowski all out injured, Bremen's Di Santo is one of a handful of players still in with a shout of claiming the 2014/15
Torjägerkanone
. The Argentine striker is currently on 13 goals for the campaign. He needs seven more to overhaul Meier...
Lower Saxony showdown
The Volkswagen Arena is bathed in spring sunshine as Niedersachsen gears up for today's regional derby between Wolfsburg and Hannover. On current form there can only be one winner, but as you know, form goes out of the window etc. etc.
Royal rumble
Schalke go in search of their first win since Matchday 24 when they take on Huub Stevens' VfB. The Swabians lost the corresponding fixture 4-0 earlier this season, but will surely fancy their chances against an out-of-form
Knappen
side.
The path to Europe: Belief, love, Hoffenheim.
If Dortmund win in Sinsheim this afternoon and bitter rivals Schalke lose at home to Stuttgart, BVB will end the afternoon above the Royal Blues on goal difference. Not bad for a team that was bottom of the league not so long ago...
Friday 1 May
Day to celebrate?
Bayer Leverkusen prodigy Julian Brandt turns 19 today. Having scored in each of his last two league appearances, who's to say Brandt can't make it three on the trot and help his team become only the third club to beat champions FC Bayern München in the league this season? It'd be the perfect birthday present, I'm sure...
No pain, no gain
It's a public holiday in Germany, but that hasn't stopped Bremen's
Yannick Vestergaard
getting his sweat on as he looks to come back from injury. He's evidently taken a leaf out of team-mate
Fin Bartels'
book, as the midfielder is back in the Bremen squad this weekend!
Get involved
We'll be speaking to Eintracht Frankfurt's USA international
Timothy Chandler
and want to hear from you! What have you always wanted to know? Tweet us in your questions!
Happy May Day!
Let's hope he's still smiling after Schalke's match with Stuttgart...
Focus on Leverkusen
A bit of rain never hurt anybody, and certainly not the Bundesliga champions!
"I will pick my first eleven for the Stuttgart game after the final training session [this afternoon]."
Pumping iron
Nothing like a bit of strength training on a public holiday, 'eh Johnny? Heitinga's Hertha Berlin welcome third-place Gladbach to the Olympiastadion on Sunday.
Ein von @johnheitinga gepostetes Foto am 1. Mai 2015 um 3:57 Uhr
Lewa, or no Lewa?
Pep Guardiola wasn't giving away whether Robert Lewandowski, who suffered facial injuries in the DFB Cup defeat to Dortmund in Saturday, will be fit for next week's Champions League semi-final first leg at FC Barcelona.
"We've obviously got Barcelona at the back of our minds, but I can't afford to rotate players in eight or nine positions. It's just not possible!"
Stay tuned!
FCB presser coming up shortly...
BREAKING NEWS!
Hoffenheim youngster Kevin Akpoguma, captain of the German U-20 side, will spend the next two seasons with Bundesliga 2 outfit Fortuna Düsseldorf after agreeing a loan deal on Friday.
Akpoguma looks set to return to Hoffenheim once the deal has expired, though, having simultaneously agreed a new contract with the Sinsheim club until 2019!
Let's dance!
And to you, Franco. Wouldn't you be better off joining Luca in the gym, though??
Thursday 30 April
Gute Nacht
There's no Bundesliga action tomorrow due to May 1 being a public holiday, but that won't prevent bundesliga.com from bringing you the best of the build-up ahead of the weekend's action. Bis dann!
Rode's day out
It appears that Sebastian Rode has been using his downtime to take in some tennis at the BMW Open in Munich.
Sad news and well wishes
Kevin De Bruyne paid tribute to the late Gregory Mertens. The Belgian footballer died of heart failure on Thursday having collapsed during a match just three days prior.
As cool as you like
Nothing fazes Thomas Müller, who remains one of coolest characters in Germany's top flight even when build-up to two pivotal fixtures on the record titleholders schedule.
Bremen another man down
Bremen's injury list appears to be getting longer by the day with Felix Kroos set to join Fin Bartels, Jannik Vestergaard, Alex Galvez, Luca Caldirola and Santiago Garcia on the sidelines.
A decade on
Hard to believe it's really been that long...
+++BREAKING NEWS+++
Borussia Dortmund have confirmed that Ilkay Gündogan will not extend his contract with the club, which is due to expire in 2016. More on that shortly...
Stöger wary of Augsburg
Köln boss Stöger has been addressing the media ahead of the Billy Goats clash with FC Augsburg this weekend.
"We've got a very tough end to the season. Our match against Bremen [on the final day of the season] could be a real final. I'm going to miss everything here, but I'm not too nostalgic... yet!"
Klopp o'clock!
Jürgen Klopp is about to face the media ahead of BVB's clash with Hoffenheim this weekend...
Bitter blow
Özkan Yildirim is set for several months on the sidelines after suffering a serious knee injury. Werder have wished their player a speedy recovery on Twitter...
Friends reunited
Werder Bremen welcome Eintracht Frankfurt to the Weserstadion this weekend. Werder head coach Viktor Skripnik used to play under Frankfurt boss Thomas Schaaf during his time at Bremen...
"I'm happy about Werder Bremen's recovery this season. The quality of the team doesn't surprise me in the slightest."
Keepy-uppy king?
We all know Zlatko Junuzovic is a dab hand at set-pieces, but how many keepy-uppies can SV Werder Bremen's Austrian international do with a tennis ball? Click on the video below to find out...
Foals in pole position
With four games remaining, Borussia Mönchengladbach have virtually guaranteed their place in next season's UEFA Champions League qualifying rounds, but Lucien Favre's side will be eager to book their ticket for the group stage at the earliest opportunity. With fourth-place Bayer 04 Leverkusen up against FC Bayern München, the Foals could extend their lead over
die Werkself
with victory at Hertha Berlin.
Rock bottom... still
While Schalke try to avoid slipping out of the European spots altogether, Stuttgart are are desperately trying to clamber off the foot of the Bundesliga table. The Swabians surrendered a two-goal lead to draw 2-2 with Baden-Württemberg rivals SC Freiburg last time out, but Huub Stevens' side can ill afford such generosity this weekend.
Herzlich Willkommen!
There's no Friday evening match in Germany's top flight this weekend, but don't you fret, Bundesliga fans: There are seven games on Saturday, including FC Schalke 04's potentially pivotal clash with VfB Stuttgart. Here's what's been going on at the Royal Blues' headquarters...