Tom Hamiltonfirst writer2 minutes to read
Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga title for the 11th consecutive season after a thrilling final day that saw Dortmund collapse under pressure, drawing at home to Mainz.
Dortmund entered the decisive final match on Saturday, two points ahead of Bayern, but coach Edin Terzic’s team was stunned by a 2-2 draw after a disastrous first half that saw Mainz advance by two goals and striker Sebastian Haller missed a penalty kick.
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Bayern, meanwhile, traveled to Cologne and took the lead within 10 minutes thanks to an early goal from winger Kingsley Coman.
A late penalty from Cologne midfielder Dejan Ljubicic seemed to cause more late drama – with the title heading to Dortmund as it is. However, Bayern Munich striker Jamal Musiala scored in the 89th minute to seal a memorable 2-1 victory.
Dortmund scored a stoppage-time equalizer through Niklas Sule but had mere seconds to chase the winner as the final whistle confirmed Bayern’s 33rd Bundesliga title.
It was a turbulent campaign for the German club as they changed coaches during the season, but the arrival of Thomas Tuchel in March managed to guide Bayern to another league victory as they continued their decade-long dominance.
In the second half of the season, it looked increasingly like the club’s period of dominance was about to end.
Bayern parted ways with coach Julian Nagelsmann on March 24 and Tuchel replaced him. At that point in the season, Bayern was fighting for the title with Dortmund and Leipzig, and in the Champions League. They were however knocked out of the European Championship at the quarter-final stage by Manchester City, leaving Tuchel with sole focus on the league with the team exiting the Bundesliga at the quarter-final stage to Freiburg.
Bayern have also suffered a series of off-field incidents this season, including goalkeeper Manuel Neuer breaking his leg while skiing in December after the World Cup, as well as the fallout from the departure of goalkeeper coach Tony Tabalovic in January. In April, superstar Sadio Mane was suspended for a match after an argument with teammate Leroy Sane following their first-leg defeat by City on 11 April.
On the field, Bayern also struggled at times. In the penultimate game of the season, Tuchel’s side suffered a major blow to their title hopes with a stunning 3-1 defeat at home to RB Leipzig, meaning Dortmund would go into the final day with a two-point lead.
However, with Dortmund struggling under pressure on Saturday, Bayern were able to clinch the championship in the last few minutes of the season and maintain their dominance in German football.
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