Bundesliga focus turns to battle for European places, relegation

BERLIN : Four Bundesliga teams are locked in a battle for two spots in next season's Champions League, with Bayern Munich already crowned domestic title winners ahead of this weekend's penultimate matchday.

The Bavarians will enjoy their final home game against Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday, with the trophy handover and the traditional beer showers in front of their own fans.

It will also be a special occasion for 35-year-old club talisman Thomas Mueller, who will leave at the end of the season after 25 years, with Bayern not offering him a new contract.

A product of the Bayern youth teams, Mueller has made more than 500 Bundesliga appearances for the club since his debut in 2008, winning every major trophy, including a record 13 league titles, two Champions League crowns and two Club World Cups.

With Bayer Leverkusen, on 68 points, already assured of second spot, third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt (56), Freiburg in fourth (52), Borussia Dortmund (51) and RB Leipzig (50) go into the last two matchdays bidding for a top-four finish.

The top four teams advance to next season's lucrative Champions League phase and Frankfurt can seal their spot with a win over St Pauli on Sunday that would protect their four-point advantage over Freiburg going into the last matchday.

While Freiburg travel to relegation-threatened Holstein Kiel on Saturday, things are trickier for Dortmund, last season's Champions League finalists.

The Ruhr Valley club, who have won five of their last six league games, travel to Leverkusen on Sunday, with the hosts out to end the season on a high in what could be the last home game for coach Xabi Alonso and talented midfielder Florian Wirtz.

Speculation regarding their departure at the end of the season has