Tag: Bundesliga

Bayern Munich Win 10th Straight Bundesliga Title

Bayern Munich's German midfielder Jamal Musiala (2nd L) celebrates scoring the 3-1 goal with his teammates during the German first division Bundesliga football match FC Bayern Munich v BVB Borussia Dortmund in Munich, southern Germany on April 23, 2022. KERSTIN JOENSSON / AFP
Bayern Munich’s German midfielder Jamal Musiala (2nd L) celebrates scoring the 3-1 goal with his teammates during the German first division Bundesliga football match FC Bayern Munich v BVB Borussia Dortmund in Munich, southern Germany on April 23, 2022. KERSTIN JOENSSON / AFP

 

Bayern Munich were crowned Bundesliga champions for the 10th consecutive season on Saturday after a 3-1 home win over second-placed Borussia Dortmund.

First-half goals by Serge Gnabry and Robert Lewandowski put Bayern in control at a sold-out Allianz Arena before Emre Can converted a penalty after the break for Dortmund.

But teenager Jamal Musiala fired in a late goal to spark early celebrations in the home crowd.

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This is the first time a club has won 10 straight titles in one of Europe’s top five leagues.

The Bavarian giants’ eighth successive win over Dortmund leaves Bayern an unassailable 12 points clear with three games left.

Bayern dominated the opening half and Gnabry fired a magnificent volley into the top corner from the edge of the box to give them a 15th-minute lead.

Gnabry had a second effort disallowed before Lewandowski doubled the advantage 11 minutes before half-time.

It was the Poland striker’s 27th goal in 26 matches against Dortmund, who he left for Bayern in 2014.

Dortmund responded early in the second half as Can converted a penalty after Marco Reus was brought down in the area.

The visitors had their appeals for another spot-kick waved away with 30 minutes left when Lucas Hernandez brought Jude Bellingham down in the area.

Lewandowski won the battle of the Bundesliga’s star strikers as Erling Haaland, who has been linked with big-money move to Manchester City, failed to score despite forcing Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer into two late saves.

Musiala put the result beyond doubt when he slotted home seconds after his initial shot was saved by Dortmund keeper Marwin Hitz.

Late Union goals stun Leipzig

Earlier, Union Berlin scored two late goals to poach a 2-1 win at RB Leipzig, which kept alive their Champions League qualification hopes.

Bayer Leverkusen thumped bottom club Greuther Fuerth 4-1 to take third place from Leipzig and move three points clear of fifth-placed Freiburg in the race for the top four.

Freiburg missed the chance to draw level on points with Leipzig, conceding a late equaliser in a 3-3 draw with Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Union are just two points further back in sixth, with five clubs, including seventh-placed Cologne, separated by just six points with three games remaining in the battle to reach next season’s Champions League group stage.

Yussuf Poulsen put Leipzig ahead early in the second half to put the hosts on course for their second win in four days over Union, who they beat 2-1 in the German Cup semi-finals on Wednesday.

However, Union avenged the cup defeat as substitutes Sven Michel and then Kevin Behrens scored in the 86th and 88th minutes.

The defeat ended Leipzig’s unbeaten run of 15 games in all competitions, ahead of their Europa League semi-final, first leg at home to Rangers on Thursday.

Union are bidding to reach the Champions League for the first time in just their third season since being promoted to the Bundesliga.

Freiburg, also hoping for a maiden appearance in Europe’s premier competition, looked set to pile the pressure on Leipzig as they fought back from 2-0 down at half-time to lead Gladbach.

But Lars Stindl struck for the away side in the third minute of injury time.

Fuerth were finally relegated after their loss to Leverkusen, having been last in the table since September.

Eintracht Frankfurt, who visit West Ham on Thursday in their Europa League semi-final first leg, conceded a late equaliser to draw 2-2 at home to Hoffenheim.

 

AFP

Bayern Munich One Win From 10th Straight Bundesliga Title

Bayern’s players celebrate Bayern Munich’s German midfielder Serge Gnabry (2nd R) scoring the 0-2 goal during the German first division Bundesliga football match Arminia Bielefeld v Bayern Munich in Bielefeld, western Germany, on April 17, 2022. INA FASSBENDER / AFP

 

Bayern Munich can secure a 10th straight Bundesliga title next weekend after they bounced back from their Champions League exit in midweek with a 3-0 win at Arminia Bielefeld on Sunday.

An own goal by Bielefeld defender Jacob Laursen and strikes by Serge Gnabry and Jamal Musiala saw Bayern move nine points clear in the table.

“A bit of frustration was released after we were knocked out,” Gnabry told DAZN.

Bayern returned to winning ways five days after conceding a last-gasp equaliser at home to Villarreal to crash out of the Champions League with a 2-1 aggregate defeat in the quarter-finals.

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“I’ve had a hard time dealing with it,” Bayern midfielder Joshua Kimmich, who was outstanding Sunday, said.

“It’s still in the back of your mind.”

There are four league games left and Bayern can secure the title by beating second-placed Borussia Dortmund in next Saturday’s top-of-the-table clash in Munich.

“We definitely want to clinch it against Dortmund,” Kimmich added.

Bayern were ahead after less than 10 minutes in Bielefeld when a Kimmich pass found its way to Robert Lewandowski, who got a touch before Laursen helped it over the line.

Bayern had a let-off when Japan midfielder Masaya Okugawa clipped the ball over Dayot Upamecano before firing past Manuel Neuer, but the goal was ruled offside.

Just before half-time, Bielefeld midfielder Fabian Kunze was stretchered off after being elbowed in the head by Bayern’s Tanguy Nianzou, who was booked for the challenge.

It was Bielefeld’s third serious head injury in recent weeks.

In the seventh minute of first-half stoppage time, Bayern doubled their lead when Gnabry got on the end of another Kimmich pass to tap home.

Bielefeld kept searching for a goal to get back into the game after the break, but Bayern substitute Musiala secured the points with a late third.

AFP

Bundesliga Match Abandoned After Assistant Ref Hit On Head With Beer Cup

The Bundesliga game between VFL Bochum & Borussia Monchengladbach was abandoned when the linesman was struck on the back of his head by a plastic beer cup.

 

 

The Bundesliga match between Bochum and Borussia Moenchengladbach was abandoned on Friday after the assistant referee was struck on the head by a beer cup thrown from the stands.

Gladbach had been leading 2-0 at Bochum following second-half goals from Alassane Plea and Breel Embolo when the match was interrupted after 71 minutes when linesman Christian Gittelmann took a blow to the head.

The referee took the decision to stop the game for good after 20 minutes.

Both clubs immediately took to social media to condemn the incident.

“We can only formally apologise to linesman Christian Gittelmann,” Bochum said on social media.

“A highly embarrassing and bitter evening for us. An extremely stupid action from an idiotic fan.”

Gladbach sporting director Roland Virkus added: “Things like this should never happen. It angers you when a good game of football has to end like this.”

Bochum had been 11th in the table, two points ahead of Gladbach, in 13th position, before Friday’s game.

Haaland Poised To Return From Injury For Dortmund

Dortmund’s Norwegian forward Erling Braut Haaland and Dortmund’s US midfielder Giovanni Reyna (L) warm up before the German first division Bundesliga football match Borussia Dortmund v Arminia Bielefeld in Dortmund, western Germany, on March 13, 2022. (Photo by Ina FASSBENDER / AFP)

 

Dortmund head coach Marco Rose says in-demand forward Erling Haaland could make his long-awaited return from injury in the Bundesliga this Sunday.

The 21-year-old Norwegian, who has bagged 16 goals in 14 league games this season, could be an option in the home match against Bielefeld having been sidelined by an adductor injury since January.

“He is in team training and is an option,” Rose said.

The Dortmund coach said Haaland is only likely to make a cameo off the bench, as “he has been out for a month. It would be a brief appearance, not longer.

“He is happy to be pain-free again. He’s doing very well,” Rose said of Haaland, who last played away to Hoffenheim on January 22.

There is persistent speculation that Haaland could leave Dortmund at the end of the season for a big European club, with Real Madrid, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain all reportedly interested.

An outbreak of Covid in the Bielefeld squad means it is uncertain Sunday’s game will take place.

“No final decision has been made yet, but we assume that we will play,” added Rose, who himself will be without Covid cases Mats Hummels and Raphael Guerreiro.

Rose has a lengthy injury list with Manuel Akanji, Thomas Meunier, Youssoufa Moukoko, Dan-Axel Zagadou and Steffen Tigges all sidelined, while club captain Marco Reus is ill.

Rose revealed that US teenager Giovanni Reyna, who has been dogged by injury this season, “has also been back in team training for a week now and is also an option”.

Dortmund start the weekend second in the table and nine points behind runaway Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich, but with a game in hand.

AFP

Dortmund Loss At Hertha Leaves Bayern Nine Points Clear

Hertha Berlin’s German midfielder Marco Richter (C) celebrates scoring his team’s third goal with his team mates during the German first division Bundesliga football match Hertha Berlin vs Borussia Dortmund in Berlin on December 18, 2021. AFP

 

Marco Richter scored twice as hosts Hertha Berlin earned a shock 3-2 win over second-placed Borussia Dortmund Saturday to leave Bayern Munich nine points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.

Julian Brandt gave Dortmund a first-half lead, but Hertha roared back with three unanswered goals at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium as Ishak Belfodil equalised before Richter scored twice.

Dortmund substitute striker Steffen Tigges pulled one back shortly after replacing Brandt, but the visitors head into the winter break having won just once in their last four league games.

“We gave the game away,” admitted Dortmund goalkeeper Marwin Hitz.

“We did nothing in the 20 minutes after half-time and only after were we back in it.”

Bayern thrashed Wolfsburg 4-0 on Friday and will start the new year as overwhelming favourites for a 10th straight Bundesliga title.

Just four days after losing 4-0 at mid-table Mainz, Hertha bossed Dortmund and crucially kept Erling Haaland quiet after the Norwegian had scored four goals in a 5-2 romp in the same fixture last season.

Haaland barely had one shot on goal and showed his frustration at Dortmund’s poor display as Hertha fought hard from the first whistle.

Forward Myziane Maolida tapped an early shot past Hitz, but the goal was disallowed with Belfodil marginally offside.

Dortmund took the lead when Haaland spotted a run by Brandt, who chipped in with half an hour gone.

It stayed 1-0 at the break, but Hertha stamped their authority with two goals within six minutes.

Belfodil beat Axel Witsel and tucked his shot under Hitz to claim his first Bundesliga goal for three years.

Moments later Brandt lost possession and Maolida laid it off to his right for Richter to hammer in.

He then grabbed his second after getting in behind the defence following Brandt’s loose pass before Tigges gave Dortmund late hope.

Eintracht win again

Earlier, Eintracht Frankfurt continued their rise up the table with a sixth win in seven games as Danish forward Jesper Lindstrom scored for the third match in succession to seal a 1-0 victory over Mainz.

Frankfurt broke into the top five, having started last weekend 12th, as Lindstrom added to goals he scored in wins against Moenchengladbach and Leverkusen over the past week.

When Rafael Borre snuck in behind the defence, the Colombia striker chipped the on-rushing goalkeeper straight into the path of Lindstrom who tapped in the winner on 35 minutes.

The clubs passed each other in the table as Mainz dropped to eighth.

Union Berlin went sixth – level with Frankfurt on 27 points – thanks to former Germany striker Max Kruse, who scored the only goal in a 1-0 win at Bochum two days after getting married.

Fourth-placed Hoffenheim snatched a 1-1 draw at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach after defender Kevin Akpoguma tapped in a last-gasp equaliser.

Gladbach, who had lost their four previous league games, took a first-half lead when Swiss striker Breel Embolo scored from close range.

Domenico Tedesco suffered his first loss in three games as coach of RB Leipzig, who lost 2-0 at home to 10-man Arminia Bielefeld.

After forward Janni Serra put the visitors 1-0 up, Bielefeld substitute Fabian Klos was shown a red card for fouling Leipzig defender Willi Orban soon after coming on.

Despite being a man down, Bielefeld clinched the win when Japan midfielder Masaya Okugawa hit the bottom corner with 15 minutes left.

Greuther Fuerth are now 11 points adrift at the foot of the table after their goalless draw at home to Augsburg.

AFP

Awoniyi Scores Ninth League Goal As Union Berlin Beat Leipzig


Union Berlin’s Nigerian forward Taiwo Awoniyi (C) celebrates scoring the opening goal with his teammates during the German first division Bundesliga football match 1 FC Union Berlin v RB Leipzig in Berlin on December 3, 2021. Odd ANDERSEN / AFP

 

In-form Nigerian striker Taiwo Awoniyi’s early goal set Union Berlin on the path to a 2-1 win over RB Leipzig on Friday, lifting them to fourth in the German Bundesliga.

This was Awoniyi’s ninth Bundesliga goal this season while the result leaves Leipzig still looking for an away win in the league.

Ahead of the rest of the weekend fixtures, Berlin climb to fourth on 23 points from 14 games.

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Awoniyi pounced at the far post on six minutes to put Union 1-0 but Leipzig midfielder Christopher Nkunku levelled with a speculative shot from outside the box that bounced over the diving keeper on 13 minutes.

Union then grabbed the winner just before the hour mark when a shot from Max Kruse was deflected off teammate Timo Baumgartl and into the goal.

Leipzig, who are eighth in the table, face Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday but their hopes of making the last 16 are already over.

The weekend’s major clash comes Saturday when Borussia Dortmund host Bayern Munich.

Star Bundesliga strikers Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski go head-to-head with one point between the sides.

Haaland has scored 10 Bundesliga goals for Dortmund so far this season while Lewandowski has 14 goals for Bayern.

AFP

Bayern Crush Leverkusen To Return To Top Of Bundesliga

Leverkusen players including Leverkusen’s German forward Florian Wirtz (C) react after the German first division Bundesliga football match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and FC Bayern Munich in Leverkusen, western Germany, on October 17, 2021. (Photo by Ina Fassbender / AFP)

 

Robert Lewandowski and Serge Gnabry both scored twice as Bayern Munich rampaged to a thumping 5-1 win at Bayer Leverkusen to return to the top of the Bundesliga on Sunday.

After suffering a shock defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt two weeks ago and losing the top spot to Borussia Dortmund overnight, Bayern bounced back in style against fellow title hopefuls Leverkusen.

Level on points in first and second before the weekend, the gulf in class between the two teams became apparent as Bayern put their hosts to the sword with a brutal and brilliant first-half performance.

The 31-time German champions smashed in four goals in the space of seven minutes in the first half to humiliate a young Leverkusen side and go a point clear of Borussia Dortmund at the top of the table.

“It was clear after 45 minutes that the three points were coming to Munich,” Lewandowski told broadcaster DAZN.

“We knew that we would have to play our football from the beginning today, and the result shows how well we played.”

It took Bayern less than four minutes to go ahead, Lewandowski converting a Dayot Upamecano cross with a brilliant backheel to net his eighth goal of the season.

Leroy Sane hit the post shortly afterward, as Leverkusen struggled to control a sparkling Bayern attack. On the half-hour mark, the visitors carved through their opponents on the counter-attack, with Alphonso Davies bursting into the box to set up a poacher’s finish from Lewandowski.

Thomas Mueller quickly made it 3-0, deflecting a Niklas Suele shot past a helpless Lukas Hradecky.

Any hope of a Leverkusen fightback was buried just seconds later, as Mueller set up Gnabry with a low cross to make it 4-0.

Gnabry added a fifth on 37 minutes after a sharp one-two with Leon Goretzka.

Leverkusen rallied in the second half, Kerem Demirbay forcing a save from Manuel Neuer before Patrik Schick pulled a goal back.

English defender Omar Richards came on as a second-half substitute to make only his second appearance for Bayern since signing from Reading earlier this year, and Lucas Hernandez started the game despite being expected in court in Spain on Tuesday.

French international Hernandez potentially faces six months in prison for breaking a restraining order imposed on him in 2017 following an altercation with his then-girlfriend, whom he has since married.

Bayern continue their Champions League group stage campaign with a trip to Benfica on Wednesday, while Leverkusen meet Real Betis in the Europa League on Thursday.

Bayern Hit Seven Past Bochum To Go Top Of Bundesliga

Bayern Munich’s striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting reacts after scoring the 7-0 during the German first division Bundesliga football match between FC Bayern Munich and VfL Bochum in Munich, southern Germany, on September 18, 2021. (Photo by Christof STACHE / AFP)

 

Bayern Munich topped the Bundesliga for the first time this season with a 7-0 thrashing of Bochum on Saturday as Robert Lewandowski scored for a record 13th consecutive home league game.

Joshua Kimmich netted twice while Lewandowski poached a second-half goal to claim another league record as Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting all scored for Bayern.

Greek defender Vasilios Lampropoulos scored a first-half own goal as Bochum ran out of luck at the Allianz Arena.

“Bochum worked hard, but everything went right for us after the first goal,” Sane told Sky.

Bayern will lose top spot if Wolfsburg maintain their 100 percent record with a fifth straight win on Sunday against Eintracht Frankfurt.

Bayern have won their last seven games, scoring at least three goals on each occasion, with Dortmund, Leipzig and Barcelona on the list of defeated opponents.

Bochum, who have now won just once in 35 games at Bayern, were 4-0 down at half-time.

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“We were just really up for it,” said Bochum-born Bayern midfielder Leon Goretzka, who extended his contract in mid-week until 2026.

“It was fun for us. Not so much for Bochum which I regret, personally.”

Bayern head coach Julian Nagelsmann made three changes from starting side which won at Barcelona on Tuesday and was pleased with the “manner of the win. None of our goals came from being greedy, we’re on the right path.”

 Sane on song

It was a gala afternoon for Sane, who had been whistled by disgruntled Bayern fans during the Bavarian giants’ opening games this season after a series of below-par performances.

The 25-year-old has since flourished with five assists and three goals in the last five games and also netted twice for Germany during this month’s World Cup qualifiers.

The ex-Manchester City winger started the rout by curling in a spectacular free-kick over a wall of defenders from 30 yards out.

 

Bayern Munich’s striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (C) reacts after scoring the 7-0 during the German first division Bundesliga football match between FC Bayern Munich and VfL Bochum in Munich, southern Germany, on September 18, 2021. (Photo by Christof STACHE / AFP)

 

Sane then laid on a cross which Kimmich fired past Bochum goalkeeper Manuel Riemann.

Gnabry made it 3-0 by finishing a counter-attack and guiding his shot inside the far post.

Bochum’s luck had completely deserted them when Lampropoulos intercepted a pass to Lewandowski, only to roll the ball into his own goal.

It was 45 years to the day since Bayern recovered from 4-0 down at half-time in Bochum to claim a stunning 6-5 win, but there was to be no fairytale revenge on Saturday.

Sane again dribbled into the box, rolled a pass to Gnabry, who flicked the ball onto Lewandowski to tap in and claim his latest Bundesliga record after scoring a new milestone of 41 goals in Germany’s top flight last season.

Kimmich slotted home a towering Goretzka header before Lewandowski’s replacement Choupo-Moting found the net at the third attempt after his first two shots were saved.

Thomas Mueller had a late goal ruled offside. which was little comfort for Bochum, who suffered their heaviest Bundesliga defeat.

Leipzig held at Cologne

Three days after their 6-3 mauling at Manchester City in the Champions League, RB Leipzig were made to work for a 1-1 draw at Cologne.

Anthony Modeste gave Cologne a second-half lead after he and team-mate Mark Uth both had efforts ruled offside.

The VAR also spotted an offside when Leipzig playmaker Emil Forsberg put the ball in the net before Malian midfielder Amadou Haidara headed the visitors level.

Leipzig have now taken just four points from a possible 15 from their first five league games under new head coach Jesse Marsch.

AFP

Dortmund Sign Swiss Goalkeeper Kobel From Stuttgart

(FILES) In this file photo taken on January 02, 2021 Stuttgart’s Swiss goalkeeper Gregor Kobel saves the ball during the German first division Bundesliga football match VfB Stuttgart v RB Leipzig in Stuttgart, southern Germany. (Photo by Thomas KIENZLE / various sources / AFP)

 

Borussia Dortmund on Monday strengthened their squad for next season by signing goalkeeper Gregor Kobel from Bundesliga rivals Stuttgart.

Dortmund, who finished third in the 2021/22 Bundesliga campaign, have signed Kobel until 2026 having reportedly paid Stuttgart a transfer fee of around 15 million euros ($18 million).

Despite being included in the provisional group, the 23-year-old has not been included in the final 26-man Switzerland squad for the forthcoming Euro 2020 finals from June 11-July 11.

The 1.95m-tall shot stopper will rival Swiss compatriots Marwin Hitz and Roman Buerki for the goalkeeper shirt at Dortmund, where he is looking forward to playing Champions League football next season.

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“Borussia Dortmund is one of the biggest and best known football clubs in the world, which has the ambition to fight for the Bundesliga and German Cup titles each year, as well as play in the Champions League,” said Kobel.

“It will make me proud to run out for Borussia Dortmund and I want to be a part of their future success.”

Stuttgart sports director Sven Mislintat revealed that the sale of Kobel will help boost the club’s finances as their revenue has been badly hit by a lack of home crowds during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“His move is a classic win-win situation, because Gregor can take the next step at a Champions League club and we can take the next step by generating important income during these tense times,” said Mislintat.

AFP

World Cup Winner Khedira To Retire At End Of Season

(FILES) In this file photo taken on February 21, 2021 Hertha Berlin’s German midfielder Sami Khedira (L) and Leipzig’s Malian midfielder Amadou Haidara vie for the ball during the German first division Bundesliga football match Hertha Berlin vs RB Leipzig in Berlin (Photo by Annegret HILSE / POOL / AFP)

 

 

Sami Khedira will retire when the Bundesliga season finishes this weekend, the former Germany midfielder announced on Wednesday.

“It’s a pretty tough step, but the only right one. 15 years of professional football have left their mark,” Hertha Berlin’s Khedira told reporters in the German capital.

Khedira, a World Cup winner in 2014, made the last of his 77 appearances for his national team in the infamous 2-0 defeat to South Korea four years later in Russia, when the holders crashed out at the group stage.

The 34-year-old started his career at Stuttgart, where he won the 2007 Bundesliga title.

He joined Real Madrid after the 2010 World Cup finals, recovering from a serious knee injury at the start of 2013/14 to win that season’s Champions League final.

Khedira won a World Cup winners medal in Brazil despite having to withdraw from Germany’s starting line-up before the final after picking up an injury during the warm-up.

He switched to Juventus in 2015, but after winning five Serie A titles, he did not make a single appearance for Juve this season before signing for Hertha in February until the end of the campaign.

He has been restricted by injury to eight Bundesliga games.

Despite a career plagued by injury, Khedira insists the “intensity, pain and agony were worth it at the end of the day”.

“At the same time,” he added, “I have to say that the football business is tough as nails.”

Dortmund Secure Champions League Spot With Sixth Straight Bundesliga Wins

Dortmund’s German forward Marco Reus (2nd R) celebrates with teammates for scoring the second goal during the German first division Bundesliga football match Mainz 05 vs Borussia Dortmund, in Mainz, on May 16, 2021. (Photo by Daniel ROLAND / POOL / AFP)

 

Borussia Dortmund secured their place in the Champions League for next season as Raphael Guerreiro, Marco Reus and Julian Brandt scored in a 3-1 win at Mainz on Sunday.

Three days after routing Leipzig 4-1 to win the German Cup final, Dortmund swept aside Mainz in the league.

Guerreiro and captain Reus hit first-half goals before Germany winger Brandt made sure of the three points with a late effort.

Mainz striker Robin Quaison claimed his 30th Bundesliga goal by netting a 90th-minute penalty.

Qualifying for Europe caps a remarkable turnaround by Dortmund in the last six weeks.

They were fifth and seven points from the Champions League places after losing 2-1 to Eintracht Frankfurt in early April.

Dortmund have since won all six league games to guarantee a place next season in the group stages of the Champions League.

Dortmund’s purple patch has extended to the German Cup, winning Thursday’s final after Jadon Sancho and Erling Braut Haaland both scored twice in Berlin.

READ ALSO: Goalkeeper Alisson Scores Winner As Liverpool Beat West Brom

Qualifying for Europe also reduces the chance of star striker Haaland leaving at the end of the season.

The 20-year-old has made no secret of the fact he wants Champions League football and his agent Mino Raiola has recently fuelled speculation the Norwegian could leave.

Haaland has a contract until 2024, but there is reportedly a release clause which becomes active in 2022.

Dortmund are adamant he is staying, with sports director Michael Zorc insisting Haaland “will play for us next season” before kick-off Sunday.

In their previous home game, Mainz pulled off a shock 2-1 win over Bayern Munich, who have since been confirmed Bundesliga champions, but Dortmund allowed no such repeat.

Dortmund took the lead when Guerreiro unleashed an unstoppable shot from the edge of the area on 23 minutes.

The visitors kept up the pressure and Dortmund had appeals for a handball turned down when a Reus flick caught the hand of Mainz defender Alexander Hack.

Reus got on the scoresheet when Sancho ghosted past defenders and squared the ball for his captain to tap home three minutes from the break.

There was a ten-minute delay to the second-half after a storm drenched the Mainz pitch, but Dortmund picked up where they left off.

Just after coming on, Brandt fired home having combined with Haaland after the pair opened up the Mainz defence ten minutes from the whistle.

There was still time for Quaison to put away his 30th Bundesliga goal from the penalty spot to become his club’s all-time top scorer in Germany’s top flight.

AFP

Bayern Eye Decade Of Dominance After Ninth Straight Bundesliga Title

File photo: Bayern Munich’s Polish forward Robert Lewandowski celebrates scoring his team’s fourth goal with teammates during the German first division Bundesliga football match between FC Bayern Munich and VfB Stuttgart in Munich, southern Germany, on March 20, 2021. (Photo by ANDREAS GEBERT / POOL / AFP)

 

Bayern Munich already have their eyes on a decade of Bundesliga dominance after winning the league title for the ninth successive season on Saturday, celebrating their success with a 6-0 thrashing of Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Robert Lewandowski scored a hat-trick to leave him on 39 league goals this season — one short of Gerd Mueller’s all-time Bundesliga record — as the champions swept Gladbach aside at the Allianz Arena.

“We wanted to show on the pitch that we are German champions,” said Lewandowski, who will “keep stepping on the gas” in chasing Mueller’s record.

“Today was a great game, we played really well and scored a lot of goals.”

The emphatic victory leaves Bayern 10 points clear of second-placed RB Leipzig, whose 3-2 loss at Borussia Dortmund sealed Bayern the title, with two games left.

The players learned they were champions again while still warming up following Dortmund’s victory.

“It was a bizarre situation. We were just getting ready, when we realised that we were champions,” said Bayern captain Manuel Neuer.

Board member Oliver Kahn has alread challenged Bayern to secure a 10th title in a row.

“We watched the Leipzig game together, the atmosphere was great,” said Kahn. “You don’t get used to it, it’s an incredible achievement.

“Now we can do something next season that no team in the world has ever done: become champions 10 times in a row.”

The only blot on a near-perfect night for Bayern was a red card for Tanguy Nianzou for a clumsy tackle 15 minutes from time.

Bayern wasted no time in hitting their stride, Lewandowski finding the bottom corner of the net with just under two minutes gone.

Kingsley Coman struck the post before Jamal Musiala’s pass picked out Thomas Mueller to slot in his 11th league goal of the season, then Lewandowski volleyed home his second on 34 minutes.

Kingsley Coman made it 4-0 before the break, then won a penalty which Lewandowski converted in the 66th minute to leave him one goal short of Gerd Mueller’s historic mark, before Leroy Sane added a late sixth.

Julian Nagelsmann, the 33-year-old coach who will leave Leipzig to replace Flick at Bayern next season, offered a terse “congratulations on a deserved title” to his future employers.

– Sancho double –

Earlier, England winger Jadon Sancho netted twice as Dortmund’s win lifted them into the Champions League places, but Eintracht Frankfurt can retake fourth spot if they beat Mainz on Sunday.

Even without injured striker Erling Braut Haaland, Dortmund were 2-0 up early in the second half thanks to goals from Marco Reus and Sancho.

Leipzig fought back through a Lukas Klostermann header and Dani Olmo’s equaliser, only for Sancho to grab the winner.

The two clubs meet again on Thursday in the German Cup final at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium.

“We showed a lot of morale, the game had absolutely nothing to do with the final in Berlin, but of course we want to win on Thursday too,” said Reus.

Dortmund hope to have Haaland back from a thigh problem before the final, and even with their top-scorer watching from the stands, the hosts still raced into the lead after less than seven minutes.

Reus span out of Lukasz Piszczek’s pass, sprinted behind the defence and took a beautiful back-heeled ball from Thorgan Hazard before sweeping his shot past Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi.

Dortmund goalkeeper Marwin Hitz did not come out for the second half after being injured colliding with his centre-back Manuel Akanji just before the break and was replaced by Roman Buerki.

Dortmund doubled their lead just six minutes after the interval with a superb piece of skill from Sancho, who cut inside after a Raphael Guerreiro pass and fired in off the far post.

The visitors pulled a goal back on 63 minutes when Emil Forsberg floated in a corner and Klostermann steered his header past Buerki.

Leipzig drew level when South Korea striker Hwang Hee-chan broke clear of Dortmund defender Mats Hummels and squared for Olmo who tapped home from close range.

However, Sancho snatched all three points when he flicked the ball to Guerreiro, took a return pass and slotted in to hand Bayern the title.

AFP