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Hertha Berlin have taken the option to make midfielder Tolga Cigerci's loan move a permanent one.
The 22-year-old moved to the capital from Wolfsburg on loan in August and has featured 18 times under Jos Luhukay this term, scoring once.
Cigerci, a Germany under-19 international, will join the club until 2017 having impressed during Hertha's return to the top flight.
"Hertha BSC has taken the option to purchase Tolga Cigerci and the 22-year-old is firmly committed until 2017," read a statement on Hertha's official website.
Despite being in the upper reaches of the Bundesliga for much of the campaign, Luhukay's men have faltered of late and slipped to 10th.
Hertha have not won any of their last eight league matches, although Cigerci was not too overly concerned by their most recent defeat - a 2-1 loss at Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday.
"I think we paid for the first 20 minutes (in which Hertha conceded twice). We showed good character after that and, with a bit of luck, we would have made it 2-2," he told the Bundesliga's official website.
Bayern Munich full-back Rafinha has been hit with a three-match ban following his red card for violent conduct against Borussia Dortmund.
The Brazil international was sent off in injury time of Saturday's Der Klassiker after lashing out at Dortmund's Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
By then the game as a contest was already over, as Jurgen Klopp's tactical masterclass earned a 3-0 triumph for Dortmund against the Bundesliga champions at the Allianz Arena.
The German Football Association (DFB) took a dim view of Rafinha's actions, however, and subsequently handed out a three-match suspension.
Subsequently, Rafinha will miss the league matches with Eintracht Braunschweig, Werder Bremen and Hamburg, but will return for the final game of the season at home to Stuttgart.
"After his red card (against Borussia Dortmund), Rafinha has been handed a three-match ban suspension for violent conduct," Bayern posted on their official Twitter account.
Meanwhile, goalkeeper Manuel Neuer has trained alone in a bid to be fit for Bayern's DFB-Pokal semi-final with Kaiserslautern on Wednesday.
The Germany international was withdrawn at half-time against Dortmund with a suspected calf injury, and it remains to be seen whether he will be fit to face Kosta Runjaic's men.
Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp has underlined the importance of hard work ahead of their DFB Pokal semi-final with Wolfsburg.
Klopp's charges should be full of confidence after their 3-0 Bundesliga thumping of Bayern Munich on Saturday, but the coach warned that result would count for nothing when they play their last-four cup clash.
"Self-confidence is good, but self-confidence alone won't be enough against Wolfsburg," he said.
"So that's why I'm glad about the will of my team to give their best in those (recent) matches. And this will be the most important thing: to be willing to work hard against Wolfsburg.
"Wolfsburg will also give their best because they've been waiting for a trophy since 2009. They are having a good season. There will be two self-confident teams that clash on Tuesday."
Klopp also took time to praise Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who missed a glorious opportunity to level Dortmund's UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie against Real Madrid last week.
Dortmund lost the first leg 3-0 in Spain, but led 2-0 when Mkhitaryan rounded goalkeeper Iker Casillas but struck the outside of the post.
It would be the closest they came to an equaliser but the Armenian seemed to put it behind him on Saturday, scoring in Dortmund's rout, leading Klopp to hail his reaction.
"He is taking those things very seriously, which is something we all do," he said.
"You have to risk mistakes, otherwise you don't do enough. If you make mistakes you have to learn how to deal with them.
"That's of course something he's able to, but this particular one for him personally was really important.
"He felt like it was all his fault. Which of course is nonsense and that's what we told him. His reaction in Munich obviously was fantastic."
Bayern Munich sporting director Matthias Sammer says the German giants must not underestimate Kaiserslautern in their DFB Pokal semi-final.
Bayern and second tier outfit Kaiserslautern will meet at Allianz Arena on Wednesday for a place in the competition decider, with either Borussia Dortmund or Wolfsburg awaiting in Berlin.The Bundesliga giants, who are expected to be without Thiago, Xherdan Shaqiri and Holger Badstuber, have gone off the boil recently following successive league defeats to Borussia Dortmund and Augsburg.
It was the first time Bayern had lost two consecutive league games since November 2011.
As for Kaiserslautern, who upstaged Bundesliga opponents Bayer Leverkusen in the quarter-finals, they are undefeated in seven games and Sammer has warned Pep Guardiola's men not to take the 2. Bundesliga team lightly.
"It's a final for us," said Sammer.
"The lads know exactly not to follow Leverkusen's example. We need to produce a better performance than we did against Dortmund."
Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge echoed Sammer's thoughts: "It will be important for us not to underestimate the opposition.
"They showed what damage they can do against a Bundesliga team at Leverkusen."
Bayern are looking to win back-to-back DFB Pokal trophies after edging Stuttgart in last year's final, winning 3-2 courtesy of Mario Gomez's brace and a first-half penalty from Thomas Muller as the club claimed the treble under Jupp Heynckes.
If Bayern reach the final and win, it would be the first time they have won two consecutive domestic cups since 2005 and 2006.
Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking argued on Monday that his 'underdogs' can 'hurt' Borussia Dortmund in Tuesday's DFB Pokal semi-final.
Dortmund will welcome Wolfsburg to Signal Iduna Park having beaten Real Madrid and Bayern Munich in their previous two fixtures and Hecking reckons that form makes the home side favourites to advance to the DFB Pokal final in Berlin on May 17.
But those wins against Real and Bayern came straight after Dortmund defeated Wolfsburg 2-1 in the Bundesliga on April 5 - a match that Hecking's men could have won.
Wolfsburg had the better of the first half in Dortmund and deservedly hit the front through Ivica Olic, but the visitors were unable to hold off their hosts after the break with Robert Lewandowski and Marco Reus scoring the decisive goals.
"We proved in that game that we can hurt (Dortmund)," Hecking said.
"We want to try and make use of our chance now."
That result was Wolfsburg's only loss in six matches as they have stormed up to fifth in the Bundesliga.
The northerners thrashed Nuremburg 4-1 on Saturday to stay within a point of fourth-placed Bayer Leverkusen, who hold a qualifying spot in next season's UEFA Champions League.
Although Hecking has been happy with how his team are playing, he is wary of what Dortmund could do if Wolfsburg make too many errors on Tuesday.
"We've have seen all of Borussia Dortmund's recent games and, taking those matches into account, I think it's fair to say we are the underdogs going into this one," the 49-year-old coach said.
"BVB (Dortmund) played extremely well against Real Madrid and Bayern. We are in good form too though. We need to continue reducing the number of errors we make though because, at this level, it's often the little things that make the difference."
Wolfsburg expect 6,000 of their fans to make the trip south-west to Dortmund for the semi-final.
The winner on Tuesday will face either Bayern Munich or second-tier Kaiserslautern in the final next month.
Wolfsburg are expected to make just one change from the team that crushed Nuremburg on the weekend with Hecking indicating Marcel Schafer will replaced suspended defender Ricardo Rodriguez.
"Marcel always trains well and has just been unfortunate this season that Rici Rodriguez is in such exceptional form," Hecking said.
"Marcel recently had ninety minutes of action with the reserve team and the feedback was very positive."
'This is not Bayern' - Dieter Hoeness slams loss of form
By Enis Koylu
Apr 15, 2014 1:43:00 PM
The 61-year-old says that the team are not performing at a level befitting of the club and is worried their poor results could affect their Champions League campaign
Former Bayern Munich forward Dieter Hoeness has slammed the team's recent loss of form after the Bavarians were beaten by Augsburg and Borussia Dortmund in consecutive weeks.
Pep Guardiola's side's had put together a 53-match unbeaten Bundesliga run but suffered back-to-back losses after sealing the German title.
And Hoeness, whose brother Uli was club president until his imprisonment in March, says recent performances are not becoming of the European champions.
"This is not Uli's style, and it's not Bayern's style," he told Sport1.
"It leaves an unprofessional impression and that doesn't fit into Bayern, who are a highly professional club.
"Everyone can imagine how unhappy Uli, who always wants to win, was when Bayern lost against Dortmund."
The 61-year-old went on to suggest their loss of league form could affect their defence of the Champions League and DFB-Pokal titles.
"As a play, you need rhythm in order to deliver your top performances. At least now, after the 3-0, Guardiola will change his preparation."
The Bayern boss is determined to keep hold of the midfielder following rumours linking him with a summer move, while he is unfazed by criticism after his side’s recent loss to BVB
Bayern Munich head coach Pep Guardiola has insisted that he wants Toni Kroos to remain at the Bundesliga club amid rumours linking the midfielder with a move to Manchester United in the summer.
Kroos, who has made 45 appearances for Bayern this season, has been a pivotal player in his side’s success in winning the Bundesliga title and reaching the semi-finals of the Champions League and DFB-Pokal this season and Guardiola is determined to hold onto the 24-year-old.
“I want Toni to stay. Kalle [Rummenigge] and Matthias [Sammer] want him to stay as well,” Guardiola told reporters. “He is a superb player and can decide for himself. We want him to stay."
Guardiola also accepted criticism following his side’s 3-0 defeat to Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, however he has brushed it off, insisting that he faced similar pressure at other clubs.
“It's the same at all big clubs. You can't imagine what it was like at Barcelona when we didn't win. It's the same at Milan, Real Madrid, too.
“It didn't surprise me. I knew at my first press conference at the Allianz Arena that winning was the only option.
“I'm just here to help the players. I can't always win - sorry, I'm not God.
"Losing against Dortmund made me realise how important the league is and how important games against are. I realised how painful the defeat was for the fans.
"When we are dominant, we play well and have a good structure. The opponent finds it difficult to counter, especially as I have very good defenders in my team.
"However, we have conceded too many goals lately and we must return as soon as possible to our usual game.
“Myself and the players know that we will not reach a final if we play like we have in the last three games."
The midfielder looked set to depart Signal Iduna Park this summer but has opted to stay at the club for a further two years
Ilkay Gundogan has turned down reported interest from Manchester United and Bayern Munich to sign a new contract with Borussia Dortmund.
The Germany international has made just one Bundesliga appearance this term due to a back injury but has seen his name linked with a host of Europe’s top clubs.
Gundogan's previous deal was due to expire at the end of next season with the close-season expected to see many fighting for his signature.
However, he has agreed an extension at Signal Iduna Park which sees him remain under contract until June 2016 and he remains eager to play a part in the club's future.
"I am very grateful that my club gives me the opportunity to continue to be part of this special team and this very special environment," he told Dortmund's official website.
"I will do everything to help my colleagues again soon and can be very optimistic about the coming weeks and months."
The club’s sporting director Michael Zorc added: “We are very pleased with this deal against the backdrop of a special injury-related situation and hope that Ilkay will recoup his full potential from next season for BVB."
Rode vows to prove doubters wrong at Bayern Munich
Apr 16, 2014 1:00:00 PM
The former Germany Under-21 international is determined to make an impact at the Bundesliga champions after agreeing a four-year deal
Sebastian Rode is confident that he has what it takes to succeed at Bayern Munich and is keen to prove Pep Guardiola right for giving his transfer the green light.
Bayern announced the capture of the 23-year-old from Eintracht Frankfurt on a free transfer earlier this week, with Rode signing a four-year deal at the Bundesliga champions, and the midfielder is eagerly anticipating his summer move.
"Many people think that only seasoned professionals can make it at Bayern Munich," Rode was quoted as saying by Bild.
"I have to prove the opposite. I dare to do that, despite the fierce competition. I'll show everyone that I can do it.
"I have been assured in no uncertain terms that the coach is behind this transfer. There are no guarantees, I have to prove myself in training.
"If a team has been so successful, new players such as [Robert] Lewandowski and I are also important to maintain the hunger for success."
Rode has made 17 Bundesliga appearances for Frankfurt so far this term, but has not featured since February due to a knee injury.
Arsenal were close to agreeing a fee in January for the Germany international but the player's agent expects the 20-year-old to remain in the Bundesliga
Julian Draxler is likely to stay at Schalke for another season, according to the player's agent.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger targeted the 20-year-old forward in January and was close to agreeing a fee with the German club before the transfer collapsed shortly before the window deadline.
The Gunners are expected to make a renewed effort to sign the Germany international in the summer but Draxler's agent, Roger Wittman, anticipates the player will remain with the Bundesliga club for another year at least despite continued interest from top clubs.
He told Sport Bild: "Why should a player leave the club if the club have just built a top team? I also think it's good if players stick to what they have signed.
"It would take an awful lot to happen for one of the two [Draxler or Jefferson Farfan] to leave. And even then I'm not sure it would be possible.
"The players understand that there is currently a lot of peace at the club and a lot of optimism about their future there."
Those sentiments were echoed by Schalke chairman Clemens Torries, who said: "If nothing extraordinary happens, Julian will stay with us.
"I am convinced that he will play even longer than this one next season at Schalke. Then we will see"
Draxler has also been linked with a possible switch to Bayern Munich, although chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said last month that the German champions were not plotting a move for the player.
The striker's current deal expires in 2015 but he wants to focus on finishing second in the Bundesliga before opening talks regarding his future
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar has revealed he will not consider a new contract at Schalke until after this summer's World Cup.
The 30-year-old's current deal is due to expire in 2015 and the Gelsenkirchen club are eager to tie their star man down as they bid to build for next season.
Huntelaar, however, is determined to focus on ending the campaign on a high rather than being distracted by negotiations over a contract extension.
"I feel good at Schalke, but I do not know what will happen," said Huntelaar, speaking to Bild.
"We need to achieve something this season before we talk about the future. It will be after rather than before the World Cup.
"We're trying to win the last four games and at the expense of Borussia Dortmund to finish runners-up.”
Huntelaar has endured an injury-hit campaign, but the former Real Madrid and Milan star has still managed an impressive return of 11 goals in 15 Bundesliga appearances for Jens Keller's men.
The France international says it's only human that the Bundesliga champions have struggled in recent weeks
Bayern Munich winger Franck Ribery has admitted the Bavarians have lost focus since they were crowned Bundesliga champions against Hertha Berlin on March 25.
The Allianz Arena side have won just two of their last six games, but the France international believes their recent slump is only human nature as a result of their recent domestic success.
"Perhaps we were crowned champions too early in the season. It has affected our focus," Ribery told ARD.
"We are not machines, we're all human beings. We get tired as well.
"Each and every player wants to win every game, but that's simply not possible. We have to play as a team every game. We are playing for ourselves and for the fans, to gain confidence and rhythm.
"And we are Bayern, so we must win each game."
Bayern will be looking to return to winning ways in Bundesliga away against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday after losing their previous two league games versus Augsburg and Borussia Dortmund.
Hannover claimed a vital 3-2 triumph at Eintracht Frankfurt to bolster their bid for Bundesliga safety.
Tayfun Korkut's men flew out of the blocks as Leon Andreasen headed home Christian Pander's cross to give them a second-minute lead.
Frankfurt pulled level with 13 minutes gone, though, as Martin Lanig on the end of a wonderfully delivered Tranquillo Barnetta free-kick that caught the Hannover defence napping.
A pulsating first half continued as midfielder Lars Stindl nodded home his second goal in as many games to restore the visitors' advantage after Pander once again supplied the ammunition.
Hannover striker Ya Konan added a third just before the half-hour mark, collecting a precision pass from Andreasen and coolly slotting beyond Kevin Trapp in the Frankfurt goal.
Andreasen and Szabolcs Huszti hit post and bar respectively as Hannover threatened to run riot but they were left hanging on after Alexander Meier powered home to set up a grandstand finish.
The result moves Hannover level on points with their hosts and eight points above the bottom three.
Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp was full of praise for former club Mainz and coach Thomas Tuchel ahead of their Bundesliga clash.
Klopp spent seven years in charge of Saturday's opponents before leaving them for Dortmund in 2008, and a win at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday would mark a sixth consecutive victory over his former employers.
The 46-year-old - who also played for Mainz for 12 years between 1989 and 2001 - sung the praises of his old club and Tuchel, who has been in the Coface Arena hotseat since August 2009.
"They are an established Bundesliga team now and I'm delighted for them," Klopp said.
"They are in very good shape, and Thomas could train any club in the world."
Dortmund would assure themselves of an automatic spot in next season's UEFA Champions League with a fourth straight Bundesliga victory this weekend, and they head into the game in high spirits.
Klopp's men destroyed already-crowned champions Bayern Munich 3-0 at the Allianz Arena in their last league outing, and followed that up with a 2-0 win over Wolfsburg in Tuesday's DFB-Pokal semi-final.
After the disappointment of exiting this season's Champions League in the last eight, a strong finish to what, at times, has been a difficult league campaign would set Dortmund up perfectly for their cup final against Bayern on May 17.
Mainz, meanwhile, have clear goals of their own to chase, with Tuchel's team still harbouring hopes of a top-four finish.
They currently lie seventh, four points adrift of fourth-placed Bayer Leverkusen, but they have been inconsistent in recent weeks, losing three of their last five Bundesliga matches.
A spot in the UEFA Europa League looks well within their reach, though, as they are just two points behind Borussia Monchengladbach in sixth with a trip to face Lucien Favre's men still to come next month.
In November's reverse fixture, Robert Lewandowski scored twice in a 3-1 win for Dortmund and Mainz will have to find a better way to cope with the Bundesliga's joint top scorer on Saturday.
Klopp revealed on Thursday that Dortmund keeper Roman Weidenfeller will miss out with a groin injury, with Mitchell Langerak set to deputise, while the coach also confirmed club captain Sebastian Kehl is doubtful with a knock.
For the visitors, long-term absentees Julian Baumgartlinger (knee) and Dani Schahin (groin) have returned to training, but this weekend will come too soon for the pair.
Bundesliga Preview: Eintracht Braunschweig v Bayern Munich
17 April 2014
Arjen Robben has called on Bayern Munich to arrest their Bundesliga slump in the top-versus-bottom clash with Eintracht Braunschweig.
Bayern completed the defence of their title in record time, wrapping up the crown with seven games to spare at Hertha Berlin on March 25, and have also moved into the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League and the DFB-Pokal final - meaning a second successive treble is on the cards.
However, Wednesday's 5-1 demolition of second-tier Kaiserslautern in the Pokal semi-finals was Bayern's first domestic victory in four games, as they have taken their foot off their gas since their title-wiining party in the capital.
Pep Guardiola's men have earned just one point from their last three Bundesliga outings - a far cry from their run of 53 league matches without defeat, which came to an end at Augsburg two weeks ago.
A 3-0 loss at home to rivals Borussia Dortmund in last weekend's Der Klassiker was particularly galling for the Bavarian giants, but they have the perfect chance to get back to winning ways at rock-bottom Braunschweig this weekend.
And Robben is looking for a timely boost ahead of the Champions League semi-final first leg against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu on Wednesday.
"We're not quite at our best at the moment and there's still room for improvement. We have to do better in the coming weeks, starting against (Eintracht) Braunschweig on Saturday," the Dutchman told the official Bundesliga website.
"We have to show we're ready. Winning is also important as it will help our confidence ahead of the Real game."
For Braunschweig, time is fast running out to stave off the threat of relegation.
Torsten Lieberknecht's men are two points below the relegation play-off spot, while the gap to 15th - which guarantees safety - is three.
Braunschweig had been on a three-match unbeaten league run until they suffered a disappointing 2-0 setback at fellow strugglers Freiburg last weekend.
The hosts will be without defender Jan Washausen, with the 25-year-old suffering a serious knee injury in training on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the trip to Eintracht-Stadion is likely to come too soon for Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (calf), while full-back Rafinha begins his three-match ban after being sent off against Dortmund.
The Spanish coach took the blame for his side's lack of intensity in recent weeks and is confident they will put in a good performance against Madrid
Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola is hopeful an increased intensity in training can inspire a repeat of last season's treble.
Guardiola's side have already wrapped up their Bundesliga defence and remain in the hunt for Champions League and DFB-Pokal success.
Having been far from their best in the aggregate quarter-final victory over Manchester United, Bayern were then comprehensively beaten 3-0 by Borussia Dortmund last Saturday as they suffered back-to-back Bundesliga defeats.
After progressing to the Pokal final with a 5-1 win over Kaiserslautern in midweek, Bayern face Eintracht Braunschweig before taking on Real Madrid in the first-leg of their Champions League semi-final.
And Guardiola acknowledged a lack of intensity in training could have contributed to their mini-slump, which he admits was his mistake.
"The game [at Braunschweig] is very important to us. It is the last test before the game against Real Madrid," he said.
"I am sure that against Real Madrid, one of the best teams in the world, we will put on a good performance.
"After the game against Dortmund, we improved our training intensity. That was my mistake and not the players."
Guardiola will be without Manuel Neuer and David Alaba for the game against the Bundesliga's lowest side - the former having limped out of the defeat to Dortmund with a calf problem.
Alaba is suffering with flu although Guardiola did have positive news on the recovery of Thiago Alcantara, who was ruled out for up to eight weeks with a knee injury in March.
"His healing process is proceeding according to plan," he said.
"We know how important the game in Braunschweig is. The best players will play. There are some injured so no rotation. We can not afford to rest."
Tayfun Korkut believes his Hannover side still have work to do in their survival battle, despite Thursday's win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
Korkut's men came through an enthralling encounter 3-2 at the Commerzbank-Arena, with four of the goals coming in the opening half an hour.
While Alexander Meier pulled a second goal back for Frankfurt after the break, it failed to spark a comeback for the hosts as Korkut's side moved up to 12th - eight points off the relegation zone.
With three games remaining, Korku has warned his players that their Bundesliga status is not yet assured.
"That was a very, very important win for us but mathematically we are still not safe," he said in quotes reported by Kicker.
"The team has won and it was richly deserved. I am proud to be coach of such a team."
Frankfurt coach Armin Veh said he always felt the fixture was likely to cause his side problems and voiced his frustration at the result.
"I had a bad feeling before the game," he said.
"We played as if we were already safe. I said before the last game that we are not safe but I was the only voice in the wilderness."
Bundesliga relegation battle, fight for 4th heat up, while Bayern warms up for Real Madrid
Ciaran Fahey The Associated Press
April 17, 2014 04:29 AM
Munich head coach Pep Guardiola points during the German soccer cup, DFB Pokal, semifinal match between FC Bayern Munich and FC Kaiserslautern in the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, on Wednesday, April 16. 2014. (AP Photo/Kerstin Joensson)
BERLIN - The relegation battle and race for the last Champions League qualification spot take centre stage in the Bundesliga with just four games of the season remaining. League champion Bayern Munich has already turned its attention to defending its Champions League and German Cup titles and will use the remaining games as warm-ups for Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund. There are no games on Friday so the 31st round of games gets underway Thursday night with Eintracht Frankfurt hosting Hannover. Here are five things to know ahead of the Easter weekend's games:
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BAYERN'S BUMPY RIDE
Three straight Bundesliga defeats seems unthinkable for Bayern, previously unbeaten in a league record 53 games, but the champions have their eyes firmly on other prizes, offering a glimmer of hope for bottom side Eintracht Braunschweig on Saturday.
Bayern responded to last weekend's 3-0 loss at home to Dortmund by beating Kaiserslautern 5-1 on Wednesday for a chance to "correct" the result - as Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge put it - when the sides meet again in the German Cup final in May.
Bayern visits Real Madrid for the sides' Champions League semifinal first leg next Wednesday for Pep Guardiola's team's biggest game of the season to date, and the Spaniard is unlikely to take any undue risks at Braunschweig.
Both Toni Kroos and Rafinha are suspended, while Braunschweig will be without defender Ermin Bicakcic and top scorer Domi Kumbela.
"Home games are there to be won," Braunschweig coach Torsten Lieberknecht said.
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RELEGATION DESPERATION
Braunschweig is last with 25 points but only three points away from safety, ensuring an exciting end to the season, at least at one end of the table.
The relegation rivals all face tough games this weekend, with Nuremberg (26 points), Hamburger SV (27) and Stuttgart (28) playing opponents that are targeting Champions League football next season.
Nuremberg, which has lost seven of its last eight games, hosts fourth-place Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday, when Stuttgart welcomes third-place Schalke, while Hamburg hosts Wolfsburg on Saturday.
"We can beat each of our last four opponents," Hamburg sports director Oliver Kreuzer insisted. "We have quality."
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RACE FOR FOURTH
The race for the last Champions League qualification place also promises to be an exciting one, with four teams within four points of each other.
Bayer Leverkusen (51 points) has reassumed pole position since firing Sami Hyypia as coach, but Wolfsburg is just a point behind, Borussia Moenchengladbach is another back in sixth, while Mainz is seventh, on 47 points.
"We have to go bit by bit to be better and more consistent," Leverkusen interim coach Sascha Lewandowski said. "We have many, many areas that need work."
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DORTMUND CELEBRATING
Second-place Dortmund has found form at the right time, albeit with the Bundesliga title well out of sight.
Juergen Klopp's side has won four games across all competitions, including impressive wins over Bayern (3-0 in Munich) and Real Madrid (2-0 at home), and can look forward to facing Bayern in the German Cup final in May after beating Wolfsburg 2-0 in the semifinals on Tuesday.
"What we have achieved this week is extraordinary," Dortmund chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke said. "I know now for sure that we are having another great season."
Klopp returns to Mainz on Saturday, where the 46-year-old played between 1990-2001 and coached between 2001-08 before switching to Dortmund.
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FREIBURG, NOT YET
Freiburg garnered 13 points from its last six games, including three from last week's relegation six-pointer with Braunschweig, but the modest club is not yet safe, with four points separating it from the bottom four.
"I'll do everything to stop anyone coming to the idea that we can play the last four games as though we're already saved. That would be madness," Freiburg coach Christian Streich said. "Behind us are teams like Hamburg and Stuttgart. That says everything."
Freiburg has a tricky final four games, with Moenchengladbach visiting on Saturday, followed by Wolfsburg away, Schalke at home, and Hannover away.
The last game could prove crucial, with Hannover currently level on points.
Bundesliga Wrap: Hamburg beaten, Freiburg see off Monchengladbach
19 April 2014
Hamburg's survival hopes were dealt another blow with a 3-1 defeat at the hands of Wolfsburg on Saturday.
The six-time German champions have never dropped out of the Bundesliga, but missed the chance to escape the relegation play-off place as Wolfsburg climbed to fourth.
With Hannover having beaten Eintracht Frankfurt on Thursday and Freiburg seeing off Borussia Monchengladbach, the battle to avoid demotion now appears to involve just four teams.
Hamburg are a point behind fourth-bottom Stuttgart and will hope Huub Stevens' men are not able to beat Schalke on Sunday.
Wolfsburg showed no fatigue following their DFB-Pokal semi-final defeat to Borussia Dortmund in midweek, with Ivan Perisic opening the scoring after two minutes.
Kevin de Bruyne and Ivica Olic added further goals either side of the interval and Wolfsburg recorded a comfortable win despite a consolation from Ivo Ilicevic and Luis Gustavo's late dismissal for two bookable offences.
They remain on course for the final UEFA Champions League place, while Mirko Slomka's men have plenty of work to do if they are to stay in the top up.
Admir Mehmedi's brace helped Freiburg to a 4-2 win over 10-man Monchengladbach, who saw Granit Xhaka sent off with the score at 1-1.
Despite the defeat, Monchengladbach remained in the final UEFA Europa League qualifying spot due to Mainz's defeat at Borussia Dortmund.
Against the club he both played for and managed, Jurgen Klopp masterminded a fifth straight victory as his charges built on their Pokal semi-final win.
Milos Jojic, Robert Lewandowski, Lukasz Piszczek and Marco Reus were on target for Dortmund, the latter scoring a penalty after Niko Bungert had seen red.
Bayern Munich avoided a third straight league defeat by beating Eintracht Braunschweig.
In the battle of top against bottom, there was a predictable result, although the champions had to wait until the 75th minute for Claudio Pizarro's opener, with Mario Mandzukic adding a second four minutes from time.
Werder Bremen came from a goal down to see off Hoffenheim 3-1, while the game between Augsburg and Hertha Berlin ended goalless.
Bundesliga Wrap: Stuttgart move clear as Nuremberg lose again
20 April 2014
Stuttgart moved four points clear of the Bundesliga's bottom three with a 3-1 win over UEFA Champions League-chasing Schalke on Sunday.
Huub Stevens' arrival at the Mercedes-Benz Arena has sparked an upturn in form for Stuttgart, who have picked up 11 points from a possible 21 under the Dutchman.
Their latest triumph came at the cost of one of Stevens' former clubs, with Martin Harnik opening the scoring from Daniel Didavi's free-kick 23 minutes in.
Cacau spurned a gilt-edged chance to extend Stuttgart's advantage eight minutes before half-time, but atoned for that miss after the interval when he converted Ibrahima Traore's cross.
The goal was the Germany international's first since September 2012.
Harnik's second put a rampant Stuttgart in control, meaning Adam Szalai's consolation effort counted for little with Schalke now sat four points clear of Bayer Leverkusen, who resumed fourth place with a 4-1 thumping of Nuremberg.
Sascha Lewandowski has now won both games in charge since resuming first-team duties in the wake of Sami Hyypia's sacking to keep Leverkusen's Champions League hopes on track.
Hamburg's 3-1 defeat to Wolfsburg on Saturday gave Nuremberg the chance to jump into the relegation play-off place, but they capitulated in front of their home fans.
Emir Spahic lashed Leverkusen into a 16th-minute lead, but the visitors remained shaky at the back and Marvin Plattenhardt's free-kick from wide deceived everyone to sneak in for an equaliser.
Leverkusen turned the heat up in the second half though and went back ahead through Sebastian Boenisch's deflected effort.
Spahic netted a second after getting on the end of a rapid Son Heung-Min breakaway and Roberto Hilbert punished sloppy defending to add a dominant air to the scoreline.
