Five points of discussion ahead of Sunday's game between Stuttgart and Heidenheim and the Bundesliga. Both have sights on Europe, Stuttgart looking for Champions League.
Stuttgart can move within one point of Bayern Munich
VfB Stuttgart are now in a golden opportunity heading into the latter stages of the Bundesliga campaign. They can move within one point of the record champions in second, with a home tie against them still on the cards.
On the 4th of May, Stuttgart host Bayern Munich in a game which may decide this season's runners-up for the German top flight. With Bayern still in the Champions League, perhaps this game won't take priority thus Sebastian Hoeneß's side will have the opportunity to capitalise.
Heidenheim are stuck in between the bottom and top half of the Bundesliga
In an overachievement of a first season ever in the Bundesliga, Frank Schmidt's Heidenheim are currently in a comfortable 11th in the Bundesliga. This is, of course, much higher than many anticipated as they looked to be in real trouble of relegation ahead of this season.
In spite of this, Heidenheim are seemingly in limbo alongside many others in the tight mid-table region of the Bundesliga and are only four points off VfL Bochum in 15th (one place outside of the bottom three) with the side from the Ruhr region playing bottom side Darmstadt on Sunday.
However, they also sit just four points behind Freiburg in 7th, should they win on Sunday against Stuttgart.
This underlines how crucial the next weeks are for Heidenheim and they are set for a final Bundesliga matchday tie against bottom three side Köln. The only question remains: Will this final matchday still remain a decisive one for Europe?
Serhou Guirassy with a chance to close in on Harry Kane?
As tough as it might be, Serhou Guirassy has a chance to close the gap in goals this season in the Bundesliga between him and Harry Kane.
Despite injuries throughout the campaign, the Guinean has twenty-two goals in the Bundesliga and is nine off the Englishman.
Without a goal in yesterday's Der Klassiker, perhaps this grants the striker an opportunity to close in on the ex-Tottenham player. A late Harry Kane goal (which would have been his 32nd) was ruled out by VAR in the 89th minute at the Allianz Arena yesterday due to an offside.
Heidenheim to stabilize in mid-table, or to embark on a European adventure?
Furthering the previous point of a potential European Conference League spot, Heidenheim have a realistic proposition of Europe should key players like Eren Dinkçi and Jan-Niklas Beste stay fit.
Dinkçi is the quickest player in the Bundesliga this season, whereas latter of the two (Beste) has seven goals and eight assists this season and earnt his first ever Germany call-up for the previous international break but had to pull out due to injury.
Are Stuttgart to avenge their loss to Heidenheim in November?
In November, VfB Stuttgart lost just their second game in this Bundesliga campaign in the first game after Serhou Guirassy's injury early on in the campaign.
Not a bad performance by any means, the team from Swabia managed thirteen shots and two on target but it wasn't to be as they were yet to find a goalscoring solution in the absence of Guirassy.