A Peep Into Eagles Bundesliga Players' Performance As Bayern Munich Near Title Defence

Bayern near Bundesliga title defence; Champions League spots up for grabs

By Muyiwa Akintunde

Bayern are on the cusp of a record-extending 29th German championship, which include those won in the pre-Bundesliga era.

And that will make it eight straight triumphs since Borussia Dortmund broke their run in the 2011/12 season.

Fifteen points remain to be won by all but two of the teams and Bayern are seven points clear of their closest rivals Borussia Dortmund.

Since the season resumed from an enforced break last month, Bayern have restated their determination to retain the crown, beating all four opponents including Dortmund on the road.

Bayern will be aiming at hitting their hosts at the BayArena in Leverkusen having suffered a shock 1-2 setback at home in the first leg.

Interestingly, the only time Leverkusen lost since the restart of the season was at this same BayArena when Wolfsburg visited.

Leverkusen, at No 5 on the log, are chasing top four in order to be registered for next season's Champions League.

In second position, Dortmund retain hope of toppling Bayern. But that will depend on their consistency and an unlikely implosion by the log leaders.

Dortmund had won all but four matches since hostilities returned mid last month and will be determined to add Hertha to their list of victims, and also pay back their visitors in their own coins after losing the first leg 1-2.

Hertha Berlin are chasing their third win in five matches to keep them in the middle of the table.

Champions League quarterfinalists RB Leipzig placed third on the domestic front but have been inconsistent since the season was restored. Two previous home matches have fetched no win and two points. That puts a doubt on their ability to qualify for the Champions League next term.

It may be a tough match for Leipzig given that bottom placed Paderborn have not lost any of their away fixtures following the resumption of the season.

Super Eagles defender Jamiu Collins and his colleagues at Paderborn know that this may be one of their last matches in the top flight. Victory will only raise hope but will not lift them a step further.

Taiwo Awoniyi hit the headlines recently when he scored his first goal for Mainz, where he is on loan from Liverpool. Despite having a full 90 minutes for the first time in Mainz's last match, he could not find his way behind the backline of Hoffeinheim, who won 1-0 last Saturday to make it two straigh home defeats for Mainz.

Threatened by relegation, Awoniyi and his teammates have so much to do to avoid the drop being only one point above the bottom three.

Super Eagles fringe keeper Maduka Okoye has not featured for relegation-battling Fortuna Düsseldorf all season. The club that sit ahead of only two teams on the table have won just one of four fixtures since the season got back on track.

Today's fixtures: Week 30

Bayer Leverkusen v Bayern München, Eintracht Frankfurt v Mainz 05, Fortuna Düsseldorf v 1899 Hoffenheim, RB Leipzig v SC Paderborn (all 2:30pm); Borussia Dortmund v Hertha BSC (5:30pm)