BERLIN, Feb 21 (Reuters) – Hoffenheim, backed by billionaire Dietmar Hopp, will stare into the abyss when they battle lowly Augsburg over the Bundesliga relegation playoff spot on Saturday.

The once-dazzling young team who shot up the lower divisions before exploding into the Bundesliga in 2008 and leading the title race until the halfway mark that season, have steadily dropped down the table with one victory in their last 12 games.

BERLIN (Reuters) – Schalke 04 showed they are not ready to give up on the season just yet after a 1-1 draw at Galatasaray gave them hope of reaching the Champions League quarter-finals.

Schalke topped Champions League Group B after a fine start to the season but a slump at the end of last year saw them win just once in their last 11 Bundesliga games.

BERLIN, Feb 21 (Reuters) – Schalke 04 showed they are not ready to give up on the season just yet after a 1-1 draw at Galatasaray gave them hope of reaching the Champions League quarter-finals.

Schalke topped Champions League Group B after a fine start to the season but a slump at the end of last year saw them win just once in their last 11 Bundesliga games.

BERLIN (Reuters) – Bayern Munich’s sparkling 3-1 victory at Arsenal in their Champions League round of 16 first leg on Tuesday confirmed the German side’s focus is firmly set on making amends for two final defeats in the last three years.

Bayern will be hoping their trip to London was not the last this season with the Champions League final being held in the English capital in May.

BERLIN, Feb 20 (Reuters) – Bayern Munich’s sparkling 3-1 victory at Arsenal in their Champions League round of 16 first leg on Tuesday confirmed the German side’s focus is firmly set on making amends for two final defeats in the last three years.

Bayern will be hoping their trip to London was not the last this season with the Champions League final being held in the English capital in May.

BERLIN (Reuters) – Wrestling is ready to change and correct the mistakes that led to the sport’s surprise 2020 Olympic exit last week, interim international federation (FILA) chief Nenad Lalovic said on Monday.

Lalovic who was elected at the weekend after a vote of no confidence triggered the resignation of president Raphael Martinetti, said FILA board members had been left in the dark about the International Olympic Committee (IOC) vote.

BERLIN (Reuters) – Wrestling is ready to change and correct the mistakes that led to the sport’s surprise 2020 Olympic exit last week, interim international federation (FILA) chief Nenad Lalovic said on Monday.

Lalovic who was elected at the weekend after a vote of no confidence triggered the resignation of president Raphael Martinetti, said FILA board members had been left in the dark about the International Olympic Committee (IOC) vote.

BERLIN, Feb 18 (Reuters) – Wrestling is ready to change and correct the mistakes that led to the sport’s surprise 2020 Olympic exit last week, interim international federation (FILA) chief Nenad Lalovic said on Monday.

Lalovic who was elected at the weekend after a vote of no confidence triggered the resignation of president Raphael Martinetti, said FILA board members had been left in the dark about the International Olympic Committee (IOC) vote.

BERLIN, Feb 17 (Reuters) – VfB Stuttgart snapped a five-game losing streak by beating lacklustre Hoffenheim 1-0 on Sunday to climb to 12th place in the Bundesliga and leave their opponents anchored in the relegation playoff spot.

Austrian Martin Harnik headed in Ibrahima Traore’s cross in the third minute as the visitors got off to a flying start, with Hoffenheim, missing half a dozen players through injury defending poorly and lacking any attacking ideas.

Feb 15 (Reuters) – A superb Mario Mandzukic bicycle kick and Arjen Robben’s first goal of the season gave Bayern Munich a 2-0 win at VfL Wolfsburg on Saturday that sent the runaway leaders 18 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.

The league’s top scorer Mandzukic, unfazed by media reports Bayern are close to signing Borussia Dortmund forward Robert Lewandowski for next season, snatched his 15th goal of the campaign in dazzling fashion in the 36th minute.