Bundesliga week 30

Friday:
Bochum 0-2 Hannover
Saturday:
Karlsruhe v Energie
Eintracht v Dortmund
Bayern v Monchengladbach
Schalke v Leverkusen
Arminia v Stuttgart
Wolfsburg v Hoffenheim
Sunday:
Cologne v Bremen
Hamburg v Hertha

The big game in the Bundesliga this week is down at the bottom where Karlsruhe and Energie face off at the Wildparkstadion. Both go into the game on the back of wins, Energie responding well to their capitulation in Gelsenkirchen by beating the league leaders and Karlsruhe beating the inconsistent Leverkusen. Beating Wolfsburg will mean next to sod all should Cottbus lose this one though as it's the games against those around them that will ultimately determine where they play next season. Bochum lost on Friday night which leaves them perilously close to the danger area while it pulls Hannover clear, but the other two sides in immediate danger have tough, tough games. Gladbach travel to Munich to take on Jupp Heynckes' Bayern. Gladbach have been playing well, though without reward. If it was still Klinsi's Bayern they were playing this week, I'd give them a chance. If they can get in behind that slow, lumbering defence, they could go well, but they'll be happy with a point. Arminia welcome high-flying Stuttgart to the Schuco Arena with the visitors in red hot form. Like Wolfsburg, Markus Babbel's men have come from nowhere to find themselves within striking distance of top spot. This column opined some weeks ago that they left their run too late, but I have to change my mind. Three points off the summit and Wolfsburg getting the jitters... They're contenders. Make no mistake about it.

Wolfsburg should be OK against Hoffenheim, still without a win in 2009. It's been a dispiriting time for Ralf Rangnick. Despite the SAP money, they've not got a massive squad and it shows. It's to their credit that they didn't just try to buy success, instead building on the side that got them to the Bundesliga, but they'll have to spend in the summer if they're going to have a tilt next season. The Wolves were profligate last week, contributing to their defeat, but it's almost impossible to imagine that Grafite, Edin Dzeko and Zvjezdan Misimovic can miss that many opportunities again. Rumours circulate that Felix Magath, who enjoys power at Wolfsburg unrivalled in Germany, will shortly be unveiled as Schalke boss. He reckons it's rubbish, at least publicly.

The battle for European places is alive with a number of sides in the reckoning. Two of them - Schalke and Leverkusen - go head-to-head this week in Gelsenkirchen while Dortmund have the easier task of taking on Frankfurt at the CommerzbankArena. The two German sides, one of which will take on a Ukrainian side in the UEFA Cup final, both play on Sunday. Hamburg take on Hertha who are still in the running at the top in an important clash while Bremen go to Cologne whose form has been bad. Real bad. Bremen's best route into Europe looks to be winning the UEFA. Hamburg still aren't out of it at the top of the table, but lose this one and suddenly they'll look distant.