Five things to look out for in the Bundesliga

BERLIN: Bayern Munich goalkeeper Sven Ulreich can further his late bid for a place in Germany’s World Cup squad when his side visit Hanover for Saturday’s Bundesliga clash.

Ulreich has impressed as a stand-in for the injured Manuel Neuer this season, and a fine midweek performance in the German Cup has heightened speculation that he might receive a first international call up.

Future Bayern coach Niko Kovac, meanwhile, faces a tough fixture against Hertha Berlin after leading Eintracht Frankfurt to a second successive German Cup Final in midweek.

Two other contenders for European places RB Leipzig and Hoffenheim meet on Saturday, while Hamburg’s record run in the Bundesliga could end if they lose to Freiburg.

Here are five things to look out for in this weekend’s Bundesliga action. Super Sven Ulreich Bayern may have sealed the title, but every game still counts for goalkeeper Sven Ulreich.

The 29-year-old is eyeing a surprise call-up to Germany’s World Cup squad.

“Sven is our player of the season,” said team-mate Thomas Mueller this week.

So impressive have Ulreich’s performances been, that there are even questions whether Manuel Neuer will get back in the team when he returns to fitness next month.

With Bayern’s number one not set to return for another few weeks, Ulreich has at least two Bundesliga games and both legs of Bayern’s Champions League semi-final with Real Madrid to stake his claim for a ticket to Russia. Nobel prize for Niko Kovac Eintracht Frankfurt coach Niko Kovac said his team’s achievements were “worthy of a nobel prize” after they reached a second German Cup Final in two years, setting up a date with Kovac’s future employers Bayern.

It is back to the day job this weekend, though, as Frankfurt host Hertha Berlin knowing that they need a win to keep their Champions League hopes alive.

Kovac’s team will be without their experienced talisman KevinPrince Boateng, who picked up a thigh injury in the cup semifinal. Stoeger holding on After a dismal derby defeat to Schalke last weekend, Borussia Dortmund coach Peter Stoeger is clinging to his job ahead of Saturday’s clash with Bayer Leverkusen. Stoeger met with Dortmund bigwigs Michael Zorc and Hans-Joachim Watzke this week, prompting fresh speculation that he and the club will part ways this summer.

Victory on Saturday would strengthen Stoeger’s case, however. With Leverkusen and Dortmund level on points in third and fourth, victory for either side would all but secure Champions League football for next season. Leipzig see the forest RB Leipzig, in fifth, and Hoffenheim, in sixth, are two other clubs who are yet to give up hope of finishing in the top four.

Just one point separates them ahead of their potentially decisive clash in the race for Europe this Saturday.

“I absolutely think we can qualify for the Champions League, but we would have to win all of our remaining four games,” said Leipzig’s sporting director Ralf Rangnick this week. He told his players to “focus on the whole forest, not just the individual trees.” - AFP