DUESSELDORF, Germany (AP) — Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are trying to bounce back from bruising losses in the Champions League quarterfinals when Bundesliga action resumes.
With a six-point lead over Bayer Leverkusen, Bayern will secure the title with three wins from the last five games and give Harry Kane the first major trophy of his career, barring a huge swing on goal difference. Bayern needs to recover quick from its Champions League exit at Inter Milan.
Even if it wasn't enough to reach the semifinals, Dortmund's 3-1 second-leg win over Barcelona showed the sort of fighting spirit it needs in the final Bundesliga games just to qualify for next season's Champions League. A win on Sunday against a local rival is crucial.
— Bayern must avoid a repeat of a notorious collapse when it visits Heidenheim on Saturday. The last time Bayern played there 12 months ago, it gave up a 2-0 lead and lost 3-2 in a heavy blow to its already-floundering title defense.
— Leverkusen needs to rack up wins and hope for Bayern mistakes. The next step is a win Sunday over St. Pauli.
— Dortmund is eighth and Champions League qualification is a long shot. Beating seventh-placed Borussia Moenchengladbach on Sunday is vital. Other teams above Dortmund have less challenging games, such as Leipzig's against Holstein Kiel on Saturday.
— Florian Wirtz returned for Leverkusen last week as a substitute after more than a month out injured, but couldn't stop the team dropping points in a 0-0 draw with Union Berlin. Coach Xabi Alonso says Wirtz could start Sunday's game.
— Serhou Guirassy scored a hat trick as Dortmund threatened to defy the odds against Barcelona.
— Midfielder Nadiem Amiri has had a big role in Mainz's bid to qualify for the Champions League. He returns from suspension when it plays Wolfsburg on Saturday.
— Bayern's injury problems deepened as midfielder Leon Goretzka was ruled out of Saturday's game. The club said on Friday he has a “knock to his calf.” Longer-term injury absentees include goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, defenders Dayot Upamecano and Alphonso Davies and attacking midfielder Jamal Musiala.
— Dortmund captain Emre Can and midfielder Carney Chukwuemeka remain doubtful after they were ruled out just before Tuesday's game against Barcelona, though the team coped well.
— Mainz top scorer and captain Jonny Burkardt was ruled out with illness last week. It's not clear whether he'll return against Wolfsburg.
— Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso says “it is not a good moment to talk a lot about the future”, amid speculation linking him with Carlo Ancelotti's job at Real Madrid.
— Eintracht Frankfurt confirmed on Wednesday that Denmark right back Rasmus Kristensen's loan move from Leeds has been made permanent. Third-placed Frankfurt plays Augsburg on Sunday.
— “We shouldn’t let it spoil the season. We have the chance to regain the title in the Bundesliga." — Harry Kane reacts to Bayern's Champions League elimination.
— “It’s not easy, but if we still have a bit of hope, we want to try.” — Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso.
— “If we play with this intensity, in this way, we'll win a lot more games. We want to be playing internationally next season, too, and for that we definitely have to win Sunday against Gladbach.” — Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl after Tuesday's game against Barcelona.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz reacts disappointed during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Union Berlin at the BayArena in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, April 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Dortmund's Niklas Suele, right, and Dortmund's Pascal Gross react at the end of the Champions League quarterfinals second leg soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona, at the Signa-Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Tuesday, April 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Bayern's head coach Vincent Kompany reacts during the Uefa Champions League soccer match between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich at San Siro Stadium in Milan, North Italy, Wednesday April 16, 2025. (Spada/LaPresse via AP)
Bayern's Harry Kane, left, reacts at the end of the Champions League quarterfinal second leg soccer match between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Wednesday, April 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Antonio Calanni)
