Andrej Kramaric scored a last-minute equaliser to deny RB Leipzig victory in Friday's 1-1 Bundesliga draw at Hoffenheim, in a game which saw Xavi Simons sent off.

Simons was shown his second yellow card with 18 minutes to play, with fourth-placed Leipzig 1-0 up courtesy of Benjamin Sesko's first-half header.

Marco Rose's team looked set to leapfrog Stuttgart into third ahead of Saturday's fixtures, but Kramaric – who had earlier been denied by a huge double save from Peter Gulasci – salvaged a point for the hosts with stoppage time mere seconds away.

While Leipzig missed the chance to move eight points clear of fifth-placed Borussia Dortmund, both teams will be playing Champions League football next season after Germany clinched a top-two place in UEFA's coefficient rankings this week.

Data Debrief: Flying full-back creates again 

David Raum assisted Sesko's opener with a pinpoint cross, the eighth goal he has teed up in the Bundesliga this season. Seven of those have been headers, a joint-high tally among all players, alongside Borussia Monchengladbach's Franck Honorat.

Bayer Leverkusen continue to edge towards a remarkable unbeaten season and Xabi Alonso acknowledged every club wants to put that run to an end.

The newly-crowned Bundesliga champions moved a step closer to a treble after beating Roma 2-0 away in their Europa League semi-final first leg on Thursday.

Alonso's side have also reached the DFB-Pokal final against Kaiserslautern as their extraordinary 47-game unbeaten run continues across all competitions.

Leverkusen, who ended Bayern Munich's 11-year stranglehold on the Bundesliga title to secure their first trophy since 1993, travel to sixth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.

"We want to stay unbeaten and we know every week it gets tougher. Everyone wants to beat us," Alonso told reporters.

"It hasn't been easy in Frankfurt in recent years, they've always a tough opponent with a flexible system of play. We don't have much time to prepare."

The 42-year-old Spaniard will be watching the Frankfurt game from the stands after receiving his fourth yellow card of the season during his side's 2-2 home draw with Stuttgart last week.

"You can see the game better from the stands and I can communicate with the bench," he said.

"I will miss the direct contact with the team during the game but the players are intelligent enough to decide situations individually on the pitch."

Marco Reus will leave Borussia Dortmund when his contract expires at the end of the season, the club have announced. 

Reus, a Dortmund native, first joined the club in 1995 and spent 10 years in their youth ranks before joining Rot Weiss Ahlen, who he left for Borussia Monchengladbach in 2009.

After three impressive seasons with Gladbach, Reus returned to Dortmund in a €17million deal in 2012 and has made 424 appearances for the club across all competitions.

That puts him fourth in BVB's all-time charts behind Michael Zorc (561), Mats Hummels (504) and Roman Weidenfeller (445), while his 168 goals in black and yellow have only been bettered by Alfred Preissler, who scored 177 in two spells between 1945 and 1959, before the Bundesliga was founded.

Reus, who has won the DFB-Pokal on two occasions with Dortmund and helped them reach the Champions League final in his first season upon returning in 2012-13, was also club captain between 2018 and 2023.

As news of his impending departure was made public, he said his full focus is on ensuring his final game with the club is June's Champions League final at Wembley Stadium.

"I'm incredibly grateful for and proud of this special time at my club Borussia Dortmund," the 34-year-old said.

"I have spent more than half of my life at this club and enjoyed every day, even though there have of course been difficult moments too. 

"I already know now that I will find it difficult to say goodbye at the end of the season, and yet I'm happy that there is now clarity and that we can focus fully on the very important final games that we still have to play. 

"We have a big objective in our sights that we all want to achieve together. To do so, we will need every single one of our unbelievable fans, to whom I would like to express my sincere thanks for their unbelievable support over the years."

Reus came on as a late substitute as Dortmund beat Paris Saint-Germain 1-0 in the first leg of their semi-final tie on Wednesday, with Niclas Fullkrug scoring the only goal of the game.

Bayern Munich travel to Stuttgart this weekend and are ready to rotate their side with the Champions League semi-final second leg at Real Madrid to come four days later, manager Thomas Tuchel said.

The league title has been secured by Bayer Leverkusen, and with the Bundesliga's top five clubs guaranteed Champions League football next season, Saturday's clash between Bayern in second and third-placed Stuttgart is not crucial.

"We will give a few players the chance to pick up some rhythm," Tuchel said at his pre-match press conference on Friday.

"Of course, we will also take a few players out and allow ourselves to adapt the rhythm to Wednesday. 

"But that doesn't relieve us of our responsibility, that those who play have to fight and show grit there."

Bayern drew 2-2 at home to Madrid on Tuesday, a game Matthijs de Ligt missed due to injury, and the Dutch defender will also sit out the trip to Stuttgart in the hope of making the return game in Spain.

"Matthijs de Ligt won't be in the squad, as the plan is that he returns to training on Sunday, then we have got three days," Tuchel said.

"Jamal Musiala won't be in the squad. Same procedure there. Dayot Upamecano will try and train [Friday], so we'll see."

Leroy Sane scored in the draw with Madrid, after missing the last four league games through injury. The winger has played three Champions League games in that time and will be in the squad for Stuttgart.

"You always try to have a connection to the players. Leroy's been training with pain for seven or eight weeks, but is always available," Tuchel said.

"He has a high threshold. He deserves the utmost respect there. He's a bit short there at the moment because he can't train properly. 

"But he is in training and is coming to Stuttgart."

Bayern have 69 points, five ahead of Stuttgart with three games remaining.

Ralf Rangnick has confirmed he will remain in charge of Austria's national team beyond Euro 2024, having turned down Bayern Munich's interest.

Rangnick confirmed last week that Bayern had been in touch regarding the possibility of him taking over ahead of next season.

Bayern are aiming to fill an impending void, with current coach Thomas Tuchel set to leave the club at the end of the campaign.

But Rangnick has now confirmed he will be staying put, though he insisted he did not "reject" Bayern.

"I am national team coach of Austria with all my heart," he said in a statement released by the Austrian Football Association (OFB).

"This task brings me a lot of joy and I am determined to continue down the road we have started.

"I want to clearly stress that this is not a rejection of Bayern Munich but rather a decision for my team and our common goals."

"We are fully focused on the Euro. We will do everything we can to go far."

There have been calls from some Bayern fans for Tuchel to stay in charge, with some going as far as to sign a petition.

Bayern wanted to appoint Xabi Alonso as Tuchel's successor, but the former midfielder has elected to stay with Bayer Leverkusen.

While Leverkusen stormed to the Bundesliga title to end Bayern's 11-year dominance of the competition, Tuchel's team can still salvage silverware in the form of the Champions League.

Bayern head into the second leg of their semi-final tie with Real Madrid on the back of a 2-2 draw in Munich in Tuesday's first leg.

Gustavo Puerta's first season with Bayer Leverkusen could not have gone any better and the 20-year-old midfielder hopes his experience with the undefeated German side will earn him a place in Colombia's Copa America squad this summer.

Puerta has made eight appearances this season for Bundesliga champions Leverkusen, who are unbeaten in 46 matches across all competitions under Xabi Alonso.

Leverkusen will play Roma in the Europa League semi-finals and are also through to the DFB-Pokal final.

"This year has been wonderful for me and for my career, I hope to keep winning titles and get minutes at the end of the tournament," Puerta, who has made five Bundesliga appearances, told Reuters.

Puerta enjoyed success with Colombia's under-20 side and has received his first call-up for the national team's friendlies against Spain and Romania in March.

He hopes to make an impression on coach Nestor Lorenzo with the Copa America on the horizon. The tournament takes place in the United States across June and July.

"Being in this team with an undefeated run is very important to be considered for the national team if the coach (Lorenzo) thinks I can contribute," he added.

"We haven't talked much about it, but he told me that he's keeping an eye on me, that he wants to see me play. I hope to get minutes in the end because it is a privilege to be in the national team, I want to wait for the call-up."

The Colombian added that playing for one of the top 10 teams in the world has not only improved his game but also given him confidence in his abilities.

"It helps you mature, spending time with great world-class players on a daily basis and training with them is important, they are very experienced and that makes a difference for someone as young as me," he added.

Puerta said he felt supported by the club and that he would be able to reach his full potential under Alonso.

"It was historic, very nice, very crazy to have won my first title in one of the top five leagues in Europe," he added.

Harry Kane has his eyes set on Robert Lewandowski's single-season Bundesliga goal record after scoring twice in Bayern Munich's 2-1 win over Eintracht Frankfurt, though he knows he needs "to get a move on".

Kane scored in both halves on Saturday to take his tally to 42 goals this season across all competitions, also reaching the 400-goal mark at senior level for clubs and country.

The striker scored 280 of those goals for Tottenham, holding the honour of being the club's all-time leading scorer, while he is also the most prolific player in England history with 62 goals for the Three Lions.

With 35 goals in 31 Bundesliga appearances this season, Kane now has his eyes set on another piece of history.

Former Bayern striker Robert Lewandowski holds the record for the most goals scored in a single Bundesliga campaign, netting 41 times in 2020-21.

Asked about the possibility of breaking that record with just three games remaining in Bayern's league campaign, Kane said: "It's possible, but obviously I have to get a move on!

"I've got to maybe score a few goals next week. It's there, it's in touching distance. 

"It depends on the last few games of course, but it was nice to add to it today and score a couple of goals to help the team."

Bayern next host Real Madrid in the first leg of a Champions League semi-final tie on Tuesday, before travelling to face Stuttgart on Saturday.

Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen scored a last-gasp equaliser through Robert Andrich to come from two goals down and rescue a 2-2 draw against Stuttgart on Saturday.

The late drama ensured the hosts extended their record unbeaten run to 46 matches across all competitions.

Leverkusen – who play Roma in the Europa League semi-finals, are also through to the DFB-Pokal final and have already secured their first-ever league title – have now scored 16 goals in stoppage time in all competitions this season.

After a low-key first half, Leverkusen were quickly 2-0 behind after the break with Chris Fuhrich drilling in on the rebound after keeper Lukas Hradecky had palmed a shot on to the post in the 47th minute.

Deniz Undav doubled the visitors' lead 10 minutes later before Leverkusen launched their comeback attempt with Amine Adli beating keeper Alexander Nubel with a low drive in the 61st.

Nubel made three sensational saves to protect Stuttgart's slim lead, but Andrich came to the rescue deep in stoppage time to extend their impressive undefeated run.

Stuttgart are third in the table on 64 points, five behind second-placed Bayern Munich. Leverkusen are top on 81 with three matches remaining. 

Champions League semi-finalists Borussia Dortmund suffered a crushing 4-1 Bundesliga defeat at the hands of RB Leipzig on Saturday, denting their hopes of a top-four finish.

Manchester United loanee Jadon Sancho put Dortmund ahead after 20 minutes with a curling effort from the left corner of the box, but Edin Terzic's team couldn't hold on.

Lois Openda levelled within three minutes, and Benjamin Sesko pounced with a close-range finish to put Leipzig ahead on the stroke of half-time.

Mohamed Simakan made it 3-1 just one minute after the restart, then Christoph Baumgartner came off the bench to add a fourth with 10 minutes to play.

Dortmund, who host Paris Saint-Germain in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final tie on Wednesday, stay fifth, five points behind fourth-placed Leipzig.

They will likely have to wait on confirmation of Germany earning a fifth Champions League qualification place for next season, which was made more likely by a dismal set of results for England's clubs throughout the European quarter-finals earlier this month.

Data Debrief: Dynamic duo lead Leipzig to victory

Goals from Openda and Sesko ensured Leipzig turned Saturday's game around before the halfway point, both players netting in their fourth successive Bundesliga game together. 

They are the first pair of team-mates to achieve that feat since Dortmund's Marco Reus and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang did so in February 2015.

 

Harry Kane scored twice to surpass the 400-goal mark for his senior career and guide Bayern Munich to a 2-1 Bundesliga victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.

The Bavarians, who saw Bayer Leverkusen end their 11-year-Bundesliga reign by securing the league crown two weeks ago, have only the Champions League trophy to fight for with departing coach Thomas Tuchel eager to leave on a high note.

Bayern warmed up for Tuesday's semi-final first leg against Real Madrid with three points at the Allianz Arena, denting Eintracht's hopes of European qualification in the process.

They went in front with Kane tapping in after a fine run from Konrad Laimer in the ninth minute, though the Austrian had to be taken off injured later on.

Eintracht levelled in the 23rd minute with Hugo Ekitike's shot from 18 yards out but Kane restored order with a penalty just past the hour for his 35th league goal of the campaign.

It was his 400th career goal at senior level for club and country and his 42nd this season across all competitions, a personal best for the England captain.

The hosts also had to take off defender Matthijs de Ligt at half-time after he was on the wrong end of some rough challenges, potentially giving Tuchel another selection headache ahead of Tuesday's tussle with Los Blancos.

Bayern remain in second place with three games left to play on 69 points, 11 behind Leverkusen, who are in action against third-placed Stuttgart later on Saturday.

Harry Kane surpassed the 400-goal mark for his senior career as his double helped Bayern Munich beat Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.

Kane moved within one of the milestone as he put Bayern 1-0 up after just nine minutes, coolly finishing from close range after Konrad Laimer's pass had set him up.

Then, after Frankfurt levelled through Hugo Ekitike, Kane slotted home a penalty with typical aplomb following a foul on Thomas Muller to move himself onto 400 career goals and ultimately lead Bayern to victory.

Kane scored 280 of his goals in 435 appearances for Tottenham, overtaking Jimmy Greaves to become the club's all-time leading scorer when he netted for the 267th time in Spurs colours against Manchester City last February.

His tally of 213 Premier League goals, meanwhile, puts him just 47 behind the competition's all-time leader Alan Shearer, who scored 260 times for Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United.

Kane is also the most prolific player in England's history, his 62 goals for the Three Lions coming in 89 international appearances. 

He memorably missed the chance to surpass Wayne Rooney's previous record of 53 when he blazed a penalty over the crossbar in the Three Lions' quarter-final defeat to France at the 2022 World Cup, only to clinch his place in history in a Euro 2024 qualifier against Italy three months later.

The very first goal of Kane's senior career came in League One during a loan spell with Leyton Orient as they thrashed Sheffield Wednesday 4-0 in January 2011.

That was the first of five goals Kane scored in O's colours, while he also netted nine times in a loan spell with Millwall in 2011-12 and twice during a stint with Leicester City the following season.

Bayern Munich's search for coach Thomas Tuchel's successor is not distracting the team from their preparations for next week's Champions League semi-final first leg against Real Madrid or their final Bundesliga matches.

That was the vow from Tuchel before Bayern first face Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday with the league title already secured by Bayer Leverkusen.

Bayern will part ways with Tuchel at the end of a disappointing domestic season, a year earlier than his contract.

Austria coach Ralf Rangnick confirmed this week there had been contact with Bayern while several other coaches have been linked with the club.

Tuchel, however, said the team was shutting out any such distractions as they chase a spot in the Champions League final.

"In the next 11 days it can only be football and the goals we can still reach," Tuchel told a press conference. 

"We want to collect points [in the Bundesliga] to get the best result and reach the Champions League final.

"For anything else, there is just no capacity at the moment, whether it is comfortable or uncomfortable despite the many issues."

With no chance of domestic silverware and Bayern battling to hold on to second place, three points ahead of third-placed Stuttgart whom they face in 10 days, Tuchel said it was clear Tuesday's game against Real Madrid was on everyone's mind already.

"I can accept and it is important that we all accept it that there is this background noise against Frankfurt," Tuchel said. 

"We don't have to tell ourselves a fairytale that we are only thinking 100% about Eintracht.

"There is this background noise that the Real Madrid game plays a role. When I get my coffee in the morning people don't say 'good luck for tomorrow' they say 'good luck for Tuesday' to me."

Bayern still have some injury concerns for the coming games with Dayot Upamecano doubtful after twisting an ankle in training and Leroy Sane racing to get fit in time for Tuesday.

Tuchel said: "We have a test [against Frankfurt] and either we are distracted or we find solutions. Put on ear plugs or headphones and study for the test. That is my task." 

The former Chelsea and Paris Saint-Germain boss was also asked about over 12,000 Bayern supporters signing a petition asking for him to remain at the club.

"Even though this topic is good for me when they [the fans] wish you to stay, it's not something that is a priority and it isn't allowed to be a priority," he said.

"Whether it's pleasant or unpleasant, I don't allow myself to be influenced by it. We're only focusing on every day counting towards our goals and there is no exception here.

"This question is like the neighbour that is noisy at three in the morning, if we're honest! I'll set my headphones to noise-cancelling mode and ignore that. 

"This topic won't help me on Saturday and won't help me on Tuesday - and it is not my topic."

Borussia Dortmund are bracing for their two most important matches of the season.

Saturday's game at RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga is followed by a Champions League semi-final first leg at home to Paris-Saint Germain on May 1.

With the league title already wrapped up by runaway leaders Bayer Leverkusen, attention has shifted to the battle to qualify for the European competitions next season.

Dortmund's unexpected success in Europe has thrilled fans but the team's future in the continent's top club competition beyond this term could rest a lot on the result against Leipzig.

BVB are in fifth place on 57 points with Leipzig fourth on 59 and four games left in the campaign. The top four teams qualify for the Champions League group stage, although Germany is likely to earn a fifth spot as one of the top two in UEFA's coefficient table depending on the remaining results in European competition this season.

A Dortmund defeat against Leipzig would see them drift five points behind their rivals with three games remaining, so Edin Terzic's side are aiming to keep hot on their rivals' heels.

"It is a very important, decisive game against Leipzig," said Dortmund defender Nico Schlotterbeck.

"They are our direct rivals and it is a big difference for us finishing fourth or fifth.

"We lost against them earlier in the season and now we want to win this. It is the fight for fourth place."

Dortmund conceded a last-gasp equaliser in last week's 1-1 draw against Leverkusen but have won five of their last seven league games, including a 2-0 victory over Bayern Munich.

"It is extremely important for us to keep trying with 100 per cent to get that fourth place," said goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.

"We cannot sit back and relax until we have achieved that. We must maintain focus and step on the gas."

RB Leipzig are determined to wrap up a top-four Bundesliga finish, despite fifth spot possibly earning a place in next season's Champions League, the club's chief business officer said on Thursday.

Leipzig, who host Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, are fourth on 59 points, two ahead of Dortmund with four games left in the season. A win would put the Saxony club firmly in the driving seat for a top-four finish.

The top four qualify automatically for the Champions League group stage, although Germany is likely to earn a fifth spot as one of the top two in UEFA's coefficient table depending on the remaining results in European competition this season.

"That (potential fifth spot) involves a lot of data and statistics," said Leipzig CBO Johann Plenge in a media call. "We are not spending too much time on this discussion."

"This is not something we take too much into consideration. We have the ambition to be a top-four club and to be that you have to finish in at least fourth place," he said.

Leipzig, who will go on a U.S. tour from July 28-Aug. 4 and will play Aston Villa in New Jersey, also competed in the Champions League this season, losing to Real Madrid 2-1 on aggregate in the round of 16.

"The match (against Dortmund) is extremely important. We are very focused and 100% confident we will give everything on the pitch," Plenge said.

"I think we have a very good situation to finish the season as a top-four club."

Plenge said for the new season the club planned to hold on to their top performers, unlike last year when several key players, including Josko Gvardiol, Dominik Szoboszlai, Christopher Nkunku and Konrad Laimer, left, forcing a big overhaul.

"We had a very intense transfer period last summer. We developed some great players [for] the Premier League. We want a less intense transfer period and to keep the players together," Plenge said.

"Having them in our team next season is what we will do in the summer."

Ralf Rangnick has confirmed Bayern Munich have been in contact over their soon-to-be vacant coaching position.

Bayern are on the lookout for a new coach, with Thomas Tuchel set to depart at the end of the season.

The Bundesliga giants wanted to appoint Xabi Alonso, but the 42-year-old snubbed their advances, and those of Liverpool, to stay at Bayer Leverkusen.

Bayern's search has now seemingly led them to Rangnick, the former Manchester United interim boss who is now coach of Austria's national team.

Rangnick, though, is paying full attention to Austria's upcoming Euro 2024 campaign.

"There has been contact from the side of Bayern Munich and I have informed the Austrian Football Association," Rangnick said in an interview with 90 Minuten.

"We have a very trusting relationship. My focus is on the Austrian national team. We are focusing completely on the European championships.

"I feel very well here. At the moment there is no reason to intensively deal with this."

Rangnick has plenty of Bundesliga experience, having previously coached Stuttgart, Schalke, Hoffenheim and RB Leipzig.

While Bayern's hopes of securing a 12th Bundesliga title have long since been over, they remain in with a shout of salvaging their season, with a Champions League semi-final against Real Madrid on the horizon.

According to Opta's predictive model, Bayern only have a 37 per cent chance of overcoming Los Blancos, however.

 

Austria, meanwhile, have been drawn into a Euro 2024 group that also includes Poland, the Netherlands and tournament favourites France.

Rangnick's team will face Les Bleus on June 17, before taking on Poland four days later, and rounding off their group campaign against the Dutch on June 25. 

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