That brings the football week

The championship is almost decided, the relegation battle in the Bundesliga is all the more exciting. He will go into the next round with a catch-up game on Wednesday. Abroad, too, fans can gradually look forward to a bit of normalcy.

Berlin (dpa) - The week in the Bundesliga is all about relegation - Werder Bremen and Eintracht Frankfurt are particularly challenged twice.

On Monday, RB Leipzig wants to top up in the race for the Champions League ranks, in the duel between Bayer Leverkusen and leaders Bayern, youngster Kai Havertz should be a particular focus on Saturday. International football is also gradually returning abroad, while the women in the DFB Cup are even back a week ahead of the men.

MONDAY GAME: RB Leipzig is under pressure. Should the Saxons lose at 1. FC Köln on Monday evening (8.30 p.m.), the autumn champions would slide out of the Champions League ranks after twelve second-round match days. With a win, RB can jump to third place again. Trainer Julian Nagelsmann complains about "too many fluctuations in our performance" and a dramatically reduced exploitation of opportunities. But the Cologne team did not come out of the Corona break well with just two points from three games. In the event of a defeat, the advantage over relegation rank would be only seven points.

DESCENT FIGHT: The next final is waiting for the penultimate Werder Bremen on Wednesday (8:30 p.m.). In the catch-up game of match day 24, the team of coach Florian Kohfeldt meets Eintracht Frankfurt - if they win, at least the jump to the relegation court beckons. On the other hand, Eintracht, if it exists in Bremen, could clearly separate itself from the basement. "Bremen is in a good mood too, it will be a very important game," said goalkeeper Kevin Trapp. On Saturday (3:30 p.m.) Frankfurt will then receive the relegation-threatened neighbor FSV Mainz 05 (still in 15th place) for the Rhein-Main derby. Bremen will play VfL Wolfsburg on Sunday (1.30 p.m.). Another endgame.

SCHAULAUFEN: Whether Bayer jewel Kai Havertz can show his skills against Bayern will only become clear after his injury against SC Freiburg. At 20 years and 353 days, the international was the first Bundesliga professional to break the 35-goal mark before his 21st birthday. Munich's Honorary President Uli Hoeneß can currently not imagine a Havertz transfer to Bayern. But postponed is not canceled.

RESTART: After the ball is rolling again in the Czech Republic, Ukraine, Poland, Croatia and Denmark, as in the Bundesliga, league operations are now continuing in Austria and Portugal this week. RB Salzburg won the Austrian Cup with the 5-0 win over the second division side Austria Lustenau at the weekend and are three points behind the Linz ASK in the remaining season beginning on Wednesday. In Portugal, the league ends its Corona break on the same day with the 25th matchday, when, among other things, leaders FC Porto take on FC Famalicano.

CUP: The women go ahead: A week before the DFB Cup competition for men resumes, the women play the quarter-finals on Tuesday and Wednesday. The Bundesliga third TSG Hoffenheim will travel to Bayer Leverkusen on Tuesday. The next day, cup defender VfL Wolfsburg has an allegedly easy task with second division team FSV Gütersloh 2009. SC Sand also have to deal with Arminia Bielefeld with a second division team. Turbine Potsdam finally receives SGS Essen in the Bundesliga duel.

Bundesliga matchday

Bundesliga table