How to watch as Schalke, Augsburg, Bochum, and Stuttgart all battle for survival

Topics: TV Schedules, TV Listings, Stuttgart, Bochum, Schalke, Augsburg, Bundesliga

With Hertha Berlin already being condemned to the 2.Bundesliga, four teams will be desperately battling to avoid the same fate as the 2022/23 Bundesliga season comes to a close on Saturday, May 27th.

It's crunch time for four teams: Augsburg, Schalke, Stuttgart, and Bochum.

Unfortunately for these sides, they will not be fighting for the title, or any trophies whatsoever, but rather, all four of these teams will be desperately fighting for something even more precarious: their survival. With Hertha Berlin already having been relegated to the 2.Bundesliga, Augsburg, Schalke, Stuttgart, and Bochum will be hoping to avoid the same fate and remain in the top flight for yet another season.

But how do the odds look for each of these sides? Let's have a look at where each stands and what will need to happen in order to avoid joining Hertha Berlin in the 2.Bundesliga next season.

When will the relegation battle be taking place?

To avoid accusations of match-fixing or other mischief, all nine games of the final day of the 2022/23 Bundesliga season will be played on Saturday, May 27th with a kick-off time of 9.30 EST (14.30 CET).

What teams are involved in the relegation battle?

As noted before, Hertha Berlin have already been relegated. The four teams hoping to avoid the drop are:

Augsburg - 14th place (34 points)
Stuttgart - 15th place (32 points)
Bochum - 16th place (32 points)
Schalke - 17th place (31 points)

Of these four teams, one will be automatically relegated, as the 17th and 18th placed teams are sent down to the 2.Bundesliga. Two will be safe for the next season, while the one that finishes in 16th spot will have to try their luck in the play-offs.

What do each team need to avoid the drop?

Augsburg

Augsburg, who are in 14th place, are arguably the team in the best spot to avoid relegation. However, they are not safe just yet as they will need to beat 10th-placed Borussia Moenchengladbach in order to guarantee their top flight status for the 2023/24 season. A loss for them, coupled with wins for both Stuttgart and Bochum, would see them slide into 16th spot, and thus will have to battle through the play-offs for a guaranteed spot in the Bundesliga next season.

In short, Augsburg could finish this season as high as 12th (assuming Werder Bremen and Hoffenheim don't win their final season games) or as low as 16th. The only reason they will not end up in 16th with a loss to Gladbach is due to their better goal difference than Schalke, which currently stands as -19 (for Augsburg) vs. -34 (for Schalke).

Stuttgart

Currently in 15th place, Stuttgart could actually see themselves automatically relegated if they lose to Hoffenheim and both Bochum and Schalke win their respective fixtures. If Stuttgart draw with Hoffenheim, and both Bochum and Schalke win, they, once again, will end up in 17th spot and will join Hertha Berlin in the 2.Bundesliga next season.

Simply put, Stuttgart, who will face 13th-placed Hoffenheim, will look to beat their struggling opponents in order not to leave things to chance. If they do lose, they may still be safe assuming both Bochum and Schalke also lose their games. A draw for Stuttgart, coupled with draws for Bochum and Schalke will also be fine. Basically, Stuttgart can't afford to do worse than Bochum and Schalke in their respective games, and if all three teams post the same results, Stuttgart will be the one to remain afloat.

Bochum

16th placed Bochum ended up losing crucial relegation battles against Stuttgart and Schalke, and now will need to beat Bayer Leverkusen if they want to avoid the relegation play-offs. If they can defeat die Werkself and Stuttgart drop points, they will pip Stuttgart to 15th place. If they match Stuttgart's result, Bochum will either remain in 16th place (provided Schalke lose) or could drop down to 17th (if Schalke win).

What puts Bochum at a huge disadvantage versus Stuttgart is their poor goal difference, which, ahead of the final matchday is at -35 (for Bochum) vs. -12 (for Stuttgart).

Schalke

Can they pull off another great escape? Schalke did avoid the drop last season, but their luck may just have run out this time around. Currently in 17th spot, they will be pitted against a high-flying Leipzig side who have won four on the trot and are the natural heavy favorites to win on Saturday. Simply put, Schalke can't afford to lose their final match. A draw for them could suffice, assuming that Bochum lose and Schalke manage to avoid conceding more goals than Bochum do, given that their goal differential (-34) is slightly better than Bochum (-35).