Bundesliga matchday 26 recap: The aspirin assassin, relegation six-pointers, the push for Europe & more | OneFootball

Matchday 26 in the Bundesliga saw last-minute comebacks, relegation six-pointers, and the push for Europe get so tight that five teams are still hoping to sneak into the top four by the end of the campaign. Here are your main talking points and recap from matchday 26 in the Bundesliga.

The Aspirin Assassin

You might be wondering, who exactly is the Aspirin Assassin? Well, it’s none other than Bayer Leverkusen’s Patrik Schick, of course!

The Czech forward once again scored a last-minute winner for Xabi Alonso’s side to beat VfB Stuttgart 4-3. It was another thrilling end to a game that saw B04 come out on top – something that became so synonymous with the club and Schick last season. The win closes the gap to Bayern Munich to six points with eight games to play.

After the game Leverkusen Head Coach, Xabi Alonso said that his side are still fighting to catch Bayern Munich.

A Valuable Win in Saxony

RB Leipzig secured their first three points in five Bundesliga matches by beating Borussia Dortmund 2-0.

The victory is a lifeline for Leipzig and rejuvenates their hopes of finishing in the top four. At the same time, the defeat for BVB almost ends any slim aspirations of getting Champions League football next term.

For Marco Rose’s side, the three points move them up into 5th on 42 points, just two points behind Eintracht Frankfurt (4th) and Mainz 05 (3rd).

Not only was this a terrific team performance from Leipzig, but several individuals who had question marks over them stepped up, Simons, Gulacsi, Openda, Raum, and Seiwald all put in shifts.

The race for all the European spots is now well and truly anyone’s.

With Leipzig’s win and results elsewhere, there are just five points separating Mainz 05 in 3rd and Borussia Mönchengladbach in 7th. In between them, there are SC Freiburg, RB Leipzig, and Eintracht Frankfurt, who are all trying to sneak into 4th or even 3rd.

The Race For Survival

Multiple teams faced off in matchday 26 at the bottom of the table.

On Friday evening, St. Pauli took a massive step towards safety with a 1-0 home win against fellow table rivals TSG Hoffenheim.

FC Heidenheim also earned a crucial 3-1 victory on Sunday against Holstein Kiel. The win for FCH puts them one point off VfL Bochum in 16th and leaves Kiel bottom and three points from the relegation play-off spot.

Heading into the final right games, several of these clubs still have to play each other in what will possibly be season-defining matches. Don’t be surprised if this season’s relegation battle goes down to the final matchday.

Around The Grounds

Elsewhere, there was a well-fought point for Union Berlin, who drew 1-1 at home to Bayern Munich. Benedict Hollerbach scored a late equaliser, much to the help of new Bayern GK Jonas Urbig.

There were also wins for Borussia Mönchengladbach, FC Augsburg, and Eintracht Frankfurt.

GGFN | Jamie Allen