Bundesliga week 28

Friday:
Schalke v Energie
Saturday:
Wolfsburg v Leverkusen
Karlsruhe v Hoffenheim
Cologne v Stuttgart
Eintracht v Monchengladbach
Arminia v Bayern
Bochum v Dortmund
Sunday:
Hertha v Bremen
Hamburg v Hannover

Wolfsburg continue to set the pace in Germany, though they'll be doing well to shake off the chasers this week. They should beat Leverkusen given their current form, but with Bayern and Hamburg facing Arminia and Hannover respectively, the pack will continue to snap at their heels. Hertha have fallen off and a home tie against Bremen - UEFA Cup semi-finalists, against Hamburg - isn't what they'd ask for in getting back on the horse. A win there will help Thomas Schaaf in keeping his bosses sweet for another season. Stuttgart are coming up on the rails and they go to the side who are possibly the only ones with nothing to play for - Cologne. It may be too late for them to have a real tilt at the championship, but they are potential kingmakers.

Hoffenheim have had a torrid 2009 so far, with injuries ravaging their side and the normally so together squad beginning to split itself apart. If they fail to win again this week, then you know it's over. They face Karlsruhe which ought to be a morale booster and three valuable points in what has gone from a title push to a real chase for European football next season. Miraculously given the turmoil in Gelsenkirchen, Schalke are also in the frame for Europe and take on lowly Cottbus in the Friday game. The East Germans have pulled within a point or two of safety with improved displays lately, but this should be easy pickings for Schalke, now managed by three caretakers following Fred Rutten's dismissal. Snapping at their heels are neighbours Dortmund who face improving Bochum while the big game at the bottom sees Gladbach going to Frankfurt to face Eintracht. Let's get one thing straight: Eintracht are rubbish and play a brand of football that almost sucks the life out of a man through his eyes. Gladbach are low on quality, but high on entertainment. They can win this and if they do, they're out of immediate danger whereas the Frankfurters would be well and truly in it.