Method for adjusting the air-fuel ratio in the exhaust gas of a direct injection internal combustion engine, wherein the combusting fuel injection is divided into a plurality of individual injections, and wherein the air-fuel ratio in the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine for a given load (PMI) is predictively adjusted by at least one model, by adjusting the position of the centroid of heat release conversion rates and the injection amount of the total combusting fuel injection, to a value that is necessary for the regeneration of an NOx storage catalytic converter in the exhaust system of the internal combustion engine.