Bayer Leverkusen took a huge step towards a top four finish on Saturday evening thanks to a 4-1 shellacking of Red Bull Leipzig at a bouncing BayArena.
Kasper Hjulmand’s team climbed up to fourth place in the Bundesliga table as TSG Hoffenheim and VfB Stuttgart played out a thrilling 3-3 draw earlier in the afternoon. That stalemate gave Die Werkself a clear target when Leipzig landed in Leverkusen and they hit the bullseye as Czech hitman Patrik Schick fired a hat-trick to make it 16 goals for the campaign as the third top scorer in the Bundesliga.
Schick opened the scoring with a clinical finish on 25 minutes when winger Nathan Tella put him through on goal, and it was former Burnley man Tella who doubled the lead on the cusp of half time, prodding in from close range from an Aleix Garcia corner. Bayer came out for the second flying and Schick was denied his double when Red Bull keeper Maarten Vandevoordt saved his 53rd minute effort and the Leipzig stopper was on hand again to keep out Tella. But Schick made the points safe when he picked the ball up some 20 yards out and arrowed a low shot into the bottom corner to make it 3-0.
Christoph Baumgartner pulled a goal back on 80, with a well taken header but it was Czech star Schick who rounded off a brilliant display when he finished off a fast break in the last minute. The very latest Bundesliga 2026 betting odds say, with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in first and second, and Red Bull almost there, the fourth Champions League place is likely to head to Leverkusen or Stuttgart, and the two teams meet next week in another compelling six-pointer.
On Saturday, Hoffenheim and Stuttgart were vying for a top four place when they met and, in my SBOTOP preview, I backed a high scoring draw, maybe a 2-2. Well, I was almost right but the two teams outshot my prediction as they shared six goals in a superb display of attacking football at the PreZero Arena. Andrej Kramaric gave TSG an early lead before Chris Fuhruch levelled from the tightest of angles, and the hosts hit back again instantly when Bazoumana Toure picked up a loose ball from a corner and fired his rocket low into the Stuttgart net.
When Toure crossed for Kramaric to slot home his second, at 3-1 it looked like Hoffenheim were heading for a huge victory, but Stuttgart were having none of it and Ermedin Demirovic halved the deficit midway through the half. The drama continued at pace, and it was a red card which lifted the home crowd again as VfB skipper Atakan Karazor was sent off for a crude foul on Fisnik Asllani and, as TSG pressed to kill to game Albion Hajdari crashed the post with his shot. Stuttgart keeper Alexander Nubel kept his team in the game with a series of saves and he, and his team got their reward when Tiago Tomas bagged a dramatic 95th minute leveller.
It felt more like a defeat for Hoffenheim and a victory for VfB and Nubel was clearly delighted, saying, “That was very important. We showed mentality, that shows the will of the team. Red card, we fight, we give everything. That’s why we won the game with a draw,” he beamed.
In other Bundesliga 2026 news., Eintracht Frankfurt’s 2-1 loss at home to Hamburg put their top seven hopes in jeopardy, while Werder Bremen are still not mathematically safe after they lost 3-1 at home to Augsburg. But Bremen will be able to breathe more easily if St Pauli draw a blank against Mainz on Sunday.
The most eye-catching result of the day came in Munich where Champions Bayern Munich drew 3-3 at home to bottom club FC Heidenheim, who, desperate for points to make a relegation play-off place were only denied all three by a Micheal Olise equaliser with the last kick of the game.
With a Champions League clash against Paris Saint-Germain in mind, Vincent Kompany rotated his squad and Heidenheim took advantage, racing into a 2-0 lead through Budu Zivzivadze and Eren Dincki. But Bayern are the comeback kings, recovering from a 3-0 deficit to beat FSV Mainz 4-3 last week, and they pulled one back when midfield ace Leon Goretzka fired in a brilliant free-kick, and the Germany star levelled with a well taken volley on 57 minutes.
The hosts, roared on by their loyal fans went ahead again when Zivzivadze curled a beauty into the top corner, but Heidenheim hearts were broken by Olise who scored a long-range effort ten minutes into stoppage time.
Heidenheim will fight on, while Bayern Munich turn their attention to their treble bid with a Champions League semi-final second leg against Paris Saint-Germain, and a DFB Pokal final against VfB Stuttgart, two matches which could define their season.
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