Bundesliga Matchday 32 - Fixtures and Preview

 Nine points are still available during the last three games of the 2011/12 Bundesliga season.  While mathematically FC Bayern could still obtain the top spot, practically this is impossible, without a total collapse of Dortmund.  Dortmund has gone undefeated in the last 25 games.  Dortmund should officially wrap up the league championship this weekend when they host Borussia MoenchenGladbach.  FC Bayern will be concentrating on leg two of the Champions League final next Wednesday in Madrid.  When Bayern plays in Bremen on Saturday don't expect the regulars to play much of the game.  Jupp Heyncke will give them a rest prior to next week's return match.

Gladbach and Schalke are separated by one point and both teams are looking for a direct entry into the Champions League next season.  Gladbach will have the most difficult task in Dortmund, while Augsburg is no pushover either for Schalke.  Augsburg is four points from a relegation spot and will want to  build on that cushion.  The battle to escape relegation continues for Freiburg, Hamburg, Augsburg, Koeln and Berlin.  Kaiserslautern will be playing in 2nd Bundesliga next year and can only hope to have a few good performances prior to its departure.  Kaiserslautern will travel to Berlin.  Hertha needs a win to keep its hopes alive.

Freiburg plays in Hannover, while Koeln host a powerful Stuttgart team.  Hamburg travels to Nuernberg.  The Franken have all but saved their retention in the Bundesliga.

In the 2nd Bundesliga, Greuther Fuerth, which put up a robust fight against Dortmund in the German Cup semi-final, is guaranteed promotion to the top flight, along with Eintracht Frankfurt.  The fight for third spot in the second flight and a relegation qualification game will be fought for by three teams, Paderborn, Duesseldorf and FC St. Pauli.  Former long time Bundesliga club Karlsruher SC is in danger of relegation to the third flight.

The fixtures for this coming weekend and the table are below. 

 20.04.2012, 20.30    FSV Mainz 05 -    VfL Wolfsburg                              0-0 
21.04.2012, 15.30    1. FC Nürnberg -    Hamburger SV                             (-:-)   
21.04.2012, 15.30    Hertha BSC Berlin -    1. FC Kaiserslautern               (-:-)   
21.04.2012, 15.30    1. FC Köln -    VfB Stuttgart                                       (-:-)   
21.04.2012, 15.30    1899 Hoffenheim -    Bayer Leverkusen                     (-:-)   
21.04.2012, 15.30    Werder Bremen -    Bayern München                          (-:-)   
21.04.2012, 18.30    Borussia Dortmund -    Bor. Mönchengladbach          (-:-)   
22.04.2012, 15.30    FC Augsburg -    Schalke 04                                        (-:-)   
22.04.2012, 17.30    Hannover 96 -    SC Freiburg                                       (-:-)

Bundesliga Table
                                                    GP       W    D    L        GF/A        Pts
1Borussia Dortmund                    31      22    6    3         69:23          72
2Bayern München                        31      20   4     7         69:20          64
3Schalke 04                                  31     18   3   10          66:41          57
4Borussia Mönchengladbach       31     16   8     7          46:22          56
5VfB Stuttgart                               31     14   7   10         56:41          49
6Bayer Leverkusen                       31     12   9     9          47:41          45
7Hannover 96                               31     11  11    9           39:43         44
8Hoffenheim                                 31     10  11  10          38:40          42
9Werder Bremen                           31     11    9   11         44:50          42
10Wolfsburg                                 32      12   5   15         42:56          41
11FSV Mainz 05                           32        9  11 12          47:48          38
131. FC Nürnberg                         31      11   5   15         33:42          38
12SC Freiburg                               31        9    9  13         41:56          36
14Hamburger SV                           31        8  10  13         34:55          34
15FC Augsburg                             31         7  12  12         34:48          33
161. FC Köln                                  31         8    5  18        36:65          29
17Hertha BSC Berlin                      31         6  10  15        37:57         28
181. FC Kaiserslautern                  31         3   11  17        19:46          20

Barclays Premier League Matchday 32 Round Up

With all the games in the books, Manchester United continues to top the English Premier League.   Their victory at Old Trafford over QPR, solidified their lead over Manchester City with eight points. Tottenham for the time being remains in third place, pending the outcome of the Manchester City/Arsenal game.  Tottenham’s draw against Sunderland will move Arsenal ahead of Tottenham, should they win.  Chelsea remains in fifth place after their win over Wigan at Stamford Bridge.  Arsenal moved back into third place after defeating Arsenal 1-0.

While the race to the top continues to be a two horse race, with the advantage to Manchester United, there are still several clubs battling to escape relegation.  The Wolves, who lost to Stoke City, will have a difficult time and are almost guaranteed relegation with six points behind Wigan.  Both Wigan, Q.P.R and Blackburn lost their respective matches this weekend and require a few wins to move out of the relegation zone.  Bolton is in the same boat, with just 29 points.

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Matchday 31 Fixtures/Results

6TH APRIL

SWANSEA CITY - NEWCASTLE 32 Liberty Stadium, Swansea               0-2

7TH APRIL


SUNDERLAND - TOTTENHAM 32 Stadium of the Light, Sunderland      0-0
BOLTON - FULHAM 32 Reebok Stadium, Bolton                                        0-3
CHELSEA - WIGAN 32 Stamford Bridge, London                                       2-1
LIVERPOOL - ASTON VILLA 32 Anfield Stadium, Liverpool                    1-1
NORWICH CITY - EVERTON 32 Carrow Road, Norwich                          2-2
W.B.A. - BLACKBURN 32 The Hawthorns, West Bromwich                       3-0
STOKE CITY - WOLVES 32 Britannia Stadium, Stoke on Trent                 2-1

8TH APRIL

MANCHESTER UTD - Q.P.R. 32 Old Trafford, Manchester                       2-0
ARSENAL - MANCHESTER CITY 32 Emirates Stadium, London             1-0

Premier League Table

POS LP         CLUB                                             P   W   D   L    GF GA  GD  PTS
                                            
1 MANCHESTER UNITED                                 32  25   4   3     78   27     48    79
2 MANCHESTER CITY                                       32  22   5  5     75   26     49    71
3 ARSENAL F.C.                                                 32  19   4   9      64 42       22   61
4TOTTENHAM HOTSPURS                                32  17    8   7    56 36        20   59
5 CHELSEA F.C.                                                  32  16   7   9      55 37      19    56
6NEWCASTLE UNITED                                      32  16   8   8      48 42        6    56
7 EVERTON F.C.                                                   32  12   8  12     34 34        0    44
8 LIVERPOOL F.C.                                                32  11  10  11   37  34        3    43
9 SUNDERLAND F.C.                                           32  11   9   12    42  37       5    42
10 FULHAM F.C.                                                    32   11   9  12    42  42       0    42
11 NORWICH CITY                                               32   10  10  12   42  49      -7    40
12 SWANSEA CITY                                               32   10   9   13   35  41      -6    39
13 W.B.A.                                                                 32   11   6  15    39  43      -4   39
14 STOKE CITY                                                      32   11   8  13    31  44    -13   38
15 ASTON VILLA                                                   31     7  13  11   34  43      -9   34
16 BOLTON WANDERERS                                    31     9   2  20    36  63    -27   29
17 Q.P.R.                                                                   32     7   7  18    35  56     -21   28
18 BLACKBURN ROVERS                                    32      7   7  19    43  67    -24   28
19 WIGAN ATHLETIC                                           32      6  10  16   30  57   -27   28
20 WOLVERHAMPTON                                         32      5    7   20   34 70    -36   22