Bundesliga, Week 26: Bayern Munich Regain Ground On Hannover 96 With Big Win Over Hamburg SV

Sunday’s two crucial games in the Bundesliga produced very different results: Bayer Leverkusen recorded yet another away victory to establish a five-point buffer over third place, while VfB Stuttgart are above the relegation zone for the first time since Matchday 12 after coming from behind to defeat St. Pauli.

Bayer Leverkusen have relied on their excellent away form to cement their position as Champions League group stage qualifiers for next season, and rebounded from defeat against Villareal last Thursday with a win over Mainz 05 thanks to a Renato Augusto goal eight minutes from time. Leverkusen had more chances and better ones, particularly in the second half when Mainz mustered just a single shot, and will be ruing the injury problems that plagued them earlier in the season -- if they hadn’t missed so many key players in the first half, they could be battling Borussia Dortmund for the title.

Saturday’s early kickoffs provided plenty of good news for Bavarian football fans, as victories for Bayern Munich and FC Nürnberg moved both closer to qualification for European football come the end of the season. Bayern responded to the midweek announcement that Louis van Gaal will be leaving the club come the end of the season by thrashing Hamburg SV 6-0 at the Allianz Arena. Arjen Robben scored a 15-minute hat trick (broken up by the halftime interval), Franck Ribéry added a fourth, Thomas Müller a fifth, and former Schalke 04 defender Heiko Westermann put through his own net in the final minutes for the sixth.

Nürnberg fell behind against VfL Wolfsburg midway through the first half, but were level just before halftime through a Philipp Wollsheid header, and FCN won it in the 92nd minute from a Per Nilsson goal off of another set piece. The northern Bavarian side is now just a point behind Mainz 05, who face Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday, for the final European place, while FCB are within two points of Hannover for the last Champions League spot.

However, Bayern will have to beat Hamburg SV on Saturday to close the gap to two points, a result that is far from assured given the Bavarians’ form and their recent record against HSV; FCB have won just once in their last eight matches with Hamburg. Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund will try to move yet closer to Bayern’s points and wins records against TSG Hoffenheim, Mainz 05 face Bayer Leverkusen in a battle for European qualification, and Werder Bremen host Borussia Mönchengladbach and VfB Stuttgart visit St. Pauli in a pair of relegation six-pointers.

SB Nation Soccer’s Ben Schneider will be updating this space throughout the weekend, keeping you informed on the race for the Bundesliga’s Champions League and Europa spots.