With Dayot Upamecano suspended for this weekend’s tilt against Union Berlin, Benjamin Pavard suspended for the club’s next Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain, and Noussair Mazraoui working his way back into shape following a long stint away from the squad, manager Julian Nagelsmann has to figure out how to manage the next two Bundesliga matches and the next Champions League fixture while trying out potential lineups.

Both sides make three changes

Merveille Papela experienced many firsts in the sensational victory over Bayern at the weekend. It was the first time he had experienced a sold-out MEWA ARENA, and the first time he had played in a Mainz victory in the Bundesliga. “The weekend went really well for me,” said Papela. Not only did he come on as a substitute against the Bundesliga champions on the Saturday, but he also scored a brace for the U23s on the Sunday. Game time in the Regionalliga Südwest alongside daily training sessions with the first team is sure to help the Papela with his development, something that the 21-year-old is fully aware of: “It’s a great mix of everything,” he said.

For Jamie Leweling, the focus was particularly on his athletic development, for which he sees Union as the right place to go: “The talks with Oliver Ruhnert and Urs Fischer really convinced me. In addition, you could see very well in recent years that Union is a club where players can develop and get better. For me as a young player, that’s a very important point. We don’t need to say much about the stadium and the environment. I played here with Fürth just before the end of the season and the atmosphere was overwhelming. I’m very happy that I can take the next steps in my professional career at Union.”

The German Football League (DFL) announced the dates and kick-off times for Bundesliga Matchdays 31, 32 and 33 on Wednesday. The Wolves travel to Borussia Dortmund for a Sunday evening clash on 7 May. The following home match against Hoffenheim will be played on the afternoon of Saturday 13 May, while the last away fixture of the campaign at Freiburg will take place on a Friday evening (19 May). The final game at home to Hertha BSC on 27 May was already known, with all teams kicking off at the traditional time of 15:30 CEST on Saturday as usual.

Bäumer, born in 1966 in Siegen, North Rhine-Westphalia, has been working at PUMA since 2007 and was previously employed at Kraft Jacobs Suchard and MAXXIUM (both consumer goods companies).

#BVBBMG match reaction We gathered the thoughts of the players and coaches after Borussia’s 5-2 loss...

SV Werder Bremen are away against RB Leipzig on Sunday, 14th May (17:30 CEST). Following a 2-1 defeat at home to FC Bayern last time out, SVW are looking to get back to winning ways, which would also secure a place in the Bundesliga next season. However, this may already be the case by the time Werder take on Leipzig, depending on the results of the other games on matchday 32. For Leipzig, this fixture is about picking up three points in their quest to qualify for next season’s Champions League, while they have also reached the DFB-Pokal final once again. They will take on Eintracht Frankfurt in a few weeks time.

Last weekend was fun, but it’s time to move on to our next chance of three points. On Saturday, VfL face VfB Stuttgart. The Swabians are looking to gain ground on us. They’re four points away from the safety. So, let’s LOOK AHEAD to #VfBBOC:

Arne Maier: “We wasted a chance to secure safety today, mainly down to our bad starts to each half. We fought back after going 1-0 down and were pushing for another goal after equalising. Their two deflected goals after the break ultimately decided the game. We got one back, but it wasn’t enough in the end.”