DFL releases schedule for Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 matches up to matchday 28
19.12.2018 – Now that the draw for the next phase of the UEFA club competitions has taken place and the match dates have been set, the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga has announced the exact fixtures for more Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 matchdays. The match schedule is now fixed until early April 2019.
Two Bundesliga clubs have qualified for the knockout phase of the UEFA Europa League, with Eintracht Frankfurt and Bayer 04 Leverkusen continuing their participation in the competition after the winter break. In terms of planning, the two regular Bundesliga kick-off times on Sunday (3:30 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. CET) are sufficient to allow the German participants a break of at least three days between their Europa League and Bundesliga matches. Accordingly, the DFL will now use the additional fixtures that were introduced for Sunday afternoon (1:30 p.m.) and Monday evening (8:30 p.m.) to take account of other considerations and restrictions when setting fixtures – particularly public safety requirements – and to ensure that the different kick-off times are distributed among the clubs as best as possible.
For example, the Munich Security Conference takes place on the weekend of the 22nd matchday and will require a considerable security presence. In coordination with the Central Information Centre for Sports Events (ZIS), no Bundesliga matches will take place in Bavaria on the Saturday or Sunday. The match between 1. FC Nürnberg and Borussia Dortmund will kick off at 8:30 p.m. on Monday, while FC Augsburg will play host to FC Bayern München at 8:30 p.m. on Friday.
The highly anticipated return match between FC Bayern München and Borussia Dortmund will take place on the 28th matchday. It will kick off at 6:30 p.m. on Saturday evening. In Bundesliga 2, FC St. Pauli and Hamburger SV will meet on the 25th matchday. The local derby will take place on Sunday (1:30 p.m.). The next match scheduling is expected to take place in calender week 12 between the 18 and 22 March.