Bundesliga Preview: What to watch in German soccer this weekend

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Bundesliga Preview: What to watch in German soccer this weekend

Duesseldorf (Germany), Apr 24 (AP) Harry Kane can win the first major trophy of his career on Saturday as Bayern Munich closes in on regaining the Bundesliga title after Bayer Leverkusen’s shock win last season.

Bayern has an eight-point lead over second-placed Leverkusen with four games remaining. If Bayern beats Mainz on Saturday, then Leverkusen must win its game at the same time to keep the title race alive.

KEY MATCHUPS Bayern hosts Mainz on Saturday as the overwhelming favorite to win the game and the title, but will remember what happened the last time they met. Mainz beat a Kane-less Bayern 2-1 in December for Vincent Kompany’s first league loss as Bayern coach.

— Leverkusen’s form has trailed off since its Champions League elimination by Bayern last month, and even the return from injury of star attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz hasn’t helped. After two underwhelming draws, Leverkusen can delay Bayern’s celebrations at home against Augsburg.

— Leipzig visits Eintracht Frankfurt in Saturday’s late game as both teams try to hold onto Champions League spots despite inconsistent recent form. Borussia Dortmund, Freiburg and Mainz are all close behind.

PLAYERS TO WATCH — Kane’s 24 Bundesliga goals are six more than anyone else, and he scored a hat trick against Mainz last season.

— On-loan Chelsea midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka has become crucial to Dortmund’s push to qualify for the Champions League and was involved in all three of his team’s goals in a 3-2 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach last week. Dortmund visits Hoffenheim on Saturday.

— Werder Bremen is the league’s form team with a four-game winning run, and midfielder Mitchell Weiser had a goal or assist in each of those wins. Bremen hosts St. Pauli on Sunday with European qualification in sight.

INJURY LIST — Dortmund midfielder Pascal Gross is ruled out of Saturday’s game at Hoffenheim with a minor knee ligament injury. Gross was a standout against Barcelona and Borussia Moenchengladbach last week.

— Leverkusen defender Nordi Mukiele is out for three weeks with a calf muscle injury, the club said on Thursday.

— Eintracht Frankfurt forward Mario Götze hasn’t played since a muscle injury against Tottenham in the Europa League last week. Goalkeeper Kaua Santos is out long-term with a knee injury from the same game.

TRANSFER NEWS — Leverkusen has said it’s planning its squad for next season together with coach Xabi Alonso amid speculation he could take the Real Madrid job. If he does want to leave, Alonso needs to notify Leverkusen in the next few weeks, chief executive Fernando Carro told Sky.

— Experienced Bayern forward Thomas Müller’s future remains open when he leaves the club in July after 25 years. The Bild newspaper has indicated Müller turned down approaches from Fiorentina and FC Cincinnati.

— Scottish forward Oliver Burke is leaving Werder Bremen when his contract expires at the end of the season, the club confirmed on Wednesday. He’s been linked with Union Berlin.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING — “We’re close to our goal. We want to wrap things up as quickly as possible.” — Bayern forward Serge Gnabry. (AP) APA APA

Category: Breaking News

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