Three Bundesliga sides are well on course to qualify for the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League knockout stages, while another has a chance via the play-offs. bundesliga.com has a look at who needs what on the final two matchdays in January...
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Bayer Leverkusen
Position: 4thPoints: 13Remaining fixtures: Atletico Madrid (a), Sparta Prague (h)
Xabi Alonso's charges have pressed on in their return to the Champions League at the same time their domestic form has improved to rekindle memories of the winning machine that raced to the title last season. Two wins in a row against Salzburg (5-0) and Inter Milan (1-0) are part of a run of six successive victories in all competitions and have lifted Leverkusen to fourth position in the league-phase table - the highest of all the Bundesliga's five representatives.
If Bayer can stay in the top eight, they will progress automatically to the last 16. Competition remains fierce for those eight spots, however, and Leverkusen are just a point ahead of four teams placed between ninth and 12th. One of those is Atlético Madrid, who Leverkusen face next on 21 January. Should they win that and then beat Sparta Prague (currently 28th out of 36 teams) the following week, Leverkusen would march straight past the play-off round. Even if they don't get the results they want, the 2023/24 domestic double-winners are virtually nailed-on for at least a play-off place finish.
Watch: The best of Bayer Leverkusen's title-winning campaign
Borussia Dortmund
Position: 9thPoints: 12Remaining fixtures: Bologna (a), Shakhtar Donetsk (h)
A narrow 3-2 defeat to Barcelona on Matchday 6 does not detract from the fact that Dortmund have enjoyed a positive Champions League campaign so far. Eighteen goals makes them the second-highest scorers in the competition and, with a five-point cushion over Paris Saint-German in 25th - the first spot outside the qualifying spots - they are all but assured of a place in the play-off round in the spring.
Last season's finalists have their sights on more, though, and with four wins already under their belts, the Black-Yellows will be confident of beating two sides in the lower reaches of the table in January - Bologna (33rd) and Shakhtar Donetsk (27th). With six sides just one point above them, there is a strong chance that two wins in their remaining fixtures would see them into the top eight and straight into March's last 16. Serhou Guirassy will also be eyeing the chance to add to his six goals in the competition and challenge former Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski - the only player with more goals than him at the moment (seven) - for the top scorer's crown.
Watch: All of Serhou Guirassy's Bundesliga goals
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Bayern Munich
Position: 10thPoints: 12Remaining fixtures: Feyenoord (a), Slovan Bratislava (h)
Bayern Munich have not had everything their own way in the new-look league stage, suffering defeats to Barcelona and Aston Villa, but three wins in a row against Benfica (1-0), Paris Saint-Germain (1-0) and Shakhtar Donetsk (5-1) mark a real return to form for Vincent Kompany's side. Indeed, only Dortmund (18) and Barcelona (21) have scored more goals than Bayern's 17 after six rounds of fixtures.
With winnable fixtures at Feyenoord (18th in the table) and at home to Slovan Bratislava (35th) in January, Bayern have every chance of landing inside the top eight. Harry Kane should be fit again in time for the final two fixtures and will look to add to his five-goal tally for the current campaign and the 34 goals that make him the highest-scoring Englishman in the history of the competition. As one of the teams level with Dortmund on 12 points, it would take an unthinkable sequence of results for Bayern to slip out of the top 24, making their progression to the play-off round pretty much guaranteed.
Harry Kane and Bayern Munich started the league stage in sensational style, with the striker netting four in a 9-2 win over Dinamo Zagreb. - IMAGO/Frank Hoermann/SVEN SIMON
VfB Stuttgart
Position: 26th
Points: 7
Remaining fixtures: Slovan Bratislava (a), Paris Saint-Germain (h)
Stuttgart's return to the Champions League for the first time in 15 years has provided a rollercoaster of emotions for fans and players alike. From heroic defeats (at Real Madrid) to sensational upsets (at Juventus), humblings (at Red Star Belgrade) and big wins (against Young Boys), their campaign has already had it all. More twists and turns are likely with Stuttgart down in 26th in the table, but with just a single point to catch up on 24th place - the final spot for play-off qualification.
A visit to Slovan Bratislava, who are yet to claim a single point, gives the 2023/24 Bundesliga runners-up a good chance of moving into the top 24 on the penultimate matchday, but a meeting with Paris Saint-Germain, currently level on points with VfB, could be one of the most significant clashes of the final round of fixtures. Encouragingly, star striker Deniz Undav is expected to recover from injury in time for the business end of the league phase.
Watch: Stuttgart fans in Madrid ahead of Champions League opener
RB Leipzig
Position: 34thPoints: 0Remaining fixtures: Sporting (h), Sturm Graz (a)
There's no way to gloss over the fact that six defeats out of six represents a major disappointment for Leipzig, whose hopes of a sixth straight season of knockout European football are over. Marco Rose will want to use the remaining two encounters in January to gain an elusive win and potentially climb a few spots up the table. With Sporting in 17th and Sturm Graz down in 29th, a victory in one or both clashes should be within their powers.