Thomas Mueller could seal a record-extending 13th Bundesliga title on 3 May as Bayern Munich travel to RB Leipzig, with the Bavarian legend set to bid farewell this summer after an extraordinary 25-year association with the club.
Bayern currently hold an eight-point lead over reigning champions Bayer Leverkusen with just three matches remaining. A victory in Leipzig — where Bayern have not triumphed in the league since 2021 — would mathematically secure the title. Even if they falter, the silverware could still be theirs should Leverkusen fail to beat Freiburg on 4 May.
For Mueller, lifting the Meisterschale one final time would be a fitting finale. The 34-year-old, who joined Bayern at the age of 10, made his 500th Bundesliga appearance last week and will depart the Allianz Arena at the end of the season after the club opted not to renew his contract.
“It sounds good, doesn’t it?” Mueller said in an interview with the Bundesliga website on 30 April, when asked about the prospect of a 13th league title. “I won my first title in 2010. You’re holding something heavy in your hands and it gives you the feeling that it’s not really easy to win the thing. There’s always a lot of work and you have to perform over a long period.”
Mueller has won 32 trophies with Bayern, including two Champions League titles, but insists that the Bundesliga carries a particular emotional weight.
“That’s why the satisfaction when you win the league trophy is greater than the Champions League or the German Cup,” he explained.
No player has ever won 13 Bundesliga titles. Across Europe’s top five leagues, only Manchester United’s Ryan Giggs has matched that number.
While the veteran has received tributes from home and away supporters since announcing his departure, Mueller remains focused on the task at hand. “On the topic of pride, I’m someone who lives life looking forward rather than looking back too much. Looking back is nice and then you can toast to it and ask: ‘What are you doing tomorrow?’”
At the opposite end of the table, Bochum could become the first team relegated this season if they lose away to Heidenheim on 2 May. Despite impressive victories over Bayern and Borussia Dortmund, Bochum have won just two of their past 14 matches — with most of their struggles coming against fellow strugglers and mid-table opposition.
Veteran head coach Dieter Hecking has urged his players to relish the pressure of the occasion. “It’s a final and one we’re hugely anticipating. We should have no fear,” he said.
Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund centre-back Niklas Suele is enjoying a resurgence in form as the season draws to a close. Once a mainstay for both Bayern and Germany, the 29-year-old’s stock had fallen since his 2022 switch to Dortmund. However, under new manager Niko Kovac, Suele has re-established himself as a reliable presence in defence.
Having started just three matches between October and April, Suele has now featured in Dortmund’s last four games across all competitions — a spell that has seen the club notch three wins and a draw.
With Germany regulars Nico Schlotterbeck and Antonio Rüdiger currently nursing injuries, Suele is now firmly in contention for a recall to the national side ahead of June’s UEFA Nations League finals.