Bundesliga: Stats, facts, and team news ahead of matchday 26

Topics: TV Schedules, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Schalke, Bundesliga

Here's all you need to know heading into matchday 26 of the 2019/2020 Bundesliga season.

Unlike several of Europe's other major leagues, the Bundesliga is still continuing despite the massive spread of the Wuhan-originated coronavirus. However, there will be a different feel to matches for this upcoming round - mainly because the stadiums around Germany will be a lot quieter as authorities attempt to contain the contagion to the best of their abilities.

Here's all you need to know ahead of matchday 26.

Team news: Who's missing out on matchday 26?

Here are some of the notable players who won't be able to feature for their respective sides:

Bayern Munich: Robert Lewandowski; Ivan Perisic; Niklas Sule

Borussia Dortmund: Marco Reus

RB Leipzig: Kevin Kampl; Ethan Ampadu; Ibrahima Konate; Willi Orban

Borussia M'gladbach: Laszlo Benes; Torben Musel; Denis Zakaria

Stats and facts: What's at stake ahead of matchday 26?

Paderborn have won their last 4 away matches against Fortuna Duesseldorf in all competitions - can they turn things around in a must-win clash to claw their way out of the drop zone?
Koln are undefeated in their last 9 home matches against Mainz in all competitions
Schalke have failed to score in their last 4 away matches and have failed to win their last seven Bundesliga games
Freiburg have failed to win 9 of their last 10 away matches
Hoffenheim are undefeated in their last 8 matches against Hertha Berlin in all competitions

Talking points ahead of matchday 26

How will Dortmund respond to their Champions League elimination?

Dortmund thought they had one foot into the quarter-finals thanks to player-of-the-moment Haaland's brace from the first leg, but unfortunately it wasn't enough. PSG did a good job in keeping the teenage Norwegian sensation quiet for the first time all season, and secured a 2-0 win to book their spot and dump die Schwarzgelben out of the competition.

As such, Dortmund now have to re-focus on domestic affairs. They're still very much in contention for the Bundesliga title, as they sit just four points behind Bayern Munich. With uncertainty surrounding if the league will continue or end early, they will want to try to pick up maximum points from their upcoming clash with Schalke to put pressure on Bayern at the top of the table.

Overall atmosphere around Germany in the shadow of the coronavirus outbreak

The coronavirus has wreaked havoc worldwide since breaking out in Wuhan, China sometime in 2019. The worst hit countries outside China so far are South Korea, Iran, and Italy, and Germany are doing their best to try to keep their numbers as low as possible, with infection numbers hitting around 2,000 and rising. So far, only the 3.Liga (German football's third tier) has suspended play, while the 2.Bundesliga and the Bundesliga have decided to play their games behind closed doors.

It's possible that the Bundesliga could end up suspending play next week after this round of fixtures or cancelling the league outright. Should the latter happen, there would be no champion at the end of this season, and whoever is in a European spot would feature in the Champions (or Europa) League. Likewise, no one would end up being relegated, with four more teams from the second tier being promoted to the top tier for the next season.

However, that's not something many really want to fathom at the moment, and hopes are high that the Bundesliga won't be cancelled abruptly. Many fans would even deal with a temporary suspension and delay of play until the coronavirus runs its course - especially if one is a Dortmund supporter, as die Schwarzgelben realistically still do have a chance at possibly catching and overtaking Bayern in the battle for the league title.