Here's the Bundesliga table as of 25 Feb 2013 (Matchday 23):



So Bayern have run away with the "Salatschüssel" (= salad bowl), but the fight for the European places will be harder than ever. Even 15th placed Wolfsburg still has a realistic chance to reach an EL qualification spot, while one is left to wonder whether Freiburg and Frankfurt can keep up with their momentum.

So whom do you expect to start in the CL group stage, CL quali, and EL quali?

Bayern, Leverkusen, Dortmund to stay as they are now.
Schalke to push up to 4 after rallying, Frankfurt getting pushed down to 6, Freiburg and Hamburg will dog it out over place 5, the loser of those two to be overtaken by Frankfurt, with Hannover keeping Frankfurt on their toes for the 6th.

Wolfsburg will be too late, Bremen and Stuttgart will have to wait for next season as well.

1. Bayern
2. BVB
3. Neverkusen
4. HSV
5. Frankfurt
6. Schalke
7. Freiburg

Every team down to Wolfsburg still has a chance though.

*nod* I would hope for Bayern, Dortmund and Leverkusen as 1-3, and Schalke as 4th stand actually a good chance to succeed in the CL qualification with their good coefficient.

I'd love to see Hannover getting back into Europe, too, and IMO Hamburg might stand a better chance in the EL than either Freiburg or Frankfurt (IMO the latter two should focus on the BL and a good placement there).

if we can somehow reach a stage of consistency, then we might make it into the EL. chances are certainly good

O_O Wow Schalke is really down there, i know they had a bad patch. But didn't know they were this far down

Well, Schalke are 2 points behind the 5th and 5 points behind the 4th place and there are still 11 matches to go.

I'm confident Hyypia will get Leverkusen CL. BVB and Bayern are shoe-ins for the top 2 spots. Here's to hoping Schalke null vier get 4th.

1. Bayern
2. BVB
3. Neverkusen
4. Schalke
5. Frankfurt
6. Hamburg
7. Freiburg
most likely, though frankfurt to freiburg might be jumbled through, I really see Schalke coming back about now though.

Unfortunately we will likely only have 6 slots due to the BL table as the DFB Pokal will likely be either Bayern's or Dortmund's and the runner-up will be one of Mainz, Freiburg, Offenbach (unlikely), Wolfsburg, Bochum (unlikely) or Stuttgart. Of these, Stuttgart would probably the best choice as they are most likely to get at least through the EL groups.

ioilersrock448 wrote:1. Bayern: 60
2. BVB: 43
3. Neverkusen: 42
4. HSV: 34 (currently 6th)
5. Frankfurt: 38 (currently 4th)
6. Schalke: 33 (currently 9th)
7. Freiburg: 35 (currently 5th)

Every team down to Wolfsburg still has a chance though.

1. Do the 3rd place holder go into the group stage or do they have to go through qualification!!!

2. They have a 4-point buffer and its Franfurt and Freiburg who are in 4-5, otherwise I would be scared about Leverkusen.

3. Hope they hold-on and make it to CL. They are my favorite.

4. Don't think Frankfurt or Freiburg will make it to CL and some 'bigger' team (Hamburg or Schalke) will nick it in the end.

5. Didn't Freiburg do well last season too!!!

1. 1st - 3rd place get directly into the groups. 4th place goes into the play-offs of the CL qualification.

2. I think Leverkusen will manage to stay in 3rd. They are not that week.

3. They defo have a chance to go through the groups, so I'd be fine with them to qualify, too.

4. IMO Frankfurt and Freiburg first need to etablish themselves properly in the BL and then try to get more depth, or they would get badly hurt from a European run.

5. They did well, but IMO they lack depth, and so an EL run might endanger their BL standing.

RWO, it's not the squad quality or depth I'm worried about. It's some thing about their DNA.

I remember how they turned a treble-chasing season (2002 I guess) into three SILVERWARES.

Well, now that's not only Leverkusen's problem anymore - Bayern had the same Vize-Treble last year, and look how they got annoyed and now breeze through the BL for starters. ^^

rwo power wrote:Well, now that's not only Leverkusen's problem anymore - Bayern had the same Vize-Treble last year, and look how they got annoyed and now breeze through the BL for starters. ^^

I like/support Leverkusen, so that hurts.

And Bayern is a more successful club so they get more chances to make-up for their mistakes. Leverkusen went into a slump only to recover 2-3 years ago.

Infact, all teams that I support or like has been meh during my time:
1. Liverpool
2. Roma (yes they won the league once)
3. Valencia (OK they won the league twice along with two CL finals)
4. Leverkusen
5. Ajax
6. OM
7. Argentina (yeah, that 1986)
8. Holland
9. West Indise
10. Bangladesh