The 2023/24 relegation battle: Darmstadt down; Cologne, Mainz and Union Berlin fighting for survival
Two Bundesliga teams will go down automatically, another will get a shot at redemption via the relegation play-off. Find out who's in danger of playing Bundesliga 2 football next season...
How does promotion and relegation work in the Bundesliga?
Position: 18th (relegated)
Points: 17 (32 games)
Goals: 30-76 (-46)
Remaining fixtures: Hoffenheim (h), Borussia Dortmund (a)
Promoted Darmstadt's fate was confirmed with defeat to Heidenheim on Matchday 31. It left them with an unassailable 11-point deficit on the relegation play-off spot, with only three rounds of fixtures remaining.
Watch: Darmstadt relegated after Heidenheim loss
What can be confirmed on Matchday 33?
Position: 17th (automatic relegation)
Points: 27 (33 games)
Goals: 27-56 (-29)
Remaining fixtures: Heidenheim (a)
Ten defeats across the first 16 games cost Steffen Baumgart his job, but Timo Schultz has dramatically turned things around for the Billy Goats. However, back-to-back draws with Mainz and Freiburg left them on the brink, heading into their penultimate match of the season against Union Berlin needing to win. Things got even worse when Union scored twice in the first 20 minutes, but Cologne turned things around in one of the games of the season anywhere in Europe. A 3-2 last-gasp victory means they could still haul Union in on the final day.
Watch: Cologne 3-2 Union Berlin - highlights
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Position: 16th (promotion/ relegation play-off)
Points: 30 (33 games)
Goals: 31-57 (-26)
Next fixtures: Freiburg (h)
Nenad Bjelica provided Union with the desired new coach bounce after replacing Urs Fischer, but they've slipped back into old ways in recent months and the Croatian was dismissed with two games to go in favour of former interim coach Marco Grote. In the penultimate match of the season the new coach bounce was back as Union raced into a 2-0 lead against Cologne and they looked set to relegate the Billy Goats. Instead, Cologne staged the comeback of the season to win 3-2 and they could now send Union down on the final day.
Watch: Union Berlin 3-4 Bochum - highlights
Position: 15th (safety)
Points: 32 (33 games)
Goals: 36-50 (-14)
Remaining fixtures: Wolfsburg (a)
Mainz took four points from their first three games under Bo Henriksen, before slipping to an 8-1 loss at Bayern Munich. They bounced back with wins over Hoffenheim, Bochum and Darmstadt, and even climbed out of the bottom three with a draw against Freiburg. Two points from meetings with Cologne and Heidenheim had them back in 16th, but an emphatic 3-0 win over Champions League finalists Borussia Dortmund leapfrogged M05 back out of the bottom three, and ended any threat of automatic relegation this season. Now they just have to match or better Union's result on the final day to avoid the play-off spot.
Watch: Mainz 3-0 Borussia Dortmund - highlights
Position: 14th (safety)
Points: 33 (32 games)
Goals: 41-65 (-24)
Remaining fixtures: Bayer Leverkusen (h), Werder Bremen (a)
Bochum were dragged into the relegation dogfight following a run of eight matches without a win that prompted a parting of ways with head coach Thomas Leitsch. Seven points from four games under interim boss Heiko Butscher - a former VfL player - has staved off automatic relegation, however, they're still likely to enter the final day fighting off a relegation/promotion finish.
Watch: Bochum 3-2 Hoffenheim - highlights
Position: 13th (safety)
Points: 34 (33 games)
Goals: 55-62 (-7)
Next fixtures: Stuttgart (a)
Gladbach are now safe for another season after a 1-1 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt made sure there was no longer the threat of a relegation/promotion play-off finish. Nethertheless, Die Fohlen have had an inconsistent campaign under Gerardo Seoane, but supporters have at least had value for money: only matches involving have Bayern Munich have seen more goals (131) than the Foals' 119.
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What can be confirmed this matchday?
Leverkusen are already champions, four other teams have joined them in the Champions League, and Darmstadt are down. Find out which other teams' fates can be decided on Matchday 33...
Matchday 33 highlights!
Mainz and Cologne both recorded vital wins, leaving the relegation battle on a knife edge going into the final day of the season.
Magnificent Mainz fire three past Dortmund
Jae-sung Lee struck twice as Mainz raced out of the blocks to boost their survival hopes with a commanding win against Dortmund.