Bayern Munich wins 11th straight Bundesliga Title
FC Bayern Münich won yet another Bundesliga title — its 11th straight — Saturday following a crazy final day of the season on Saturday that saw Borussia Dortmund drop crucial points.
Bayern entered the final day in second place, two points behind Borussia Dortmund. Dortmund was in pole position to win their first title in 11 years entering the final day, and a win at home against Mainz would secure them the title.
Bundesliga table pic.twitter.com/BNg0fFKtlQ
— FC Bayern München & DFB (@FCBAYERNMunichD) May 28, 2023
For Bayern to win the league, they were going to need to win their game against FC Köln and hope that Dortmund dropped points against Mainz. Bayern took an early lead over Köln with an early Kingsley Coman goal in the eighth minute. Coman’s goal gave them a 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
More importantly, however, Dortmund was trailing Mainz, 2-0, at the end of the first half. Goals from Andreas Hanche-Olsen and Karim Onisiwo shocked the Dortmund faithful at the Westfalenstadion stunned, with Dortmund needing to score three goals to win the league.
Dortmund did finally get one back from Raphaël Guerreiro in the 64th minute. It was an FC Köln penalty kick that really mixed things up, however.
A handball from Serge Gnabry was reviewed and given as a penalty. Dejan Ljubicic scored the penalty in the 81st minute for Köln, tying the game 1-1, and more importantly, restoring Dortmund’s lead at the top of the table despite still trailing Mainz. A wonderful low-curling effort from Jamal Musiala in the 88th minute restored Bayern’s lead, however, and took Bayern back ahead of Dortmund.
Musiala’s late-game heroics proved decisive as Bayern finished 2-1 victors over FC Köln, and even tho Niklas Süle scored a late Dortmund equalizer, it was not enough.
With both of their final results, Bayern and Dortmund finished tied on 71 points. Bayern finished with a goal differential of plus-54 while Dortmund’s was a plus-39, giving Bayern the title.
“It is unbelievable that I experience such a title race,” said Bayern’s Thomas Müller. “I hoped it would happen but did not think it would.”
Via ESPN
Dortmund had the title in their grasp but failed to seize the opportunity. Bayern, despite firing Julian Nagelsmann and replacing him with Thomas Tuchel earlier in the season and suffering a difficult year in general, still found a way to become champions. This seemed like Dortmund’s year, and if they couldn’t do it this year, then when?
Elsewhere in the Bundesliga, Union Berlin secured qualification to next year’s Champions League with a 1-0 victory over Werder Bremen. It will be the first time Union Berlin has ever competed in the Champions League.
Shalke 04 and Hertha Berlin were relegated, and VfB Stuttgart will play Hamburg from Bundesliga 2 in the relegation playoff to try and retain their spot in the Bundesliga next year.
SUBSCRIBE to the Vendetta YouTube Channel!
CLICK HERE for more soccer content!
