×

Succesfully subscribed!

Thank you for subscribing, continue to explore Legitgists
From Legitgistz

Bayern win 11th straight Bundesliga title as Dortmund fails

Beautiful vintage aircraft

Bayern Munich were crowned Bundesliga champions for an 11th consecutive season after a late 2-1 win at Cologne snatched the title away from Borussia Dortmund.

Jamal Musiala scored Bayern's 89th minute winner as Thomas Tuchel's side snatched the title by the tightest of margins on a dramatic final day.

Dortmund, who entered a pulsating final day two points clear at the top, were denied being crowned champions for the first time in 11 years after they drew 2-2 at home to Mainz, losing out on goal difference.

Bayern knew they needed to beat Cologne and hope for a favour from Mainz, and having led through Kingsley Coman's stunning eighth-minute strike, the defending champions moved top as Mainz raced into a two-goal lead in the first half at Dortmund.Andreas Hanche-Olsen gave the visitors the lead in the 15th minute to shock Signal Iduna Park. Two minutes later, Dortmund were handed a reprieve after a foul inside the box by Dominik Kohr - but Sebastien Haller's penalty was saved by Finn Dahmen.

How the dramatic final day unfolded...

  • Cologne 0-1 Bayern Munich (Coman, 8)
  • Borussia Dortmund 0-1 Mainz (Hanche-Olsen, 15)
  • Borussia Dortmund 0-1 Mainz (Haller misses pen, 19)
  • Borussia Dortmund 0-2 Mainz (Onisiwo, 24)
  • Borussia Dortmund 1-2 Mainz (Guerreiro, 69)
  • Cologne 1-1 Bayern Munich (Ljubicic pen, 81)
  • Cologne 1-2 Bayern Munich (Musiala, 89)
  • Borussia Dortmund 2-2 Mainz (Sule, 90+6)

Matters got even worse for the hosts on 24 minutes when Karim Onisiwo rose to head home Jae-Sung Lee's cross from the left. Dortmund only began their response with 21 minutes remaining as Raphael Guerreiro's shot from Gio Reyna's pass found the bottom corner.

Edin Terzic's side still needed two goals to win the match and the championship - provided Bayern stayed ahead in Cologne. That changed, however, when a handball by Serge Gnabry allowed Dejan Ljubicic to level from the spot.

Dortmund fans believed and prayed for the intervention from elsewhere to be upheld, but those hopes were dashed with two minutes of normal time remaining as Gnabry set up Musiala for a decisive blow. Niklas Sule levelled in the 96th minute back at Dortmund - but there was not enough time for a winner.

Dortmund finished on 71 points - the same as Bayern following their victory - but with an inferior goal difference of 15 on one of the most dramatic ends to any Bundesliga season.

In a climactic season finale, Bayern were celebrating what ended up being an unexpected title win, while Dortmund's dreams of their first league trophy since 2012 were left in tatters when they were trailing 2-0 to Mainz early on before battling to a 2-2 draw - but they needed victory to become champions.

In a further twist, Bayern announced immediately after their title triumph they had fired CEO Oliver Kahn and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic.

Manager Thomas Tuchel said on the news of Kahn and Salihamidzic leaving: "I've known since yesterday. Today it will be announced, also in the dressing room. Hasan called me eight weeks ago, with Oli Kahn, and persuaded and convinced me that we should do it together.

"They were largely responsible for it, they gave us credit for it, so I have to process it first. Instead of celebrating, we now have the next political topic."

When asked if he would continue, Tuchel replied with a smile: "I'm assuming so now."

With Bayern club bosses nervously checking their mobile phones for the score in Dortmund, Cologne earned an 80th minute penalty and Ljubicic sent 'keeper the wrong way to level.

Sane thought he had missed the chance to hand his team the title when he failed to beat the Cologne 'keeper in the 88th but Musiala did it perfectly a minute later, curling a low drive into the far post in the rollercoaster season ending.


Post a Comment