Borussia Dortmund attacker Marco Reus usually hits the right notes against Augsburg. - © © imago
Borussia Dortmund attacker Marco Reus usually hits the right notes against Augsburg. - © © imago

Reus and Modeste on song for Matchday 33's statistical gems

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On a weekend when European nations compete in a frightening festival of song, fans of Bundesliga teams across Germany will hope to be singing their own hymns of celebration come Saturday night.

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The 62nd Eurovision Song Contest – an event so weird and wonderful it’s worth googling – takes place at the weekend. By the time the curtain rises on the musical pageant in Ukraine, we will be closer to knowing the fate of many of Germany’s top-flight teams on the penultimate day of the season.

Bayern Munich supporters have already grown hoarse chanting their appreciation of an unprecedented fifth successive Bundesliga title and while their weekend opponents, RB Leipzig, danced to the tune of UEFA Champions League group stage qualification last weekend, the team from Saxony still have much to play for. Just one more point will secure Leipzig second place while Ralph Hasenhüttl’s side - the Bundesliga’s youngest - are two points shy of Kaiserslautern’s record tally [68] for a newly promoted team.

Watch: See how Bayern beat Leipizg 3-0 at the Allianz Arena on Matchday 16.

Saturday’s hosts are currently on song, their seven-game unbeaten stretch the division’s best at present. Yet with Bayern winning their last 27 games against promoted teams – a top-flight record – Leipzig will need to hit all the right notes at the Red Bull Arena.

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Prior to settling in for a weekend of mostly woeful warbling at the International Exhibition Centre in Kiev, Borussia Dortmund’s players will hope to have third place – and the last automatic Champions League berth – wrapped up. Coach Thomas Tuchel was once an Augsburg youth team player and later a coordinator of the club’s youth sides, yet the tactician will be happy if his current ensemble can maintain their solid record against Die Fuggerstädter, who BVB visit this weekend.

Augsburg – two points above the relegation play-off place – have picked up only one of a possible 15 points at home to Die Schwarzgelben, while in Marco Reus they face an attacker who has been involved in nine goals against them. However, a win or even a draw - depending on other results - could be enough for Manuel Baum’s side to secure safety.   

Germany have won the Eurovision Song Contest just twice, but that’s still two more times than Hoffenheim have come away with maximum points in Bremen. Julian Nagelsmann certainly has the cut of a young crooner and his voice will need to be loud and clear as the 29-year-old goes about instructing the Bundesliga’s fourth-placed side in how to stop a Werder Bremen team who have won their last five in a row at the Weser Stadium. Another victory on Saturday would represent Werder’s best domestic run since the 2007/08 campaign and keep the Green-Whites’ hopes of European qualification intact going into the final day of the season. 

Also hoping to make it onto the European stage next term are Cologne, who are guaranteed to finish above Bayer Leverkusen – their opponents on Saturday – for the first time in 21 years. The Billy Goats, in seventh, are one point away from equalling their best points haul [46] since the three-points for a win rule was introduced. In striker Anthony Modeste, they possess only their fourth forward ever to hit 25 goals in a single season.

Elsewhere, Schalke must avoid defeat against Hamburg to have any hope of keeping their distant European dreams alive. Meanwhile, ahead of their trip to relegated Darmstadt, Hertha Berlin - in the top six for the entire campaign so far – are now nervously looking over their shoulder at Cologne, a point further back.

Watch: See how Freiburg climbed into the top five by beating Schalke on Matchday 32.

And what about a final note on Freiburg who rose to fifth last week, their highest placing of the season. Coach Christian Streich is looking to steer last term’s 2. Bundesliga champions into European competition for only the fourth time in the club’s history. Should he do so, we would forgive the tactician for breaking into a celebratory rendition of German Eurovision classic Wadde hadde dudde da (get YouTubing THAT one, Bundesliga fans).

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