Bundesliga Matchday Preview: Bayern Munich Aims to Seal Title

Preview the upcoming Bundesliga matches, including Heidenheim vs Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund vs Borussia Monchengladbach.

Borussia Dortmund aim to bounce back from their Champions League disappointment as they host Borussia Moenchengladbach in the Bundesliga on Sunday. The team sits eighth in the league, six points off fourth spot with five games remaining, and is looking to keep their European qualification hopes alive.

Dortmund's domestic season has been their worst in a decade, making their recent 3-1 win over Barcelona in the Champions League all the more surprising. Serhou Guirassy scored a hat-trick, and two further goals were disallowed for offside. Despite this impressive performance, Dortmund's fate was sealed due to a poor showing in the first leg, where they lost 4-0.

Dortmund's inconsistency is frustrating their ambitions, much like last year when they finished fifth in the league despite a strong Champions League campaign that saw them beat top teams like Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, AC Milan, Newcastle, and PSV Eindhoven on their way to the final.

Missing the Champions League would significantly impact Dortmund, a club heavily reliant on European revenue. Since their back-to-back Bundesliga titles in 2010 and 2011 under Jurgen Klopp, Dortmund have only missed the Champions League once.

Gearing up for Gladbach ⚙️ pic.twitter.com/Rwjxi4CPqN

— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) April 18, 2025

Dortmund's inconsistency is epitomized by centre-back Niklas Sule, who signed from Bayern Munich, where he won the Champions League in 2020. Sule has struggled to consistently reproduce his top form for Dortmund.

Sule expressed frustration over the team's unpredictability, saying, “The question we face is, why don't we play like that in a Bundesliga match? That's something we need to ask ourselves again before we play Gladbach, so we can put in a similar showing.”

Dortmund's coach praised his team's quality and determination, saying, “We have an incredible amount of quality, that's not up for debate. The sheer determination we showed today, the way we put a team like Barcelona - one of the best teams in Europe - under so much pressure.” However, he acknowledged the need to address inconsistency, stating, “We definitely have to accept the criticism about our inconsistency. But we're searching for solutions, we talk about it every day.”

A win over Gladbach could boost Dortmund's European hopes, potentially moving them to sixth and within striking distance of the top four. Gladbach, sitting two points ahead of Dortmund, also has European aspirations and could further complicate the standings.

Meanwhile, Bayern Munich can take a step closer to the title with a win at Heidenheim, easing the disappointment of their Champions League exit. Bayern lead the table by six points over Bayer Leverkusen, who face a daunting task to defend their title unless Bayern suffers an unprecedented collapse. 

Leverkusen's only hope is for Bayern to falter significantly, a scenario made unlikely by history, such as in 2001/02 when Leverkusen blew a five-point lead with three games remaining and finished second.

Steffen Baumgart, coach of Union Berlin, is eyeing a crucial win against Stuttgart that could secure top-flight football for next season. Despite initial criticism for his appointment, Baumgart has led Union to an impressive five-game unbeaten run, earning 11 points against top teams like Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen, and Freiburg.

“We want to play our own game successfully like we did last time,” Baumgart said, expressing his team's determination. “Perhaps we'll take that final, difficult step,” he added, hinting at the possibility of achieving their goal with a win over Stuttgart.

Key Bundesliga Stats and Fixtures

• Bayern Munich have won 11 of the last 12 Bundesliga titles.
• Wolfsburg's European hopes are dwindling after losing their last four matches.
• Harry Kane tops the league goalscorers with 23 goals, six ahead of Patrik Schick.

Upcoming Fixtures

Saturday's matches include Heidenheim vs Bayern Munich, Mainz vs Wolfsburg, and Union Berlin vs Stuttgart (18:30 CET).

Sunday's matches feature Borussia Dortmund vs Borussia Monchengladbach (17:30 CET) and St Pauli vs Bayer Leverkusen (19:30 CET).