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The midfielder was expected to miss up to eight weeks of action but has made a rapid recovery and could feature in the season run-in
Thiago Alcantara has returned to training with Bayern Munich four weeks after suffering a knee injury against Hoffenheim.
The 22-year-old midfielder suffered the injury in the 25th minute of their 3-3 draw at the Allianz Arena last month and was expected to miss six to eight weeks.
However, the Spain international has made good progress in his rehabilitation and could make a return before the end of the season.
Thiago's return will be a boost to Pep Guardiola but it will be Spain coach Vicente Del Bosque who is most excited to hear the news with the midfielder back in contention for the World Cup in Brazil.
Bayern announced on their website: "Welcome back, Thiago!
"The Spanish international has resumed training four weeks after suffering a partial ligament rupture in his right knee.
"Thiago completed two intensive sessions with fitness coach Thomas Wilhelmi on Saturday and Sunday.
"The plan is to increase intensity levels over the next few days. If all goes well the 23-year-old may be able to make an appearance in the run-in."
Thiago arrived at Bayern at the start of the season from Barcelona, and has made 28 appearances in all competitions, scoring five goals.
Bayer Leverkusen striker Stefan Kiessling has been ruled out of the final weeks of the season with a thigh injury.
Kiessling suffered the injury in the closing stages of Leverkusen's 2-2 draw with Borussia Dortmund on Saturday, and will play no further part in the season for Sascha Lewandowski's men.
The 30-year-old has scored 15 goals in the Bundesliga this season to help Leverkusen into the top four, including five in his last eight appearances.
However, he will not be able to add to that tally, leaving Lewandowski with a gap to fill as Leverkusen look to hold off Wolfsburg and seal UEFA Champions League football.
A club statement confirmed: "An MRI scan on Sunday morning confirmed the 30-year-old suffered a torn muscle in his left thigh in the closing stages of the match against Borussia Dortmund.
"Kies will be sidelined for the last two games of the season away to Eintracht Frankfurt and at home to Werder Bremen."
The youngster has set playing in this summer's tournament in Brazil as his ultimate aim for the season, confident that he will secure a place in Joachim Low's Germany squad
Schalke's Julian Draxler is adamant that he will be part of the Germany team competing in this summer's World Cup in Brazil.
The Royal Blues attacking midfielder has ten senior caps to his name, scoring once in a 4-3 friendly defeat against the United States last June, and is regarded as one of Europe's most promising young talents.
However, despite a fairly indifferent domestic campaign with Schalke, scoring only once and contributing seven assists in 23 Bundesliga games, the youngster believes that fully capable of achieving his aims for the season, with World Cup participation the main goal.
"First of all I want to achieve direct qualification for the Champions League with Schalke," 20-year-old was quoted by Der Westen.
"That would be perfect. But then I will go to the World Cup - no question."
Draxler's confidence in his ability is shared by the Gelsenkirchen outfit's general manager, Horst Heldt, who believes that the talented forward will reject interest from European clubs such as Arsenal to continue his development at the club.
"For Julian the right way is just as it is now," the 44-year-old German said.
"I am firmly convinced that Julian is staying with us - it makes us very happy to say that."
Schalke are currently third in the Bundesliga with 58 points from 31 games, seven behind second-placed Borussia Dortmund who have played a game more.
The German defender would love to play alongside his former team-mate once against but says their attacking line is strong anyway
Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels has admitted that he would love to see Shinji Kagawa return to the club from Manchester United.
The Japan international left Singal Iduna Park in 2012 for Old Trafford, but has failed to stamp his mark on the English champions' first team in his two years in the Premier League.
He has said in the past that he is frustrated by his situation at United and Hummels says the would be happy to line up alongside his former team-mate again.
"We would take him with open arms, of course," he told Kicker.
"Having an offensive line with [Marco] Reus, [Henrikh] Mkhitaryan and Kagawa would certainly be stylish.
"But I would not say anything about the other great players we have playing for us. The attacking midfield is probably the best part of our team without Shinji."
BVB have pledged to spend big this summer and Hummels took time to deny that his team-mates would get jealous of a marquee signing who would draw a bigger salary.
"I cannot imagine that it would be a big issue with us. In our team we are not only out for success," he continued.
"At the end of the day, everyone is repsonsible for their own contracts. Nobody forced us to sign them. We want to play good football.
"If we had a star attacker who earned more money than us, no one would feel bad about it."
Hitzfeld bows out with Switzerland after 45-year career
By Brian Homewood
BERNE Mon Apr 28, 2014 10:16pm EDT
Switzerland's national soccer team coach Ottmar Hitzfeld walks out at half-time during their 2014 World Cup qualifying soccer match against Iceland at the Stade de Suisse in Bern September 6, 2013. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich
(Reuters) - Ottmar Hitzfeld, one of Europe's most successful coaches at club level, will bow out in Brazil after a 45-year career which has brought him seven Bundesliga titles, two Champions League winners' medals and one extraordinary defeat.
Hitzfeld will be leading Switzerland to the World Cup for the second time, having also been in charge of a bitter-sweet campaign in South Africa four years ago.
On that occasion, the Swiss started with a spectacular upset against Spain, beating the eventual champions 1-0, yet failed to score another goal and went out in the group stage after a dismal goalless draw against Honduras.
"I would like to live without this pressure, I've had it for a long time and it's been great, but now it's time to bow out and this World Cup, which is a highlight, is the right time," said Hitzfeld, who turned down a two-year contract extension.
The 65-year-old German led Borussia Dortmund to two Bundesliga titles, Bayern Munich to five and also won the Champions League once with each. He is one of only four coaches to win Europe's top club trophy with two teams.
But Hitzfeld will also be remembered for the 2-1 loss to Manchester United in the 1999 Champions League final, when his team dominated the game but lost to two goals in the astonishing final minutes.
Hitzfeld was born near Basel, on the other side of the Swiss border, and speaks the local Swiss dialect. A former striker, he spent a considerable part of his playing career in Switzerland and also began his coaching career there, in 1983.
Perhaps not surprisingly for a former maths teacher, Hitzfeld prepares for matches with geometric precision although he can also think on his feet and conjure up a solution when things do not go according to plan.
He does not tolerate indiscipline. During his early days at Bayern he showed Mario Basler the door following a nocturnal escapade and also fined a number of top players for various misdemeanours.
However, Hitzfeld is not just a disciplinarian. His management of players is generally considered excellent, so much so that former Daimler-Chrysler chief Juergen Schrempp once described him as a role model for German business leaders.
But he decided late last year that enough was enough.
"After 30 years in the strength-sapping world of football, the time has come for me to stop," he said. "I can live without football, there are more important things in life and my wife will be happy about this."
(Reporting By Brian Homewood; editing by Robert Woodward and Mike Collett)
Hamburg look set to welcome back captain Rafael van der Vaart for Saturday's visit of Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
The Dutchman has missed Hamburg's last two matches with a thigh injury, but is in line for a return to help ease the side's relegation fears after training in midweek.
Hamburg could this weekend be condemned to a bottom-three finish - with their record of never having been relegated from the German top flight in danger.
However, coach Mirko Slomka is hopeful the skipper's return could help offer some attacking threat against a Bayern side knocked out of the UEFA Champions League convincingly by Real Madrid on Tuesday.
"Recently, we were not effective enough. The goalscoring tally in recent games (is something) we have to change," Slomka is quoted as saying by the Hamburger Morgenpost.
"I am pleased that he will return. We are much too weak going forward."
Hamburg must win against Bayern and Mainz to have any chance of avoiding a relegation play-off, while they could still slip into the automatic drop zone depending on how Nuremberg and Eintracht Braunschweig beneath them fare.
The 61-year-old received an overwhelming majority of 99.6 per cent of votes to replace Uli Hoeness at the helm of the club, with Rudolf Schels becoming vice-president
Karl Hopfner has been named as the new president of Bayern Munich, succeeding Uli Hoeness to the role.
Former president Hoeness stepped down from the post in March after being sentenced to three and a half years in prison for tax evasion.
Bayern called an extraordinary general meeting on Friday to determine who would succeed the 62-year-old, and have since announced that Hopfner - the former senior vice-president - will take up the post having received a massive majority of 99.6 per cent of the votes, while Rudolf Schels has moved into the senior vice-president role.
"Thank you for your tremendous confidence," he told assembled shareholders and reporters. "I will take up the post with heart, passion and soul, as I have done for over 31 years in various positions.
"I am proud to be part of the Bayern family and will always look to work for the benefit of FC Bayern Munich."
Hopfner became deputy chairman for Bayern's executive board in 2002 having previously held the post of managing director from 1983 until the mid 1990s. He was widely praised for his work on stabilising the club's finances during his initial years with the club.
The 61-year-old also sits on Uefa's club committee and has worked closely with the German Football Association.
Hoeness is expected to return to a position at the club once his term in prison has been served.
The former Barcelona boss has stressed he will stay true to his possession-based style of play
Bayern Munich coach Pep Guardiola has insisted he will not waver from his football philosophy despite the criticism which has come his way this week.
The former Barcelona boss' methods have been questioned after his team turned in a sterile performance over two legs against Real Madrid, eventually going out 5-0 on aggregate to the Spaniards in the Champions League semi-finals.
But Guardiola, who has led the Bavarians to the Bundesliga title in his first season in charge, remains steadfast in his beliefs and is adamant the Bayern players will need to adapt to him, rather than the other way round.
"I have my own philosophy and we will use my philosophy against Hamburg, against Stuttgart, in the DFB-Pokal final and next year," Guardiola stated at a press conference.
"I didn't come here to change Germany's football culture, but I do have my own ideas about the game. I can't teach the players another coach's ideas, so the players will have to adapt to my ideas. I cannot be Bayern coach if I have to say things I don't agree with. That would be bad for the club and for the players, who are intelligent. They wouldn't trust me if I wasn't true to myself.
"The loss against Real Madrid has further strengthened my belief in my own philosophy. We lost in the Champions League semi-finals against a great team. These things happen every now and then. It's a shame.
"It's up to the club to decide whether I'm the right coach for this club. That's not up to me."
The 43-year-old stressed he was happy with his squad and dismissed speculation the likes of Thomas Muller, Mario Gotze and Javi Martinez, all of whom have struggled to hold down a first-team place this season, will leave this summer.
He added: "I will discuss our transfer plans with the club, but I am happy with our current squad. We put in some great performances with these players and in this formation. We still have the DFB-Pokal final to go and will sit down with the bosses after that. We would also have analysed the squad if we had made the Champions League final. This defeat does not change anything.
"I understand the players' desire to play. I understand Muller, Martinez and Gotze. They all want to play. But I have to make the decision what's best for the team. Each player wants to play his own game, but that's simply not possible. I have to convince them which way is the best way.
"I have no doubt that Muller, Martinez and Gotze will still play for Bayern next season and will do a good job. That is my opinion."
In addition to their Bundesliga success, Guardiola's Bayern could also win the DFB-Pokal. They take on Borussia Dortmund in the final on May 17.
Bayern must decide if I am the right man, says Guardiola
2 May 2014
Pep Guardiola has said his future is in Bayern Munich's hands following the club's UEFA Champions League defeat to Real Madrid.
The Spaniard's tactical approach has been criticised after Bayern were beaten 5-0 on aggregate by Real in the last four of Europe's premier club competition.
However, although Bayern can no longer retain their European crown, former Barcelona coach Guardiola has no intention of altering the methods that have brought him considerable success.
The 43-year-old won numerous honours at Camp Nou and has already secured the Bundesliga title in his first season after succeeding Jupp Heynckes at the Allianz Arena.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Guardiola said: "The club must decide if the coach is the right one for the club. I won't change my opinion about the club and the people who work here after one defeat.
"I feel like a part of the club and will do my best with my ideas until the last day.
"If we don't win, it doesn't help me if Kalle (Bayern chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge) and (sporting director) Matthias (Sammer) are convinced by me.
"If we lose, I have the risk. It's a big club, you always have to win.
"If it doesn't happen, maybe the club decides differently."
Bayern will look to get back to winning ways against relegation-threatened Hamburg in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Bayern Munich centre-back Holger Badstuber has returned to training after a lengthy injury nightmare.
The Germany international has not played for the Bundesliga champions since suffering a cruciate ligament tear in his knee against Borussia Dortmund in December 2012.
A recurrence of the same injury last May forced Badstuber into another stint on the sidelines, but there may be light at the end of the tunnel for the 25-year-old after he joined his team-mates for training on Thursday.
In a further boost for Pep Guardiola's side, forward Xherdan Shaqiri stepped up his recovery from a hamstring problem, and is close to a full return to training.
The 22-year-old is targeting a return in the DFB-Pokal final against Borussia Dortmund on May 17.
"I hope I'm ready for selection again in the cup final and can help the team there," he told the club's official website.
Bayern are looking for a swift response to their demoralising UEFA Champions League exit to Real Madrid on Tuesday, when they visit relegation-threatened Hamburg on Saturday.
Bundesliga Preview: Injured Harnik may play for Stuttgart
1 May 2014
Stuttgart could have Martin Harnik available for their crucial Bundesliga clash on Saturday despite the Austrian winger needing shoulder surgery.
Harnik dislocated his shoulder in Stuttgart's 0-0 draw at Hannover last week, which took the relegation-threatened Swabian club five points clear of the Bundesliga's drop zone with two games left.
Stuttgart will host high-flying Wolfsburg in the penultimate round knowing a draw should be enough to secure top-flight football for next season, and Harnik could play after the 26-year-old was involved in training on Tuesday.
Huub Stevens' Stuttgart have not lost in four games as they attempt to avoid relegation and Georg Niedermeier believes the Dutch coach's focus on defence has been crucial, as his side have conceded just two goals in that period.
"Stevens values defensive work greatly and that has worked very well for us of late," the 28-year-old defender said.
The draw at Hannover took 15th-placed Stuttgart to 32 points, five clear of Hamburg, who occupy the relegation play-off position.
The team that finishes 16th in the Bundesliga must play a two-legged play-off against the third-placed team in the second division for a spot in the top tier.
Harnik trained away from the main group in Stuttgart's first session following Saturday's draw but is expected to take part in full training later in the week in the hope he can prove his fitness for the match against Wolfsburg.
The winger is Stuttgart's equal leading goal-scorer in the Bundesliga this season alongside Vedad Ibisevic with 10.
Wolfsburg will travel south to Stuttgart knowing a victory will secure European football for next season.
Dieter Hecking's Wolfsburg have lost just one of their past eight Bundesliga games and have 54 points in fifth, four more than seventh-placed Mainz, who sit just outside the European qualifying berths.
Mainz travel to sixth-placed Borussia Monchengladbach, for what shapes as something of a winner-takes-all encounter, in terms of Germany's second UEFA Europa League berth.
Gladbach have 52 points; two more than Mainz.
Hamburg (27 points) face a tough challenge as they attempt to maintain their record of never being relegated from the Bundesliga as they host champions Bayern Munich just days after the Bavarians were dumped from the UEFA Champions League.
Nuremberg (26) are second from bottom but could leap above Hamburg with a win against Hannover, as could last-placed Eintracht Braunschweig (25) who host Augsburg.
Schalke have lost their past two games but will wrap up third spot and an automatic berth in next season's Champions League if they get a better result against Freiburg than fourth-placed Bayer Leverkusen manage at Eintracht Frankfurt.
In other matches, Borussia Dortmund will host Hoffenheim and Hertha Berlin will visit Werder Bremen.
Hamburg hope to take advantage of Bayern Munich's deflated mood as they struggle to preserve their ever-present status in the Bundesliga.
Standing proud as the only club to have taken part in every Bundesliga season since its inception in 1963, Hamburg's disappointing campaign leaves that record in severe danger.
Mirko Slomka's side currently sit 16th in the table, a position which would put them into a two-legged play-off with the third-placed side in the second tier, to decide who plays in the top flight next season.
With the 15th-placed Stuttgart five points clear of Hamburg with only two games remaining, a play-off looks Hamburg's best chance of survival, with Nuremberg and bottom club Eintracht Braunschweig one and two points behind them respectively, in the automatic relegation spots.
A 2-1 win over UEFA Champions League-chasing Bayer Leverkusen last month raised hopes of an escape, but three successive defeats since then have left Hamburg facing the harsh reality of dropping into the second tier.
Slomka, who took over from the sacked Bert van Marwijk in February, concedes that recent displays have not been of a high enough standard.
"It is true that how the players have recently performed is nowhere near enough and that they are playing with the very existence of staff at the club," he said.
"We made that very clear to them before training on Tuesday by using a video."
Saturday sees them welcome a wounded Bayern outfit to the Imtech Arena, with Pep Guardiola's men hurting after a 4-0 mauling at the hands of Real Madrid in their Champions League semi-final second leg.
It has been suggested that winning the title so early has hindered Bayern's preparations for matches at the business end of the season, with Tuesday's thrashing leading to question about the possession-based style employed by manager Pep Guardiola.
With two league matches remaining, Bayern will be hoping for a positive end to the campaign before their DFB Pokal final against Borussia Dortmund on May 17.
In the aftermath of the crushing defeat in midweek, forward Thomas Muller has backed his side to respond.
"We won't let our heads drop," he said. "We've been successful over the past year and a half and now we've suffered a setback. We're not going to hide away for the next three weeks."
Slomka said that playmaker Rafael van der Vaart had trained "very well" after missing the last two matches with a thigh problem, while Bayern have no new injury concerns, with Thiago Alcantara (knee), Xherdan Shaqiri (thigh) and Holger Badstuber (knee) all continuing their rehabilitation in training this week.
Bundesliga Preview: Borussia Dortmund v Hoffenheim
1 May 2014
Jurgen Klopp paid tribute to Robert Lewandowski ahead of his final home match for Borussia Dortmund against Hoffenheim on Saturday.
Poland international Lewandowski arrived at the Bundesliga giants from Lech Poznan in 2010 and has established himself as one of the best strikers in the world during his time at Dortmund.
The 25-year-old - who has scored 72 Bundesliga goals during his time at the club - will now bid farewell to the home supporters when Dortmund host Markus Gisdol's men, ahead of his free transfer to rivals and Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich.
Dortmund head coach Klopp harbours no ill-feeling towards the forward however, and says he leaves the club a "world-class" striker.
"He arrived as a great striker and leaves as a world-class striker," Klopp said at his pre-match press conference.
Lewandowski will play for Dortmund twice after Saturday's encounter, firstly in the club's last Bundesliga fixture at Hertha Berlin before he faces his future employers in the May 17 final of the DFB-Pokal.
"Lewandowski has been a brilliant striker for us and it's been a great time," Klopp added. "I hope he gives it everything in his last 3 games."
Dortmund head into the encounter protecting a seven-match unbeaten run in Germany's top flight, and their fine run has left Klopp's charges wondering what might have been had they not suffered such a horrendous injury crisis in defence this season.
They still sit 19 points behind already-crowned champions Bayern Munich in second, but will see full-back Marcel Schmelzer return from a groin injury, while Erik Durm (ankle) could also come into contention.
However, captain Sebastian Kehl (hamstring) and fellow midfielder Oliver Kirch (illness) will miss out.
Dortmund's recent upturn in form is sure to be tested by a Hoffenheim side that have performed admirably in the Bundesliga this season.
Hoffenheim only preserved their top-flight status after winning at Dortmund in the final league game of last season, before beating second-tier Kaiserslautern in the relegation play-off.
Gisdol's men have had a far more comfortable campaign this time around and, with just two games remaining, appear set to clinch a top-10 finish.
They currently sit ninth, but forward Anthony Modeste - who has 12 league goals this term - will miss out for Hoffenheim through suspension.
Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has slammed the reaction to his club's UEFA Champions League semi-final defeat as 'sickening'.
Real Madrid thrashed Bayern 4-0 on Tuesday to complete a 5-0 aggregate victory, ending the reigning champions' bid for back-to-back European Cups.
Bayern looked out of sorts in Munich and simply could not match Real, which has prompted widespread criticism of the approach of coach Pep Guardiola, but Rummenigge hit out at the critics on Friday.
"It's sickening how this team and its manager have been treated," the 58-year-old was quoted as saying by Spanish newspaper Marca.
"We haven't lost against any old team. These things can happen. It's not a catastrophe."
Rummenigge reiterated his belief in Guardiola's tactics, with the former Barcelona coach having turned Bayern into a team that dominates possession - just like the Catalan club did courtesy of Lionel Messi and Xavi - in just one season.
"Pep is a very successful manager and a great person. We must be happy that he is with us," Rummenigge said.
Bayern have already wrapped up this season's Bundesliga title and could win the DFB Pokal, if they overcome Borussia Dortmund in Berlin on May 17.
A raft of injuries to key players and a tough final fortnight has put Hamburg's perfect Bundesliga record under serious threat.
Hamburg are the only club to have played in all 51 seasons of the Bundesliga but after last week's 3-1 loss at Augsburg, the north German club have slipped five points from safety ahead of a clash with champions Bayern Munich on Saturday.
The northerners will complete their league campaign with a trip to Mainz, who could still be chasing UEFA Europa League qualification on the final day.
The injury list at Imtech Arena includes four regular first XI players, while Tolgay Arslan, who has made the most Bundesliga appearances this season, is suspended.
In a boost for Hamburg coach Mirko Slomka, captain Rafael van der Vaart (calf) and veteran Heiko Westermann (illness) will be available for selection against Bayern but the 46-year-old tactician knows it will be incredibly tough to get anything from the Bavarian giants.
"The lay of the land's pretty obvious when you're up against FC Bayern," Slomka said on Friday.
"But obviously we're going to go out there and give it everything we've got.
"We want to try to get right on top of them, make it as uncomfortable as possible and look to create the odd chance of our own."
Hamburg is expected to be without leading goal-scorer Pierre-Michel Lasogga (calf), his understudy Jacques Zoua (thigh), and key defenders Johan Djourou (hamstring) and Lasse Sobiech (ankle) against Bayern.
With Italian striker Mattia Maggio having struggled against Augsburg in a rare start, Slomka is likely to rotate Van der Vaart and Hakan Calhanoglu up front on Saturday, as Hamburg aim for a miraculous victory.
Stuttgart (32 points) sit ahead of Hamburg (27) in the last safe spot in the Bundesliga with Nuremberg (26) and last-placed Eintracht Braunschweig (25) able to overhaul Slomka's men if they lose to Bayern.
Hamburg need Stuttgart to lose their last two matches if they are to rise from 16th - which would force them into a two-legged relegation play-off with the third-placed club in 2.Bundesliga - and secure their safety.
Fortunately for Hamburg, Stuttgart also have a tough run home with games against fifth-placed Wolfsburg and Bayern.
But Slomka conceded his team are far behind Pep Guardiola's champions.
"Bayern absolutely dominate the Bundesliga," Slomka said.
"A point from the game would be a huge surprise and a win a sensation against them.
"If we want to cause a sensation, we're going to have go to the very limit."
If Hamburg defeat Bayern, and Nuremburg and Braunschweig lose to Hannover and Augsburg respectively in the penultimate round, Slomka's side will avoid automatic relegation but may still have to compete in the play-off.
Bayern's Dante, left, and Philipp Lahm look disappointed after losing the Champions League semifinal second leg soccer match between Bayern Munich and Real Madrid at the Allianz Arena in Munich, southern Germany, Tuesday, April 29, 2014. MATTHIAS SCHRADER — AP Photo
FRANKFURT, Germany — Bayern Munich is reeling from its crushing 4-0 defeat to Real Madrid in the Champions League semifinals and now travels to Hamburg for what could be a decisive match for the hosts' desperate attempt to escape relegation in the last matches of the season.
Stuttgart, the only club that could be caught by Hamburg, hosts Wolfsburg and can make sure of staying in the top flight with a victory.
Eintracht Braunschweig and Nuremberg can still catch Hamburg in 16th place, which means a relegation playoff against the third-place team from the second division.
Here are five things to know about Saturday's matches:
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HAMBURG'S LIFELINE:
Hamburg's disastrous season is at a crucial stage: if it beats champion Bayern Munich, it could still hope to escape relegation for the first time since the founding of the Bundesliga 51 years ago. The only thing that speaks for the tradition-rich club is that Bayern is reeling after its stunning loss in the Champions League. Bayern has two losses in the Bundesliga since it won the title one month ago.
But in the last six meeting, Hamburg has conceded 27 goals against Bayern while scoring four in earning only one draw.
Hamburg is five points behind Stuttgart and one and two points ahead of Nuremberg and Braunschweig, respectively.
"We can't afford to hope for help from others. We have to help ourselves finally," defender Marcell Jansen said.
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STUTTGART'S RESCUE:
While it technically needs one point from the last two matches to stay ahead of Hamburg, Stuttgart also has a much better goal difference.
"It's all in our own hands," managing director Fredi Bobic said. "We have to win against Wolfsburg to be sure."
But Wolfsburg is not going to be a pushover. The club still has a chance of clinching a place in the Champions League and coach Dieter Hacking says his team will try to win by all means.
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NUREMBERG AND BRAUNSCHWEIG DOOMED?
Nuremberg and Braunschweig looked doomed a few weeks ago but Hamburg's steady decline has offered them some hope to reach at least the relegation playoff place.
Braunschweig hosts Augsburg, which still has a small chance of reaching the last Europa League place. Nuremberg is at home to Hannover.
Nuremberg, facing a record eighth relegation, has lost five straight. Interim coach Roger Prinzen, who took over for the dismissed coach Gertjan Verbeek, also could not stop the losing streak last week.
"We still have not been relegated. In our club, you can never rule out anything, not even a win against Hannover," Prinzen said.
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SCHALKE'S THIRD:
After a see-saw season, Schalke has established itself in third place and is looking at another Champions League season. But Leverkusen is three points behind and theoretically it can still get past Schalke, while even Wolfsburg and Moenchengladbach still have some hopes.
Schalke travels to Freiburg, which has saved itself from relegation by collecting 17 points from the last eight matches.
"We are not running out of gas, I am sure we'll get the necessary points," Schalke's managing director Horst Heldt said.
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LEWANDOWSKI'S TARGET:
With second place safely under its belt, Borussia Dortmund can now prepare calmly for the May 17 German Cup final against Bayern.
Dortmund hosts Hoffenheim, but neither team has anything to play for.
Instead, Dortmund will be using the end of the Bundesliga season to hone its attack for the cup final.
Dortmund earlier this month took apart Bayern in Munich 3-0 almost as ruthlessly as Madrid.
The final two Bundesliga matches are striker Robert Lewandowski's chance to win the scorer's title. He currently shares the lead with Bayern's Mario Mandzukic at 16 goals. Lewandowski is joining Bayern next season.
Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng will be fined by his club for being sent off at the end of their 4-1 win at Hamburg SV on Saturday after slapping an opponent.
May 3, 2014 Reuters
Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said the Germany international's action against Hamburg's Kemel Demirbay in the 86th minute was a clear lack of discipline.
"One could call this action brainless," Rummenigge told reporters. "This is about a lack of discipline.
"It will be a fine in the high five digits. At 4-1 ahead and with fine minutes left it should not happen," Rummenigge said, adding the player had already been informed of the club's decision.
The central defender, who first touched foreheads with the Hamburg player and then slapped him, is expected to be named in Germany's World Cup squad next week.
I will be back says convicted former Bayern boss Hoeness
Disgraced former Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness, who is set to start a 3-1/2 year jail term this month for tax evasion, said on Friday he would return to the sport after prison.
2 May 2014 19:32 Reuters
In an emergency general meeting aimed at confirming Bayern's interim president Karl Hopfner as Hoeness's official successor, after the long-time club boss stepped down earlier this year, Hoeness said he would not go into hiding after his prison term.
"I made a huge mistake and I will accept the consequences for this," Hoeness told club members. "And then, when I return I will not go into any retirement. This wasn't it."
Hoeness, Germany's most famous soccer general manager, was convicted on March 16 of evading 28.5 million euros (£23.4 million) in taxes on income earned in a secret Swiss bank account and sentenced to prison in a spectacular case that grabbed headlines for months.
He had hoped his voluntary disclosure of income earned would lead to leniency and a suspended sentence but the Munich court convicted him to serve time in the Landsberg prison 70km west of Munich.
Hoeness said the German champions, whose hopes of retaining their European crown ended when they lost in the Champions League semi-finals to Real Madrid this week, would continue to be a dominant force in football even without him around.
"I am not concerned about the club at all," said Hoeness, who has overseen a sensational period of growth that has made Bayern one of the biggest clubs in the world.
"I am leaving with a good conscience. The club has no debts. The stadium is being paid off and the team won the league."
"If I had to paint a picture of this club I would have painted it exactly as it is now."
Hoeness was part of the successful Bayern team that won three consecutive European Cups in the 1970s before spending 30 years as a the club's general director. He was elected to the presidency in 2009, succeeding Franz Beckenbauer.
"I very much hope to see you all in good health when I return and this trauma is over," he said in an emotional speech before earning a minute's applause in Bayern's basketball hall where the meeting was held.
Bundesliga Wrap: Bayern deal Hamburg survival blow, Schalke secure top four
3 May 2014
Hamburg's survival hopes suffered a blow with a 4-1 loss to Bayern Munich, while Schalke beat Freiburg 2-0 to secure a top-four finish.
Bayern went into the match following a humiliating 5-0 aggregate UEFA Champions League semi-final loss to Real Madrid, but Hamburg could not make the most of the visitors' dejected mood.
Mirko Slomka's side needed a victory to have any chance of avoiding a bottom-three finish, but the Bundesliga champions' quality eventually shone through despite Hamburg threatening early on.
Mario Gotze, who is reportedly unhappy at the Allianz Arena, gave Bayern the lead just after the half-hour mark to round off a delightful one-two with Arjen Robben and Thomas Muller got their second 10 minutes after the break.
Former Borussia Dortmund star Gotze doubled his tally with just over 20 minutes to go, before Hakan Calhanoglu pulled one back for the hosts
Claudio Pizarro's audacious overhead-kick finish 15 minutes from time ended any chance of an unlikely Hamburg comeback, before Jerome Boateng received a late red card for an altercation with Kerem Demirbay.
The loss for Hamburg means that they can now only finish the season as high as 16th, which would see them face a relegation play-off, but they could still suffer automatic demotion.
Schalke consolidated their place in third with a win at Freiburg, moving them on to 61 points, three ahead of Bayer Leverkusen in fourth and four better off than fifth-placed Wolfsburg.
Kaan Ayhan put Schalke ahead in the 13th minute before Klaas-Jan Huntelaar doubled their lead 20 minutes into the second period as they cruised to victory.
Felipe Santana's red card 17 minutes from time for two bookable offences put Schalke's position in doubt, but there was to be no late fightback from the hosts.
Bayer Leverkusen remain in pole position for fourth after goals from Gonzalo Castro and Emre Can earned Sascha Lewandowski's men a 2-0 triumph at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Borussia Monchengladbach secured Europa League football for next season with a 3-1 home win against Mainz, while Wolfsburg's hopes of a Champions League spot remain alive as they beat Stuttgart 2-1 away from home.
Despite the loss to Wolfsburg, Stuttgart are now safe from relegation as neither Hamburg nor Nurnberg could muster a victory, with the latter stumbling 2-0 at home to Hannover.
Eintracht Braunschweig retain some hope of avoiding an automatic relegation and clinching the play-off place, but their last-gasp 1-0 defeat to visitors Augsburg means they go into the season's final match in last place.
Hoffenheim found themselves involved in another high-scoring match as they lost 3-2 at Borussia Dortmund in Robert Lewandowski's Signal-Iduna-Park farewell, while Werder Bremen beat Hertha Berlin 2-0 at home in a mid-table clash.
Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben feels too much has been made of their UEFA Champions League defeat to Real Madrid.
The reigning European champions were sent crashing out of the competition 5-0 on aggregate, with Pep Guardiola's tactics called into question as a result of their 4-0 hammering in the second leg of their semi-final.
Having wrapped up the Bundesliga in record time, Guardiola's men remain on course for a league and cup double, with Borussia Dortmund their opponents in the DFB-Pokal final.
Robben feels criticism over Bayern's recent form is over the top and believes they can cap their season with a successful defence of their Pokal title.
"After the 4-0 (second-leg) defeat to Real, everything was put into question," he told the Bundesliga website.
"We were the best team in the world for the entire season, then we lose a match and suddenly everything's going wrong. In my opinion, people read too much into that defeat.
"We've been through so much as a team. We've had our fair share of disappointments, but we've also had plenty of fantastic moments. The most important thing in these situations is to stick together, remain positive and keep going."
Robben also stated that a victory in the Pokal final would go some way to making up for their European exit.
"Definitely, we've already had a great season as it is," he added.
