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Next season eight (!) Bundesliga teams could play in Europe, six of them in the Champions League. But BVB and Leverkusen have to deliver.
Legend:
A lot would have to come together, but it’s not impossible
Gerardo Seoane could theoretically still get into the European Cup with Gladbach.
Keystone/DPA/Swen Pförtner
After Borussia Dortmund’s 1-0 first-leg win against PSG in the Champions League semi-final, it is clear that at least five teams from the Bundesliga will tackle the reformed “premier class” in the 2024/25 season. These are champions Leverkusen, Bayern Munich, Stuttgart, Leipzig and Dortmund, who can no longer be pushed out of places 1 to 5 with three match days to go.
The additional starting place comes from the fact that Germany is already established as one of the two top nations in the current European Cup season.
Frankfurt would probably benefit from a defeat
However, it is even possible that a sixth team will be able to enjoy Champions League football: if BVB wins the current edition and remains in 5th place in the Bundesliga. If Edin Terzic’s team improves in the domestic championship and wins the “Henkelpott”, the additional CL place would go back to UEFA.
This could lead to a strange situation on the 34th and final matchday: Frankfurt, currently in 6th place and potentially a CL beneficiary, will then host Leipzig. Depending on the table constellation, Eintracht would at best prevent Dortmund from overtaking Leipzig with a defeat – but would then also place a bet on BVB winning the final in the Champions League. The final will not take place until two weeks after the end of the Bundesliga.
The prerequisite for this mental example is of course that the “Black and Yellows” actually survive the semi-final against PSG.
Midfield teams hope for Bayer victory in the cup final
You haven’t had enough of the subjunctive yet? Then the very realistic scenario that theoretically eight Bundesliga teams will be playing on the European stage in the coming season will be explained to you.
Should Leverkusen win in the DFB Cup final against second division team Kaiserslautern, the Europa League place, which is actually intended for the cup winner, would go to the seventh in the table. The eighth would then contest the playoff round of the Conference League.
This means that teams that are not yet certain of staying in the league can also have small hopes of a place in the European Cup – including Borussia Mönchengladbach with the Swiss Gerardo Seoane, Nico Elvedi and Jonas Omlin. The “Foals” are currently 13th, seven points away from 8th place – and only four from relegation place 16th.