Bundesliga wraps up Matchday 26 with Bayer Leverkusen's trip to Werder Bremen
Bundesliga marked its return on Saturday with five simultaneous 09:30 AM ET kick offs, of which Dortmund's 4-0 win over Schalke was the standout match, and will now wrap up on Monday with Leverkusen's trip to Werder Bremen. Given the weekend results, this tie will be crucial for both the hosts and the visitors.
Starting with Die Werkself, given RB Leipzig's disappointing 1-1 draw with Freiburg on Saturday, the away side could move within a point of the fourth and final Champions League spot, currently occupied by Werner and Co. Leverkusen, who are fifth in the table, are only four points behind the German giants and given that their opponents are a club languishing in the relegation zone, the odds favor them coming away from the Weserstadion with all three points.
The weekend results handed a huge boost to Leverkusen's UCL hopes
Speaking of Bremen, they are second from bottom and sit five points adrift of the relegation playoff, which would spare them from the automatic relegation they are currently facing. However, given that 16th-placed Fortuna Dusseldorf played out a goalless draw with last-placed Paderborn 07 on Saturday, Die Werderaner could turn things around should they pull off a surprise win over Leverkusen. Florian Kohfeldt's side have played two fewer games than their aforementioned relegation rivals and should they triumph on Monday, they would find themselves only two points behind the playoff spot with a game in hand.
High-scoring Champions League and Europa League semi-finals make it on UEFA TV's midweek schedule
UEFA TV continues to air replays from their two premier club competitions in the absence of live football. Two memorable semi-final games, one from each tournament, are set to be re-aired and they are Liverpool vs Roma from 2017/18 and Valencia vs Arsenal from 2018/19. The Reds' clash with the Italian giants sits ahead on UEFA TV's schedule and is set to be replayed on Wednesday, May 20. After a 5-2 win for Klopp's men in the first leg, the return fixture in Italy saw nearly as many goals in yet another high-scoring tie. Having pulled off an unforgettable comeback against Barcelona in the previous round, the Giallorossi nearly did the same against the Merseyside giants in the penultimate stage despite their heavy first-leg defeat. Unfortunately for them, they came one goal shy of turning things around.
Similarly, Arsenal's clash with Valencia saw a total of six goals – 10 goals in total across both legs. The Gunners headed to the Mestalla with a 3-1 advantage but conceded after only 11 minutes in Spain. Fortunately for the north London giants, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was in excellent form that day, scoring an impressive hat-trick to lead the Premier League giants to 4-2 victory – 7-3 on aggregate. It was an improvement on their previous Europa League campaign in which they crashed out in the semi-finals. Unfortunately for Arsenal, the final did not go their way. Check out this replay on UEFA TV on Thursday, May 21.
Top headlines in world football
Training to resume in the Premier League after unanimous vote
The Premier League has taken another step towards a return, this time green-lighting a return to training after shareholders voted unanimously in favor of this decision. The goal is to get the season back underway in mid-June but as of now, training will only take place in groups of five players or less.
Premier League votes to return to training
Scottish Premiership end their 2019/20 season
The SPFL announced on Monday that the 2019/20 Scottish Premiership season has been ended after clubs reached a unanimous decision regarding the remainder of the campaign. The league was decided on a points-per-game basis, with Celtic being crowned the champions and Hearts being relegated.
SPFL ends Ladbrokes Premiership season
Top eight events to watch until Thursday, May 21, 2020
Monday, May 18
11:00 AM ET
Netherlands vs Denmark (UEFA Euro 1992 replay)
Streaming: UEFA TV, UEFA Champions League App
2:30 PM ET
Werder Bremen vs Bayer Leverkusen (LIVE football match)
{MATCH 3651748]
3:00 PM ET
eLiga MX BBVA Week 12: Day 1 (EA Sports FIFA 20)
In the United States: fuboTV, TUDN en Vivo, TUDN USA
In Mexico: FOX Play Norte, Fox Sports Cono Norte, Claro Sports, TUDN En Vivo, TUDN
Tuesday, May 19
11:00 AM ET
PSV vs Milan (2004/05 UEFA Champions League replay)
Streaming: UEFA TV, UEFA Champions League App
3:00 PM ET
eLiga MX BBVA Week 12: Day 2 (EA Sports FIFA 20)
In the United States: fuboTV, Chivas TV, TUDN en Vivo, TUDN USA
In Mexico: TUDN, Azteca Deportes En Vivo, TUDN En Vivo
Wednesday, May 20
11:00 AM ET
Roma vs Liverpool (2017/18 UEFA Champions League replay)
Streaming: UEFA TV, UEFA Champions League App
3:00 PM ET
eLiga MX BBVA Week 12: Day 3 (EA Sports FIFA 20)
In the United States: fuboTV, TUDN en Vivo, TUDN USA
In Mexico: TUDN, Azteca Deportes En Vivo, FOX Play Norte, Fox Sports Cono Norte, TUDN En Vivo
Thursday, May 21
11:00 AM ET
Valencia vs Arsenal (2018/19 UEFA Europa League replay)