The race for Europe | OneFootball

The Bundesliga's race to play European football in 2025/26

With the 2024/25 season on the home straight, those hoping to grab a European spot are jostling for position behind the division leaders. bundesliga.com assesses the chances of all concerned, as the likes of Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt plot a course for the continent next season...

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They are now the 2024/25 Bundesliga champions, but it was back on Matchday 27 that Bayern Munich guaranteed themselves a top-four finish and UEFA Champions League qualification. The outgoing champions, Bayer Leverkusen, followed suit two rounds later. It means there are still two spots up for grabs in the Champions League.

With their 1-1 draw against Mainz on Matchday 32, the third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt guaranteed themselves European football for next season. As it stands, fifth place will go into the UEFA Europa League and sixth into the UEFA Conference League play-offs. Any extra qualifier berth will depend on the outcome of the DFB Cup final between VfB Stuttgart and Arminia Bielefeld, and the former's final position in the Bundesliga if they lift the cup.

>>> How does European qualification work?

Eintracht Frankfurt Position: 3rdPoints: 56 (32 games)Goals: 63-43 (+20)

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Remaining 2 matches:

Despite their form dipping up and down, it is still set to be a fine season for Dino Töppmöller's men. The Eagles have shown they have the strength as a unit to compensate for the loss of top scorer Omar Marmoush in the January transfer window and mount a serious bid for the top four, starting the new year with six matches unbeaten. Hugo Ekitiké has been a dazzling forward presence, with 15 goals for the campaign.

A commanding win over fellow top-four hopefuls Leipzig on Matchday 31 put Frankfurt well on course for UEFA Champions League football next season. A subsequent draw wasn't enough against Mainz to seal the deal, but it did mean that the side from Mainhatten would be playing some sort of European football next term. A victory - or even a draw, depending on results elsewhere - aganist St. Pauli on Sunday would be enough to secure the Eagles a top-four finish. Should that come to pass, it would be the first time Die Adler qualified for the Champions League qualification via the league in the club's history.

FreiburgPosition: 4thPoints: 55 (33 games)Goals: 48-50 (-2)

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Uncertainty was the overwhelming feeling in the Black Forest before the start of the season as Julian Schuster stepped into the sizeable coaching boots left by Christian Streich and his record-breaking time in charge. Freiburg have looked every bit the same quietly effective outfit under their new boss, however. Results have been up and down all season, but a seven-match unbeaten run during February and March lifted Freiburg up the standings at a crucial time.

The team from Breisgau now sit fourth with one game to go as they target a maiden Champions League qualification. Having beaten Holstein Kiel at the weekend, their place in the competition will be guaranteed if Borussia Dortmund lose against Bayer Leverkusen.

>>> Find more detailled Matchday 32 permutations here!

Borussia DortmundPosition: 5th Points: 51 (32 games)Goals: 64-49 (+15)

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Early on, Dortmund had looked largely untouchable at home under former coach Nuri Şahin, but away struggles - with just one win in their first nine on the road - largely led to his departure in January. New boss Niko Kovač has been aiming to put things right so that last season's Champions League finalists can enter European competition in some shape or form next term. With Serhou Guirassy continually serving up goals, the Black & Yellows have surged up the standings with a run of five wins in their last six games to leave them well positioned going into the final two matchdays.

MainzPosition: 6thPoints: 51 (33 games)Goals: 53-41 (+12)

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Remaining match:

Mainz have upset the traditional domestic order to play in Europe before, doing so under the tutelage of Thomas Tuchel. Bo Henriksen is the latest man making waves in the Mainz hotseat - and what a season they are enjoying under the Dane. Wins against Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich formed part of a 10-match unbeaten home run that has put the 05ers firmly in contention for European qualification. The Carnival Club were even up to third at one point and although a top-four finish is not out of the question just yet, a run of seven games without a win has not helped. Yet, European football in some form is still very much in Mainz's hands.

RB LeipzigPosition: 7thPoints: 51 (33 games)Goals: 51-45 (+6)

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A mainstay of the UEFA Champions League places since the 2017/18 season, Leipzig certainly lived up to their high standards at the start of the season. However, an extensive injury list that included a long-term layoff for star playmaker Xavi sent them on a bit of a downward spiral. Die Roten Bullen do now have their main man back firing and, with new head coach Zsolt Lőw in charge until the end of the season after the dismissal of Marco Rose at the start of April, Die Roten Bullen had their sights again on the top four. A heavy loss in Frankfurt and a goalles draw with Werder Bremen mean the top four is no longer a possibility, but the Europa League and Europa Conference league are still in reach.

>>> How is the battle to stay in the Bundesliga unfolding?

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