Season 4 - Match Day 37 Preview

With only two games to go Match Day 37 is likely to close a lot of open issues and to try to make things clearer here the if's, but's and maybe's following this Sundays fixtures.

Division 1

Barca have reduced the gap at the top to 3pts with just 2 games left to play, Bayern however have a goal difference advantage of 13 which could be worth an extra point come the 90^th minute of match day 38. The Spaniards visit Liverpool this Sunday whilst the Germans are also in England to play Man City.

With Real and Juve having firmed up their final leagues positions of 3^rd and 4^th respectively the battle for the SMFA Shield places below them continues at a pace.

Chelsea can clinch their spot with victory away to Dortmund whilst Spurs would all but be assured of a place with a win at home to Napoli. Meanwhile Milan, Napoli and Dortmund will also be looking for 3pts to take them to the brink of qualification.

Below them Liverpool, Valencia, Porto and PSG will be looking to capitalise on any slip ups above them.

At the foot of the table Schalke will join Lazio in Div 2 next season if they lose away to fellow strugglers Zenit, a draw may not be enough to keep their survival hopes alive if Man City get an unlikely win against Bayern.

Atletico will be looking for victory at Arsenal and be hoping that Bayern do the expected against City, they will also be hoping for a stalemate between Schalke and Zenit.

As mentioned Zenit will relegate Schalke if they come out on top in their game and will also be hoping for a Bayern victory.

Failure to get any sort of result for Man City will see them drop into the bottom four and face a last day survival battle.

With Arsenal now safe the only other club in in danger are Monchengladbach though victory away to PSG would see them safe.

Division 2

With promotion now secured for Everton, Roma and Man Utd the attention turns to the title which could be Evertons if they win at home to Spartak and Roma fail to win at Sevilla.

Man Utd will hope that both suffer defeats and for a victory away to Genoa to have a last day chance of taking the title.

In the race for the play-off places Wolfsburg could book their ticket with a win at Inter whilst a win for Southampton at home to Lyon would also see them take a seat.

Inter will be looking to turn over the Wolves or at least match Internacionals result at home to Ajax to join the play-off party.

A Genoa victory against Man Utd will see them home and dry if Internacional fail to secure 3pts.

Other than Internacional the hopes of Sevilla, Ajax and Fiorentina of making the play-offs also lie in those above them slipping up whilst they in turn win.

At the bottom both Villa and Shakhtar  must win on Sunday to avoid the drop and joining Newcastle and CSKA, Shakthar host the Geordies whilst Villa welcome Fenerbahce.

A win may not be enough for Shakthar if Benfica gain at least a point away to Leverkusen.

Although unlikely to be dragged down a point for Spartak and Fenerbahce against Everton and Villa respectively would see them safe.

Division 3

Both Sporting and Swansea secured promotion on Thursday and are now fighting over the title which will go to the Portuguese club if they win at Galatasaray, the Swans would steal the advantage if the Turks win and they come out on top at home to Boca.

A victory for the Welsh club would see Villarreal promoted if they gain at least a point away to Athletic Club.

Boca will be hoping that Villarreal slip up and that they can turn over Swansea whilst Leicester will be hoping both suffer defeats whilst seeing off Loko in their visit to Moscow.

Athletic Clubs slim hopes of making automatic promotion rest on all the other protagonists above them losing whilst they in turn must see off Villarreal.

All of the above however are assured of at least a play-off spot with Sunderland, Loko and Marseille thrashing it out for the final spot. Sunderland could seal that with a win away to Stuttgart, Loko and Marseille will be looking for the Germans to pull off a shock whilst securing wins against Leicester and PSV.

Whilst Hamburg and Cruzeiro still have a mathematical chance of sneaking a spot this will end if any of the main contenders gain at least a point in their fixtures.

Both Basel and Udinese could join Stuttgart in Div 4 next season if they fail to gain 3pts at home against Hamburg and Sao Paulo. They would also be relegated if both Galatasaray and Palace gain at least a point in their games against Sporting and Stoke.

Stoke in turn need to beat Palace to pull themselves out of the bottom four at the expense of the Londoners, 3pts for Palace however would see them safe.

Galatasaray must put a big dent in Sportings title hopes with a win to guarantee themselves Div 3 football next season.

Besiktas are outsiders for the drop but a win at home to Cruzeiro would end any doubts.

Division 4

With Hellas Verona claiming the title on Thursday there is still the matter of the other two promotion places to be resolved.

Sassuolo could secure their place with victory at Kyiv whilst St Etienne will need a win at home to River Plate and for Sampdoria to lose as they host Bordeaux.

Sampdoria will jump into the auto spots if Sassuolo lose or St Etienne fail to win whilst Liege and Chievo Verona will be hoping they all go down and they in turn are victorious away at Dnipro and Monaco.

A point for Chievo and Dnipro would at least secure their play-off spots and would be joined by Olympiacos if they take 3pts in their home clash with AZ.

A win for Dnipro at Liege would see them leap frog the Greeks if they lose.

Hoffenheims hopes of making the play-off mix strangely depend on fellow contenders AZ beating Olympiacos whilst they in turn must beat Feyenoord at home.

In the basement West Ham are now confirmed as down and will be joined by Montpellier if they lose away at Zagreb.

River Plate could also go through the trap door if they lose to St Etienne and Bordeaux secure at least a point at Sampdoria.

Lille must win at West Ham to maintain their survival battle, a defeat and victories for Bordeaux, Feyenoord and Kyiv would see the French club relegated.

Just outside the bottom four Bordeaux will be looking to beat Sampdoria whilst Feyenoord need a result against Hoffenheim to keep their heads above the relegation quick sand.

A point for Kyiv against Sassuolo would see them confirm their status for next season.

Division 5

The ever changing picture at the top of Div 5 changed yet again on Thursday with Santos taking poll position from Dynamo, both have 67pts with a slim gap in goal difference which guarantees that the title can’t be decided on Sunday however wins for both against fellow promotion contenders Celta Vigo and Celtic would see them both or either in Div 4 next season.

Wins for Celta and Celtic would take everything down to the wire, all of the above are assured of at least a play-off spot together with Torino.

The final spot is being contended for by 7 clubs but Hertha and Malaga could finish the chase if the win against Twente and Flamengo and Rubin lose at Espanyol.

Hopes for Levante, Brugge, Independiente and Espanyol would end if they fail to secure 3pts in their fixtures at Koln, Torino, Bremen and Rubin.

At the bottom West Brom confirmed their wooden spoon status on Thursday by managing only a draw at home to Kolne.