Bundesliga 2021/22 relegation battle: The run-in

Seven rounds of fixtures remain, so who will survive outright? Who will be relegated automatically and who has a chance of a reprieve via the play-offs? bundesliga.com takes stock of the season run-in…

VfB Stuttgart

Current position: 14th

Games played: 27

Points: 26

Goal difference: -15

Remaining fixtures: Bielefeld (a), Dortmund (h), Mainz (a), Hertha (a), Wolfsburg (h), Bayern (a), Cologne (h)

Injuries to key players have been a significant reason behind Stuttgart's struggles this season, but Pellegrino Matarazzo's side finally appear to be coming good when it matters most. They went unbeaten across their three league fixtures in March, picking up two wins and a draw to climb from second bottom up to 14th.

Stuttgart are by no means out of danger yet, but the return to fitness of Sasa Kalajdzic, his telepathic understanding with cross-master-extraordinaire Borna Sosa, and the emergence of young attackers Omar Marmoush and Tiago Tomas, gives the Swabian outfit plenty of cause for optimism giving into the final straight. Victory over Bielefeld on Matchday 28 would provide a welcome boost in that regard too.

Key player: Sasa Kalajdzic

The best way to get out of trouble is by winning, and the only way to win is to score goals. Step forward Kalajdzic, who struck 16 times in his maiden top-flight campaign last year, only for injury to reduce him to just nine Bundesliga appearances so far this term. He has underlined his quality in the box in recent weeks though, hitting the net three times in his last five games; the 24-year-old could well be the difference between staying up and going down.

Augsburg

Current position: 15th

Games played: 26

Points: 26

Goal difference: -15

Remaining fixtures: Wolfsburg (h), Mainz (h), Bayern (a), Hertha (h), Bochum (a), Cologne (h), Leipzig (a), Fürth (h)

Augsburg have beaten Bayern Munich and drawn with Borussia Dortmund in 2021/22, so are certainly a force to be reckoned with on their day. The trouble is, their day has invariably not been on a matchday this season, which is why Markus Weinzierl's men are currently in this situation.

Like Stuttgart, Augsburg have demonstrated their willingness to scrap for points in recent weeks though, posting wins over both Union Berlin and Bielefeld. They now have back-to-back home matches on the calendar, which could be crucial to building momentum and restoring confidence, and they also have a game in hand as their Matchday 26 encounter with Mainz was postponed. Away form has been miserable though, with just one victory on the road all season, so that is an area they must improve on if they are to pull clear.

Key player: Michael Gregoritsch

Augsburg have always been about the collective rather than relying on individual moments of brilliance, and the experience of veterans Rafal Gikiewicz, Daniel Caligiuri and Andre Hahn could yet prove invaluable when the pressure is really on. However, Michael Gregoritsch has risen to the occasion more than most in 2022, and has scored five of his team-high seven Bundesliga goals this season since the turn of the year, including three in his last six outings.

Hertha Berlin

Current position: 16th (relegation play-off against third-placed team in Bundesliga 2)

Games played: 27

Points: 26

Goal difference: -31

Remaining fixtures: Leverkusen (a), Union Berlin (h), Augsburg (a), Stuttgart (h), Bielefeld (a), Mainz (h), Dortmund (a)

Hertha ended a five-game losing streak on Matchday 27, their first assignment since Felix Magath was brought in as their third head coach this season. However, they have only won back-to-back matches on two occasions all term - the most recent of which was in October 2021 - so consistency has been an issue for them them. So too has a leaky rearguard, the 60 goals conceded topped only by Fürth's 70.

Still, the impressive 3-0 triumph over Hoffenheim last time out shows the quality is there, and in Magath they have a hugely experienced coach who has seen and done it all. The Old Lady arguably have the most favourable run-in off all the teams on this list as they face three direct relegation rivals in successive weeks between Matchdays 30 and 32, so very much have their fate in their own hands.

Key player: Marvin Plattenhardt

The success over Hoffenheim gave an indication of how Hertha might go about getting the points they need: staying compact at the back and making the most of any set-piece situations. It makes sense too, given the limited amount of time on the training pitch Magath will have with his players to implement any new measures. As such, Marvin Plattenhardt's expert dead-ball deliveries will play a leading roll, as they did against Hoffenheim, when the left-back was involved in all three goals.

Watch: The return of Felix Magath

Arminia Bielefeld

Current position: 17th (automatic relegation)

Games played: 27

Points: 25

Goal difference: -16

Remaining fixtures: Stuttgart (h), Wolfsburg (a), Bayern (h), Cologne (a), Hertha (h), Bochum (a), Leipzig (h)

Bielefeld could not have picked a worse time to go off the boil. Currently on a four-game losing streak without scoring a single goal, and with five defeats in their last six, Frank Kramer's charges are second bottom of the standings. The good news is they remain just a point behind the teams directly above them, so still have plenty of opportunity to turn things around.

Arminia do need to start scoring if they are to have any hope of doing so, though: they are the lowest scorers in the division with just 22 goals from 27 games. They have tough trips to Munich and Leipzig before the campaign is out so need to pick up as many points as they can elsewhere - starting with the visit of Stuttgart on Matchday 28.

Key player: Patrick Wimmer

Whenever Bielefeld do score, Wimmer is invariably involved. The 20-year-old has had a direct hand in exactly half of his team's goals (scoring three himself, with eight assists), while his 48 shots are considerably more than anyone else at the club (Fabian Klos is next with 38). The midfielder is the team's driving force, so if he can continue to set the tone, there is hope for Bielefeld yet.

Greuther Fürth

Current position: 18th (automatic relegation)

Games played: 27

Points: 15

Goal difference: -46

Remaining fixtures: Frankfurt (a), Gladbach (h), Hoffenheim (a), Leverkusen (h), Union Berlin (a), Dortmund (h), Augsburg (a)

It's been a tough return to the top flight for Fürth, whose only previous Bundesliga campaign in 2012/13 ended in relegation. It's looking increasingly hard for them to avoid the same fate this time around, a state of affairs largely down to the Clover Leaves needing several months to adapt to the higher level: they lost 13 of their first 14 league assignments.

Since then, however, Stefan Leitl's side have earned more points (14) than every other team on this list bar Bielefeld (15) to give themselves a fighting chance of survival, but they remain 11 points adrift of outright safety. Their run-in is the hardest of the lot, with fixtures against six teams in the running for European qualification, so matters could well be decided long before the Matchday 34 encounter with Augsburg.

Key player: Branimir Hrgota

If Fürth are to pull off what would be the greatest of all relegation escapes in Bundesliga history, captain and striker Hrgota is likely to be heavily involved. With eight goals and four assists to his name, the 29-year-old has had a direct hand in 50 percent of his team's goals. The Swede's top-flight know-how gained at Borussia Mönchengladbach and Eintracht Frankfurt could also prove invaluable in leading a relatively inexperienced Fürth side.

About the clubs FC Augsburg

WWK ARENA

Hertha Berlin

Olympiastadion

SpVgg Greuther Fürth

Sportpark Ronhof | Thomas Sommer

VfB Stuttgart

Mercedes-Benz Arena

Arminia Bielefeld

SchücoArena

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