Leipzig back in Champions League 

AP:

Leipzig survived a late scare to secure a Champions League return for next season and a 2-1 win over St Pauli made sure of third place in the Bundesliga yesterday.

Leipzig were leading 2-0 with both goals from corners after Xaver Schlager bundled in a loose ball just before half-time and Willi Orban headed in shortly after the break.

Relegation-threatened St Pauli showed late signs of life through Abdoulie Ceesay's 86th-minute goal off an unusual long-range header assist by Jackson Irvine.

It's a much better season for Leipzig after placing seventh last year, their worst top-flight finish, and also losing seven of eight Champions League games.

St Pauli were 17th in the 18-team league following their ninth winless game in a row. St Pauli’s hopes of staving of relegation remain alive, however, after 16th-place Wolfsburg lost 0-1 to Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich later Saturday. Their survival will come down to the last game of the season against Wolfsburg, who they tie with on points. Wolfsburg though, only need a draw.

STUTTGART CLOSE ON EUROPE SPOT

Deniz Undav's 19th league goal of the season capped a 3-1 comeback win for Stuttgart over Bayer Leverkusen to leave Stuttgart in the fourth Champions League spot.

Leverkusen stunned with Aleix Garcia's goal 34 seconds into the game on the counter, but Ermedin Demirovic levelled for Stuttgart in the fifth minute and won a penalty that Maximilian Mittelstädt converted to take the lead just before half-time.

Undav, the second highest scorer in the league after Bayern's Harry Kane, added a third off Jamie Leweling's cross.

Leverkusen were sixth with only a slim chance of a Champions League spot.

Hoffenheim were level on points with Stuttgart in fifth after their 1-0 win over Werder Bremen was made easier by a fifth-minute red card for Bremen's Yukinari Sugawara for a reckless studs-up challenge. Bazoumana Toure scored the only goal from a quickly taken corner.

Augsburg were ninth after a 3-1 win over Borussia Moenchengladbach boosted their hopes of reaching next season's Conference League.