Bayer Leverkusen

The former Schalke player is coming towards the end of his fourth year at Manchester City.

He looked set for a switch to Bayern last year before suffering a major knee ligament injury in the Community Shield against Liverpool in August.

Having battled his way back to fitness, Bayern are again looking set for an attempt to land the 24-year-old.

Former Bayern defender Willy Sagnol says his old club would be better off chasing Bayer Leverkusen's 20-year-old rising star Kai Havertz, however, claiming Sane simply does not fit the bill.

"He doesn't match up at all to Bayern, in terms of character. He's an inconsistent player, who is very withdrawn," Sagnol told French radio station RMC.

"For me, he isn't made for this club.

"He's got lots of problems, at Manchester City and with the national team. We've said that he'd cost €80million. At a pinch, I'd prefer to put down €20m more and buy Havertz to be happy.

"With Havertz, it's the guarantee of a playmaker that you could play with Lewandowski without a problem. [Thomas] Muller won't last forever."

Former Bayern president Uli Hoeness said on Saturday he hoped the club could sign Havertz as well as Sane, but he cast doubt on whether financial realities would allow for that.

Twenty-two years later, Xabi Alonso's Werkself have already gone some way to banishing those ghosts by making Bundesliga history, Saturday's 2-1 win over Augsburg completing their unbeaten title-winning campaign.

This week, they have a chance to make it an unbeaten treble, heading to Dublin for Wednesday's Europa League final before taking on Kaiserslautern in the DFB-Pokal on Saturday. 

Looking to deny Bayer one of the greatest achievements in recent memory are Atalanta, participating in their first European final following a memorable run that included a stunning quarter-final elimination of Liverpool.

Ahead of the first of 2023-24's European finals, here's the key storylines and Opta facts surrounding the two contenders.  

One down, two to go

Wednesday's game offers Bayer the chance to complete the second leg of an unbeaten treble. 

On Saturday, they became the first team in Bundesliga history to enjoy an unbeaten season, while only Arsenal (in 2003-04) and Juventus (2011-12) had previously achieved the feat in Europe's top five leagues this century. 

Leverkusen are still unbeaten in 51 games in all competitions this season (42 wins, nine draws), with 12 of those coming in the Europa League (nine wins, three draws). 

Three sides have previously won the competition without losing a game, with each of those triumphs coming within the last five editions – Chelsea in 2018-19, Villarreal in 2020-21 and Eintracht Frankfurt in 2021-22.  

Wednesday's match will be the third major European final in Leverkusen's history, with Bayer beating Espanyol in a two-legged UEFA Cup final in 1988 and losing 2-1 to a Zinedine Zidane-inspired Real Madrid in the 2002 Champions League showpiece. 

Alonso has taken Germany and Europe by storm with his brand of progressive, possession-based football, and Bayer's total of 6,622 successful passes in the Europa League this season is the most by any team in a single edition since 2019-20 victors Sevilla recorded 6,971. 

Their passing accuracy of 89.5 per cent is the second highest on record (behind Nice in 2017-18, 90 per cent), while their 94.3 per cent success rate with short passes is the best ever recorded in a Europa League campaign.

But even when Leverkusen have been less than free-flowing, they have found ways to avoid defeat.

They squandered a 2-0 first-leg lead in the second leg of their semi-final tie against Roma, only to fight back for a 2-2 draw which saw them progress 4-2 on aggregate. Josip Stanisic scored a 97th-minute equaliser in that game, the sixth goal Bayer have scored in the 90th minute or later in the Europa League this term.

That is the most ever managed by a team in a single major European campaign, and they also rescued their unbeaten Bundesliga record with last-gasp strikes against Borussia Dortmund and Stuttgart last month.

If Leverkusen find themselves with their backs against the wall on Wednesday, viewers would be wise not to rule them out.

Can the nearly men get over the line?  

Leverkusen's Bundesliga triumph has allowed them to shake off their "nearly men" tag, but Atalanta are hoping it's a case of fourth time lucky for them in major finals under Gian Piero Gasperini.

La Dea, whose only major trophy win came in the Coppa Italia in 1962-63, were beaten 1-0 by Juventus in the Coppa Italia final last week – their third loss in that competition's showpiece game under Gasperini.

However, they bounced back with a 2-0 Serie A win over Lecce on Saturday, Gianluca Scamacca and Charles De Ketelaere scoring as they secured a top-five finish and Champions League qualification for 2024-25.

A return to Europe's premier club competition is just reward for a fine campaign for the Bergamo club, who will finish a Serie A season with more than 65 points (currently 66) for the fifth time (with all seasons adjusted for three points per win).

The four previous instances – in 2016-17 (72), 2018-19 (69), 2019-20 (78) and 2020-21 (78) – also all came under Gasperini. 

While their free-flowing attacking play has returned this campaign, La Dea have also been excellent without the ball, facing just 2.8 shots on target per Europa League game on average. That is the lowest rate of any team in the 2023-24 competition, with opponents Bayer facing 4.1 per match.

Their backline can expect to be tested on Wednesday, though, with Bayer's total of 232 shots in the Europa League this season the most by any team in a single edition since Chelsea tallied 247 in 2018-19.

The coaches

Fans can expect an intriguing tactical battle between two progressive coaches at the Aviva Stadium.

Gasperini has overseen the most successful period in Atalanta's history since taking charge in 2016, though this will be his first European final as a manager. 

At the age of 66 years and 117 days, he will become the oldest coach to take charge of his first major European final, and the oldest overall since Jupp Heynckes led Bayern Munich to glory in the 2013 Champions League final (68 years, 16 days).

His counterpart Alonso – at the age of 42 years and 179 days – will be the youngest coach to manage a men's European final since Roberto Di Matteo oversaw Chelsea's memorable victory in the 2012 Champions League final at the age of 41 years and 356 days, beating Heynckes' Bayern.

Having played for Liverpool in the 2005 and 2007 Champions League finals, Alonso will also become just the fourth person to play in and manage in a major European final this century.

Zidane played for Madrid in the 2002 Champions League final then managed them in the 2016, 2017 and 2018 editions. Antonio Conte played for Juventus in the 2003 Champions League showpiece and coached Inter for the 2020 Europa League final, while Giovanni van Bronckhorst achieved the feat as a Barcelona player (2006 Champions League) and Rangers boss (2022 Europa League).

Players to watch

The likes of Alejandro Grimaldo, Victor Boniface, Granit Xhaka and Robert Andrich have played crucial roles for Bayer this season, but their key man is undoubtedly Florian Wirtz, who was named Bundesliga Player of the Year on Monday.

Wirtz scored 11 goals and provided 11 assists throughout Bayer's triumphant Bundesliga campaign, also recording eight goal involvements (four goals, four assists) in the Europa League this term – the most of any Leverkusen player.

Meanwhile, his total of 28 open-play chances created in the 2023-24 competition has only previously been bettered by five players in a single edition, most recently Amin Younes for Ajax in 2016-17 (30).

For Atalanta, all eyes will be on Scamacca, who scored outstanding goals against Liverpool and Marseille in the last two rounds.

The former West Ham striker has six goals in the Europa League this season, a tally only previously bettered by two Italian players in a single edition. Giuseppe Rossi netted 10 times for Villarreal in the 2010-11 tournament, while Ciro Immobile scored eight for Lazio in 2017-18.

Prediction 

Leverkusen enter Wednesday's game as favourites, with the Opta supercomputer rating their chances of victory within 90 minutes at 50.2 per cent.

Atalanta, however, should not be ruled out, having won seven of their nine matches since losing 1-0 in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie against Liverpool (one draw, one defeat).

They are assigned a 24.4 per cent chance of victory, with 25.4 per cent of the supercomputer's match simulations finishing level, which would mean extra time and potentially penalties. 

The 23-year-old is currently under contract with Leverkusen until 2023 but is once again on the radar of some of the globe’s top clubs after a strong performance this season.  Bailey has scored 15 goals this season, including 9 in the Bundesliga.

The Jamaican has been linked with English clubs Everton, Manchester City, and Manchester United but has lately been tipped to replace Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho who could be heading to Manchester United.

Sancho has been a long-term interest of Man United but the club and Dortmund have had disagreements over the player’s price.  Bailey missed the last two weeks of the Bundesliga season after suffering a broken toe during a league match against Werder Bremen.

The winger has made 8 international appearances for the Jamaica national team and scored one goal.

The 23-year-old suffered the injury after a collision early in the match but played until halftime before he was withdrawn.  Bailey, who it is feared might have suffered a fractured toe, did not take part in the team’s training session on Wednesday.

Leverkusen will be looking to secure UEFA Europa League qualification at home to Union Berlin on Saturday.  Should he be unable to take the field, the Jamaican will be a major miss, particularly given his form at home this season. 

Bailey has scored five goals in the last two home games.  Leverkusen have won all three of their fixtures at the Bay Arena under interim coach Hannes Wolf.  Bailey, who was also not called to the Jamaica national team, for its friendlies next month due to a contractual issue, has played eight times for the country since making his debut in 2019.

Under the arrangement, Bailey seems set to continue being managed by Butler.  On one hand, the move could give the red-hot winger an inside track to fulfilling his dream of playing in the English Premier League, and on the other, it is hoped that it could also open doors for other players currently managed by Butler’s PSM.

USM currently has the likes of Manchester United's Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Chelsea's Reece James, West Ham talisman Michail Antonio and Newcastle's star striker Callum Wilson listed among its clientele.

Bailey has been in red-hot form for the German club this season, in total scoring 9 goals and providing 6 assists in 18 matches.  As such, the player is back on the radar of several major clubs, including quite a few in England.

Ahead of the January transfer window, however, USM agent Mike Appiason has indicated that the player is very likely to stay put.

“Leon is a fantastic player with an even better story.  He is having a fantastic season so far as are Leverkusen. No doubt he will have many takers but for now, his focus remains solely on helping Leverkusen finish the season as strongly as possible,” Appiason told SportsMail.

For his part, Butler was pleased with the move, which he hailed as a step in the right direction for both Bailey and USM.

“Collaborations are the order of the day to maximise opportunities. Having an honest, hardworking, and experienced team in England is key to our long-term plan for Leon and the plethora of super-talented players we have coming through the Phoenix All Stars Football Academy from all over the Caribbean so we chose to partner with Mike and his team at USM,” Butler said.

The 22-year-old winger was routinely listed among the most coveted targets during the previous two transfer windows.  However, a stop-start kind of season, due to recent injury, has removed some of that lustre and plunged the player’s transfer value as well.  The player has, however, in recent times been linked with a number of English Premier League clubs, Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea, and most recently Everton and Tottenham.

Aidy Ward, the player's new agent, has revealed that he is prepared to hold talks with the club concerning the Jamaican’s future.

"The club has told his stepfather that he can leave for a certain amount of money," Ward told Sport1.

"As soon as I have talked to the club, and the situation is clear, we will now know to do. If the club wants to sell, it's no problem. Then we'll talk to each other and come to an agreement,” he added.

“If they don't want to sell, it's no problem either. In this case, we'll leave the situation and move on. It's that simple.”

The 31-year-old Antonio switched country’s earlier this year, having never been capped by England after several seasons in the English topflight.  According to reports, the forward, who had an impressive season in the EPL, is still working on finalising his official documents to represent the Caribbean country but it is hoped the issue can be resolved in time for him to make his debut at the tournament.

Bailey also had a strong season for Leverkusen in the Bundesliga but will be fighting to be fit in time for the tournament after breaking his toe in the final few weeks of the season.

The squad will also include the likes of Swansea’s Jamal Lowe, Watford’s Andre Grey, and Reading’s Liam Moore.  The team also includes first-string goalkeeper Andre Blake and defender Damion Lowe who have been part of teams that have made two appearances at the tournament's final.  Should all the players be available it could mark the first time the team’s coach Theodore Whitmore will have a full squad at his disposal.

Jamaica preliminary squad

 MF JAHSHAUN MUSTAF - MIAMI FC (USA)

FW MICHAIL ANTONIO - WEST HAM UNITED FC (ENG)

FW LEON BAILEY - BAYER 04 LEVERKUSEN (GER)

GK DILLON BARNES - QUEENS PARK RANGERS FC (ENG)

DF AMARII BELL - BLACKBURN ROVERS FC (ENG)

GK ANDRE BLAKE - PHILADELPHIA UNION (USA)

FW BRIAN BROWN - NEW MEXICO UNITED (USA)

DF JAVAIN BROWN - VANCOUVER WHITECAPS FC (CAN)

FW CORY BURKE - PHILADELPHIA UNION (USA)

FW NORMAN CAMPBELL - FK GRAFIČAR BEOGRAD (SRB)

GK AKEEM CHAMBERS - WATERHOUSE FC (JAM)

MF JORDAN COUSINS - WIGAN ATHLETIC FC (ENG)

FW EAST JAVON EAST -  SANTOS DE GUAPILES (CRC)

DF ONIEL FISHER - LA GALAXY (USA)

FW JUNIOR FLEMMINGS -  BIRMINGHAM LEGION (USA)

GK KEMAR FOSTER - PORTMORE UNITED FC (JAM)

FW OWAYNE GORDON - AUSTIN BOLD (USA)

FW ANDRE GRAY - WATFORD FC (ENG)

DF WESLEY HARDING - ROTHERHAM UNITED FC (ENG)

DF MICHAEL HECTOR -  FULHAM FC (ENG)

MF KEVAUGHN ISAACS - MOUNT PLEASANT F.A. (JAM)

MF DANIEL JOHNSON - PRESTON NORTH END FC (ENG)

FW  DANE KELLY -  CHARLOTTE INDEPENDENCE (USA)

GK AMAL KNIGHT - UNATTACHED (JAM)

MF KEVON LAMBERT - PHOENIX RISING FC (USA)

DF KEMAR LAWRENCE - TORONTO FC (CAN)

DF GREGORY LEIGH - ABERDEEN FC (SCO)

MF LUCA LEVEE - HARBOUR VIEW FC (JAM)

DF DAMION LOWE - AL ITTIHAD (KSA)

MF JAMAL LOWE -  SWANSEA CITY FC (WAL)

MF TYREEK MAGEE - KAS EUPEN (BEL)

FW KEMAL MALCOLM - AD CHALATENANGO (SLV)

DF ADRIAN MARIAPPA -  BRISTOL CITY FC (ENG)

MF CHEVONE MARSH - AD CHALATENANGO (SLV)

GK DWAYNE MILLER - SYRIANSKA FC (SWE)

DF LIAM MOORE - READING FC (ENG)

MF RICARDO MORRIS - PORTMORE UNITED FC (JAM)

FW RAVEL MORRISON -  UNATTACHED (JAM)

FW COLORADO MURRAY - WATERHOUSE FC (JAM)

FW SHAMAR NICHOLSON - ROYAL CHARLEROI SC (BEL)

FW DEVER ORGILL - MKE ANKARAGUCU SK (TUR)

MF KASEY PALMER -  BRISTOL CITY FC (ENG)

MF KAHEEM PARRIS - NK KRKA (SVN)

DF ETHAN PINNOCK - BRENTFORD FC (ENG)

DF ALVAS POWELL - PHILADELPHIA UNION (USA)

FW BOBBY REID -  FULHAM FC (ENG)

DF LADALE RICHIE - MOUNT PLEASANT F.A. (JAM)

MF KEMAR ROOFE - RANGERS FC (SCO)

MF KEVIN STEWART -  BLACKPOOL FC (ENG)

DF AJEANIE TALBOTT - HARBOUR VIEW FC (JAM)

GK DENNIS TAYLOR - HUMBLE LION F.C. (JAM)

DF CURTIS TILT - ROTHERHAM UNITED FC (ENG)

FW BLAIR TURGOTT - OSTERSUNDS FK (SWE)

FW PETER VASSELL - INDY ELEVEN (USA)

MF LAMAR WALKER -  MIAMI FC (USA)

MF JE-VAUGHN WATSON - UNATTACHED (JAM)

GK JEADINE WHITE - CAVALIER F.C. (JAM)

MF DEVON WILLIAMS- MIAMI FC (USA)

FW  ROMARIO WILLIAMS - AL ITTIHAD (KSA)

MF CHAVANY WILLIS- PORTMORE UNITED FC (JAM)

Granit Xhaka’s brilliant 20-yard strike gave Leverkusen the lead after just three minutes, but a well-worked headed equaliser from Dominik Kohr followed close behind to give the relegation strugglers hope.

Xabi Alonso’s side were spared any further anxiety when Robert Andrich tried his luck from range in the 68th minute and Zentner allowed a gentle effort to squirm through his gloves and over the line.

The relief around the ground was as tangible as the keeper’s despair and, when Jessic Ngankam was sent off late on, the points were secured.

In doing so, Leverkusen stretched their unbeaten run to 33 games in all competitions, a new German record at the expense of rivals Bayern Munich.

The hosts wasted no time stamping their authority on proceedings, Jonas Hofmann winning a free-kick in opposition territory.

Xhaka acted as first receiver before sliding in Alex Grimaldo down the left flank. His cross was deflected back to the Swiss midfielder, who proceeded to swing his weaker left foot and send a curling, dipping first-time effort sailing over a wrong-footed Zentner.

Xhaka marked his first goal since joining the club from Arsenal last summer by feeling for his hamstring.

Alonso briefly looked concerned on the touchline, but as his team-mates joined in it quickly became clear it was an in-joke rather than a genuine fitness setback.

But Mainz were the ones celebrating five minutes later, Nadiem Amiri’s deft chip over the top creating the opening against his parent club.

Silvan Widmar was onside by a whisker as he met the ball with his head and squared it back across the penalty box and, although the ball did not land perfectly for Kohr, he timed his diving header wonderfully well to power the ball home from 10 yards.

Xhaka, Hofman and Grimaldo all had sights of goal as the home side pushed to reclaim the advantage, but Mainz stood their ground.

Mainz came desperately close to going ahead after 50 minutes, Leandro Barreiro stretching to meet Amiri’s free-kick at the far post, only for Jonathan Tah to mop up calmly when he could easily have scored an own goal.

There was another warning when Edmond Tapsoba’s poor pass offered Lee Jae-sung a free strike, only for the South Korean to miss the target completely.

Things were beginning to get scrappy amid a flurry of bookings, when Andrich’s pot shot changed the game. The ball swirled slightly on its way to Zentner, but there was no hiding his culpability as he waved it tamely into the side of his net.

Ngankam saw red with 10 minutes left on the clock, a dangerous slide on Xhaka upgraded from a caution after a review, allowing the league leaders to see out their evening safely.

Florian Wirtz scored the only goal of the 1-0 victory deep in first-half injury time after Robin Gosens was shown a red card.

Union succeeded in keeping it to one but, with Bayern Munich losing again, it was enough to move Xabi Alonso’s side 16 points clear at the top of the table with six games remaining.

Frederik Ronnow had made fine saves from Borja Iglesias and Alex Grimaldo before the game burst into life in first-half injury time.

First Gosens, who had been booked early on, was shown a second yellow card for a foul just outside the box.

The resulting free-kick caused chaos in the Berlin penalty area and, after a VAR check, the referee ruled Christopher Trimmel had handled and pointed to the sport, with Wirtz making no mistake.

Leverkusen had the majority of the play in the second half as they sought a second but Ronnow refused to be beaten again, saving impressively from Nathan Tella and Iglesias.

The reigning German champions look set to lose their Bundesliga title to Alonso’s Leverkusen side as they trail their rivals by 10 points.

That situation prompted the early announcement of Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel’s departure at the end of the season but Jurgen Klopp revealing in January he was leaving Anfield in the summer has hastened proceedings as a host of big-name clubs battle to find new managers this summer.

Alonso, 42, is rated as one of Europe’s top young coaches with Leverkusen still unbeaten this season and heading towards their first Bundesliga title and has been installed as the bookmakers’ favourite to replace Klopp at Liverpool.

However, with two of the ex-Spain midfielder’s other former clubs also seemingly in competition for his services, the race is more complicated, although Carlo Ancelotti’s future at Real currently appears secure with the team eight points clear in LaLiga with the Italian signing a contract extension to 2026 in December.

“He’s (Alonso) proven that he can be a coach for the big time. There are hardly any suitable coaches who are currently free,” Hoeness told a panel at the Munich Trade Fair.

“Rather they are coaches who are under contract somewhere and possibly have great success.

“And that makes it much more difficult because clubs like Liverpool, Real Madrid, Leverkusen and FC Bayern are working on it (securing Alonso).

“It’s not so easy to tell them that Bayern is the measure of all things.”

The public comments made by the 72-year-old, who is also a supervisory board member with the Bavarian club, are unlikely to impress Bayern’s new director of sport Max Eberl.

On Wednesday, Eberl gave an interview to German newspaper Bild in which he said he did not want to provoke Alonso headlines and insisted he had not spoken to any potential candidates, which numbered “more than four but not 40 names” on an “unusual” list of successors.

“We have a list that we would like to work through in peace and have conversations in peace,” said Eberl.

Liverpool’s attempts to find Klopp’s replacement are expected to accelerate following Wednesday’s appointment of a new sporting director in Richard Hughes from Bournemouth.

Hughes was the driving force behind the appointment of Cherries head coach Andoni Iraola, whose agent Inaki Ibanez is the long-time representative of Alonso.

However, Hughes would have secured the appointment of Roberto De Zerbi – another being linked with Liverpool – had there not been a delay due in the change of the club’s ownership which allowed Brighton to secure the Italian.

Sporting’s Ruben Amorim is another likely to be on Liverpool’s short list.

Havertz continued to burnish his reputation with a first-half brace as Leverkusen crushed lowly Werder Bremen 4-1 in the Bundesliga on Monday.

The Germany international – frequently the topic of transfer gossip columns amid links to Liverpool, Manchester United and Arsenal – opened the scoring in the 28th minute and restored Leverkusen's lead five minutes later following Theodor Gebre Selassie's equaliser.

After thrashing relegation-threatened Bremen behind closed doors at Weser-Stadion due to the coronavirus pandemic, Bosz told reporters: "Kai [Havertz] is a special player, but I don't think he made his best game today. He can do much better.

"I've known him for a long time now and I know he can do much better. It has to do with the rhythm. But for every player the captain's armband is something special. And so it will be for Kai."

Havertz, 20, added: "I'm very happy. We didn't make many mistakes and deservedly won.

"Now we want to continue like this on Saturday in Monchengladbach."

The result was Leverkusen's fourth in succession as the Bundesliga returned over the weekend following the COVID-19 outbreak.

Leverkusen are fifth in the table, eight points behind defending champions and leaders Bayern Munich.

"We are naturally satisfied, as you have to be when you win the first game after a two-month break with 4-1 in Bremen," Bosz said. "There were many question marks before. I think we deserved to win, although we didn't always play very well. That has to do with the rhythm.

"We lost easy balls during the game, which we normally don't lose. But like I said, if you win 4-1 here, you have to be satisfied. And I am satisfied."

The 23-year-old sustained the injury after a collision early in the match but continued to play until halftime when he was withdrawn.    

The player then missed the team’s midweek training session, with later scans confirming that the midfielder had fractured the digit.

Bayer Leverkusen head coach Hannes Wolf confirmed on Friday that the player would not return for the season.  The diagnosis meant that Bailey missed the player’s match against Union Berlin on Saturday, a 1-1 draw, and the club’s final game against Dortmund.

"He will not be able to play again [this season]," Wolf told reporters ahead of Leverkusen's game against Berlin.

The winger was not expected to suit up for his country during the international break, due to contractual issues and it remains to be seen how long he will be out of action.

In total, Bailey has scored 15 goals this season and provided 10 assists in a solid campaign for Leverkusen who are fighting for a place in European football next season.

After the German government on Wednesday granted permission for the top two tiers to return behind closed doors, DFL chief executive Christian Seifert confirmed games will get back under way on May 16.

The Revierderby between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke will headline the first group of matches, while league leaders Bayern Munich are in action next Sunday and Bayer Leverkusen will travel to Werder Bremen the following day.

The rest of the Bundesliga season has also been mapped out, with the eight rounds of fixtures – and Werder's game in hand against Eintracht Frankfurt – to be contested before the final day on June 27.

Matchday 26 (all times local):
May 16 – 15:30: Borussia Dortmund v Schalke
May 16 – 15:30: RB Leipzig v Freiburg
May 16 – 15:30: Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin
May 16 – 15:30: Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn
May 16 – 15:30: Augsburg v Wolfsburg
May 16 – 18:30: Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach
May 17 – 15:30: Cologne v Mainz
May 17 – 18:00: Union Berlin v Bayern Munich
May 18 – 20:30: Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen

Matchday 27 (from May 22-24):
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin
Mainz v RB Leipzig
Freiburg v Werder Bremen
Schalke v Augsburg
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf
Paderborn v Hoffenheim

Matchday 28 (May 26-27):
Borussia Dortmund v Bayern Munich
RB Leipzig v Hertha Berlin
Bayer Leverkusen v Wolfsburg
Eintracht Frankfurt v Freiburg
Werder Bremen v Borussia Monchengladbach
Hoffenheim v Cologne
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Schalke
Augsburg v Paderborn
Union Berlin v Mainz

Matchday 29 (May 29-June 1):
Bayern Munich v Fortuna Dusseldorf
Borussia Monchengladbach v Union Berlin
Wolfsburg v Eintracht Frankfurt
Hertha Berlin v Augsburg
Mainz v Hoffenheim
Freiburg v Bayer Leverkusen
Schalke v Werder Bremen
Cologne v RB Leipzig
Paderborn v Borussia Dortmund

Matchday 24 (June 2/3):
Werder Bremen v Eintracht Frankfurt

Matchday 30 (June 5-8):
Borussia Dortmund v Hertha Berlin
RB Leipzig v Paderborn
Bayer Leverkusen v Bayern Munich
Eintracht Frankfurt v Mainz
Werder Bremen v Wolfsburg
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Hoffenheim
Freiburg v Borussia Monchengladbach
Augsburg v Cologne
Union Berlin v Schalke

Matchday 31 (June 12-14):
Bayern Munich v Borussia Monchengladbach
Wolfsburg v Freiburg
Hoffenheim v RB Leipzig
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Borussia Dortmund
Hertha Berlin v Eintracht Frankfurt
Mainz v Augsburg
Schalke v Bayer Leverkusen
Cologne v Union Berlin
Paderborn v Werder Bremen

Matchday 32 (June 16-17):
Borussia Dortmund v Mainz
RB Leipzig v Fortuna Dusseldorf
Bayer Leverkusen v Cologne
Borussia Monchengladbach v Wolfsburg
Eintracht Frankfurt v Schalke
Werder Bremen v Bayern Munich
Freiburg v Hertha Berlin
Augsburg v Hoffenheim
Union Berlin v Paderborn

Matchday 33 (all at 15:30 local time on June 20):
Bayern Munich v Freiburg
RB Leipzig v Borussia Dortmund
Hoffenheim v Union Berlin
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Augsburg
Hertha Berlin v Bayer Leverkusen
Mainz v Werder Bremen
Schalke v Wolfsburg
Cologne v Eintracht Frankfurt
Paderborn v Borussia Monchengladbach

Matchday 34 (all at 15:30 local time on June 27):
Borussia Dortmund v Hoffenheim
Bayer Leverkusen v Mainz
Borussia Monchengladbach v Hertha Berlin
Wolfsburg v Bayern Munich
Eintracht Frankfurt v Paderborn
Werder Bremen v Cologne
Freiburg v Schalke
Augsburg v RB Leipzig
Union Berlin v Fortuna Dusseldorf

Fresh from his move to Camp Nou in the transfer window, Lewandowski will return to familiar surroundings with Barcelona and Bayern Munich – who boast 11 Champions League titles between them – drawn in a tough Group C along with Inter.

And another reunion will see Haaland come up against Borussia Dortmund, whom he left to join Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. They find themselves in Group G alongside Sevilla and Copenhagen.

Another heavyweight clash will take place in Group H, with Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus set to lock horns.

The German football season is on hold at least until April 30 due to the spread of COVID-19, which has infected almost 40,000 people in Germany – the third most-affected European nation.

Suspension of the campaign is set to have major consequences on the finances of many clubs, with the situation forcing some to implement salary cuts or similar measures.

Players of Bundesliga side Union Berlin are waiving their salaries to aid the wider business, but a new approach from Germany's four Champions League sides should help alleviate the strain on many teams in the top two divisions.

A statement released on Thursday by the German Football League (DFL) confirmed the €20m support fund will be created by the four clubs initially foregoing "their share of the undistributed national media revenue of the DFL in the coming season".

That figure, which stands at €12.5m, will be supplemented by contributions from the clubs' own resources.

"This campaign underlines that solidarity in the Bundesliga and 2.Bundesliga is not lip service. The DFL Presidium is very grateful to the four Champions League participants in terms of the community of all clubs," DFL spokesman Christian Seifert said.

Bayern CEO Karl Heinz Rummenigge added: "Together with the three other Champions League participants, we want to send a signal of solidarity to all clubs in the Bundesliga and 2.Bundesliga with this initiative.

"In these difficult times, it's important that the stronger shoulders support the weaker shoulders. With this, we also want to show that football is standing together right now."

The DFL will decide on matters relating to the distribution of the €20m.

Holders Bayern, who defeated RB Leipzig 3-0 in last season's final, were due to host Frankfurt on either April 21 or 22, while Leverkusen were scheduled to visit fourth-tier side Saarbrucken.

However, it was confirmed on Friday that both matches will not take place on the planned dates due to the continued threat of COVID-19.

The Bundesliga has been suspended since March 13 and is on hold until April 30 at the earliest.

There have been 49,344 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Germany, with 321 people having died.

Germany's top flight, like the majority of European leagues, is suspended due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The top two tiers in Germany are suspended until at least April 30, with mass gatherings having been prohibited by the government until the end of August.

However, this month German Football Federation (DFL) chief executive Christian Seifert said discussions were in place over a return to action in early May with matches behind closed doors.

Seifert confirmed the DFL's plans to continue with the season and that the start date will be May 9 so long as the plan gets government backing.

But senior union official Jorg Radek believes doing so would pose a risk to public health.

"Maybe it is possible to control what is happening in the stadium. This does not apply to the public space in front of it. The stadiums become a potential target for fans who want to support their team," Radek said in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.

"That would be devastating. We can't have large crowds outside the stadium gates. It's not only forbidden, it would be irresponsible.

"It becomes relevant to the police at that moment, we then have to ensure that the requirements that currently apply to behaviour in public space are complied with - the requirement of a distance of one and a half metres, the ban on the assembly of large groups, the wearing of masks.

"We will have to intervene in terms of maintaining security and order if this is not guaranteed.

"I want to state that we as a police union are not fundamentally against football games.

"I can also understand that there is a need for many people to stop watching old international matches or old Bundesliga games, but we must not forget what special situation we are all in - this includes the police.

"Games behind closed doors are a danger, even if the organiser does everything in the stadium to ensure that hygiene regulations are observed in order to keep the risk of infection as low as possible."

He said the DFL plans do not appear to cover such aspects and spoke of the prospect of an "additional burden" on police.

"Running the league on the weekends is a huge burden for us even without a corona pandemic," said Radek. "By pausing, we gained a personnel reserve that we could fall back on to increase our presence elsewhere."

Germany's top flight, like the majority of European leagues, is suspended due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The top two tiers in Germany are suspended until at least April 30, with mass gatherings having been prohibited by the government until the end of August.

However, this month German Football Federation (DFL) chief executive Christian Seifert said discussions were in place over a return to action in early May with matches behind closed doors.

Seifert confirmed the DFL's plans to continue with the season and that the start date will by May 9 so long as the plan gets government backing.

But senior union official Jorg Radek believes doing so would pose a risk to public health.

"Maybe it is possible to control what is happening in the stadium. This does not apply to the public space in front of it. The stadiums become a potential target for fans who want to support their team," Radek said in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.

"That would be devastating. We can't have large crowds outside the stadium gates. It's not only forbidden, it would be irresponsible.

"It becomes relevant to the police at that moment, we then have to ensure that the requirements that currently apply to behaviour in public space are complied with - the requirement of a distance of one and a half metres, the ban on the assembly of large groups, the wearing of masks.

"We will have to intervene in terms of maintaining security and order if this is not guaranteed.

"I want to state that we as a police union are not fundamentally against football games.

"I can also understand that there is a need for many people to stop watching old international matches or old Bundesliga games, but we must not forget what special situation we are all in - this includes the police.

"Games behind closed doors are a danger, even if the organiser does everything in the stadium to ensure that hygiene regulations are observed in order to keep the risk of infection as low as possible."

He said the DFL plans do not appear to cover such aspects and spoke of the prospect of an "additional burden" on police.

"Running the league on the weekends is a huge burden for us even without a corona pandemic," said Radek. "By pausing, we gained a personnel reserve that we could fall back on to increase our presence elsewhere."

Germany's top two tiers are suspended until April 30 due to the coronavirus pandemic, while mass gatherings have been prohibited by the government until the end of August.

DFL chief executive Christian Seifert said this month the organisation was working towards a return to action in early May with games played behind closed doors.

Following a virtual meeting between the 36 clubs on Thursday, the DFL confirmed its plans to continue with the season.

Seifert said: "The Bundesliga is ready to resume, whether on May 9 or a later date. But it's not up to us to find a date, the political decision-makers decide.

"We have not defined an exact date today. The fact that we are even able to think about resuming games underlines the performance of the German authorities. It would be presumptuous for the DFL to name an exact date for the restart.

"If the signal comes in the next week that it can be May 9, then it will be May 9. It's not up to us whether we can play at all. It is only up to us to create the framework conditions.

"The season should be finished by June 30. If we need to play in July too, we will. We are currently not thinking about next season. First of all, it is the matter of ending the current season."

Guidelines for the staging of matches include strict hygiene requirements, close testing and permanent monitoring of those at the games. The DFL will also provide €500,000 to public health authorities to help with coronavirus testing.

Access to Bundesliga stadiums will be limited to 213 people on matchdays and Seifert urged fans not to gather outside arenas.

"When we start playing again, gatherings outside the stadium must be avoided," said Seifert.

"Otherwise the fans will need to accept the fact that the matches will not take place. If this happens during the match, it will be cancelled.

"The situation might even require us to talk about games without fans next year. Therefore, the clubs should plan without income from spectators for the time being."

It was also announced by the DFL that €7.5million from the solidarity fund set up by Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen will be shared equally between the 3. Liga and women's Bundesliga.

In Germany there have been over 151,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 5,354 recorded deaths.

The Bundesliga returned in empty stadiums on Saturday after a two-month hiatus due to the coronavirus pandemic, with Hertha recording a 3-0 victory at Hoffenheim.

However, while precautions were taken in the games - including mask-wearing substitutes sitting significant distances apart from one another - there was no social distancing being observed when Dedryck Boyata appeared to plant a kiss on the cheek of Marko Grujic after one of the goals.

The German Football League (DFL) has confirmed it will not sanction players for celebrating, though it has offered recommended guidance on the matter, and Bosz wants players to avoid letting emotions get the better of them.

"In the beginning we talked about emotions and they are part of football," he said at his news conference to preview Leverkusen's trip to Werder Bremen on Monday.

"I can imagine that when Hertha scores at Hoffenheim, that they want to celebrate. They must not do it this way. I know that.

"Next time, I don't think they'll do it that way. But goals are emotional moments in which they may have forgotten.

"You're not allowed to do that, but I can imagine that it happens from time to time."

Bruno Labbadia, who was taking charge of his first game at the Hertha helm, had suggested that the frequency of testing meant his players should be allowed to celebrate in such a manner.

"Celebrating goals is part of football. We have been tested so often that I think you can allow it," Labbadia said.

"It would be a shame if you weren't allowed to celebrate any more.

"I hope people out there understand it. It is just a recommendation [from the DFL] to hold back.

"We have tested negative six times, most recently on Friday. Emotions are part of the game, otherwise we don't need to play it."