Race for Champions League qualification and survival battles keeping Bundesliga on edge

Players to watch

Leverkusen 18-year-old Montrell Culbreath scored in the 3-1 win in Leipzig when the sides last met in December, and he’s likely to get another run out after appearing in each of Leverkusen’s last eight games across all competitions. Yan Diomande has become Leipzig’s star with goal involvements in each of the team’s last three games. Continuing the theme of youngsters breaking through, Dortmund gave 18-year-old Italian forward Samuele Inacio his first start last weekend, when 16-year-old Mathis Albert became the youngest American to play in the Bundesliga. Dortmund visits Borussia Mönchengladbach on Sunday. Bayern 18-year-old Bara Sapoko Ndiaye from Senegal made his first start against Mainz last weekend and will likely get another chance in midfield against Heidenheim.

Who is out?

Union goalkeeper Frederik Rønnow is out for the rest of the season with a muscle injury from last weekend’s defeat in Leipzig. Carl Klaus, who made his Bundesliga debut at age 32, can look forward to three more appearances.

Off the field

Leverkusen defender Edmond Tapsoba extended his contract with the club on Wednesday through June 2031. The 27-year-old Burkina Faso mainstay joined Leverkusen in early 2020 from Portuguese team Vitória de Guimarães and has since played in 183 Bundesliga games for the club. The German soccer league (DFL) announced on Tuesday that it entered a “strategic cooperation” with sportswear giant Adidas to boost the development of professional soccer in the country. Adidas was to give the DFL a loan of 100 million euros for investment, while it extended its deal to provide match balls for the top two divisions until 2034. The Associated Press has asked the DFL for further details. \\\_ AP soccer: