Bayern win Bundesliga after wild final day as Dortmund held by ...

27 May 2023

The Guardian

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Admir Pajic reminds that: “Kingsley Coman will keep his perfect professional record of winning the league title in every single season since his debut. Thomas Tuchel won’t have two incredible underachievements in the same season - failing to beat Spurs 2022-23 with Chelsea and failing to win the league with Bayern.”

Poor Dortmund, playing for the title until the last seconds, with Mainz having to clear their lines. Heartbreak for them. Relief and joy for Bayern. That was a title race and a half but the crown goes to the usual place.

Bayern Munich are champions again!

Dortmund’s hopes of that first title since 2012 are extinguished in their own home by Mainz. Bayern held their nerve and Jamal Musiala’s goal will enter lore like that of Patrik Andersson 22 years ago. Bayern celebrate while Dortmund are still playing…they had the ball in the net in injury-time but Haller was offside. And then, Sule scores…and that will be the last of it….Bayern players celebrate as if it is won and Dortmund are *still playing*…2-2 it was, and that’s that.

Köln 1-2 Bayern: Pavard now playing for time. Momentum shifts all over the place. It was just moments ago that Bayern were playing hurryup.

Dortmund 1-2 Mainz: Can Dortmund find anything? Do they think two goals are beyond them? Mainz may be the likelier scorers here. Five minutes and two goals is the tallest of orders.

As it stands. Dortmund were champions for mere minutes. They need two goals.

Pos Team P GD Pts 1 Bayern Munich 34 54 71 2 Borussia Dortmund 34 38 70 3 RB Leipzig 34 22 66 4 Union Berlin 34 13 62 5 Freiburg 34 8 60 6 Bayer Leverkusen 34 8 50 7 Wolfsburg 34 9 49 8 Eintracht Frankfurt 34 5 48 9 Mainz 34 0 48 10 Borussia M'gladbach 34 -3 43 11 Cologne 34 -5 42 12 Hoffenheim 34 -9 36 13 Werder Bremen 34 -13 36 14 VfL Bochum 34 -32 35 15 Augsburg 34 -21 34 16 Stuttgart 34 -12 33 17 Schalke 04 34 -35 31 18 Hertha Berlin 34 -27 29

Goal! Köln 1-2 Bayern (Musiala, 89)

As Köln tried desperately to clear the danger the ball falls to the playmaker. His shot is like a guided missile. And as it stands, Bayern are champions!

Jamal Musiala of Bayern Munich scores the team's second goal against Cologne. Photograph: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images

Köln 1-1 Bayern: Seconds ticking away and the body language from Bayern is not good. The blame game being prepared when the game is still afoot. What drama. Sane goes all the way through and his shot is saved….but…

Dortmund 1-2 Mainz: for the champions-elect – somehow, a Reus strike whips past the Mainz goal. It’s a Bayern goal that can change things here.

As it stands!

News of that Köln goal has reached Dortmund

Pos Team P GD Pts 1 Borussia Dortmund 34 38 70 2 Bayern Munich 34 53 69 3 RB Leipzig 34 22 66 4 Union Berlin 34 13 62 5 Freiburg 34 8 60 6 Bayer Leverkusen 34 9 50 7 Wolfsburg 34 9 49 8 Eintracht Frankfurt 34 5 48 9 Mainz 34 0 48 10 Borussia M'gladbach 34 -3 43 11 Cologne 34 -4 43 12 Hoffenheim 34 -9 36 13 Werder Bremen 34 -13 36 14 VfL Bochum 34 -33 35 15 Augsburg 34 -21 34 16 Stuttgart 34 -12 33 17 Schalke 04 34 -35 31 18 Hertha Berlin 34 -27 29

Goal! Köln 1-1 Bayern (Ljubicic, 81 pen)

Sommer is sent the wrong way and the celebrations are maniacal….Ljubicic rips off his shirt and…the title is in Dortmund’s hands….

Cologne's Dejan Ljubicic scores their first goal from the penalty spot against Bayern Munich. Photograph: Thilo Schmülgen/Reuters

Cologne’s Dejan Ljubicic celebrates after scoring their first goal from the penalty spot against Bayern Munich.

Then celebrates. Photograph: Matthias Hangst/Getty ImagesPenalty to Köln!

A handball on the line of the edge of the box from Gnabry. A lengthy VAR delay….and given.

Penalty to Köln! Handball on Gnabry (80')

— Bayern & Germany (@iMiaSanMia) May 27, 2023

Dortmund 1-2 Mainz: Haller is now getting plenty of service but the ball won’t’ drop for him.

Köln 0-1 Bayern: Choupo-Moting, cutting in from the left, cannot keep his shot from flying wide. Bayern really need another goal.

Dortmund 1-2 Mainz: The madness in Westphalia continues, as Reus goes close. The chances piling up. Two more needed.

Köln 0-1 Bayern: Kingsley Coman has gone off. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has come on. And the sprinkler has gone off in high temperatures, the ref taking on some fluids.

Goal! Dortmund 1-2 Mainz (Guerreiro, 70)

There is a light and it’s yet to go out. The Portuguese player smashes in against the post.

Dortmund's Raphael Guerreiro (right) celebrates with teammates after scoring his sides first goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Mainz.

Dortmund's Raphael Guerreiro (right) celebrates with teammates after pulling a goal back. Photograph: Michael Probst/AP

Dortmund 0-2 Mainz: Duranville looks handy and his shot almost falls to Reyna. Then comes an almighty scramble with Reus at its heart. This has become a very silly game. Moukoko smashes wide now. The chances piling up.

Dortmund 0-2 Mainz: Desperation. Duranville, a debutant at 17 and 22 days, and Gio Reyna come on. Mainz almost score straight away.

Köln 0-1 Bayern: Thomas Muller has left the field and on comes Joao Cancelo, who could claim his second title of the season. He qualified for one with Manchester City.

Dortmund 0-2 Mainz: Hummels has missed a big chance from a Moukoko cross and Haller was very slow to follow up. Such chances need taking.

Köln 0-1 Bayern: Sommer is asked to make a save or two as Köln push on.

As It Stands

Bayern will be champions and other results mean Freiburg will be in the Champions League as they are winning in Frankfurt. Schalke, 2-2 at Leipzig, will be relegated while Stuttgart, 0-0 with Hoffenheim face a relegation playoff.

Pos Team P GD Pts 1 Bayern Munich 34 54 71 2 Borussia Dortmund 34 37 70 3 RB Leipzig 34 21 64 4 Freiburg 34 9 62 5 Union Berlin 34 12 60 6 Wolfsburg 34 10 50 7 Bayer Leverkusen 34 9 50 8 Mainz 34 1 48 9 Eintracht Frankfurt 34 4 47 10 Borussia M'gladbach 34 -3 43 11 Cologne 34 -5 42 12 Werder Bremen 34 -12 37 13 Hoffenheim 34 -9 36 14 VfL Bochum 34 -33 35 15 Augsburg 34 -21 34 16 Stuttgart 34 -12 33 17 Schalke 04 34 -34 32 18 Hertha Berlin 34 -28 27

Dortmund 0-2 Mainz: Jude Bellingham’s injury must be serious if Terzic is yet to throw him in. Without him, Dortmund look very short on quality.

Köln 0-2 Bayern: FC Hollywood trying to get the job done. Their nerves holding for now.

Köln 0-1 Bayern: Pavard heads away as the home team try their best to get into the game. Bayern concede a corner, Sommer hacking behind in panic.

Dortmund 0-2 Mainz: Jae-sung Lee has been so dangerous for Mainz, who a breaking away on the counter, far more dangerously than Dortmund, in truth. They have a free-kick but cleared very easily.

Mainz’s Jae-sung Lee in action with Dortmund's keeper Gregor Kobel.

Mainz’s Jae-sung Lee goes up aginst Dortmund's keeper Gregor Kobel. Photograph: Wolfgang Rattay/Reuters

Köln 0-1 Bayern: Back underway in Cologne.

Dortmund 0-2 Mainz: Big half-time substitution, off goes Wolf, who looked hurt, on comes Moukoko, the teenager. And yet Mainz almost score again…Lee was on the end of a cross, to which they remain so vulnerable.

Optimism reigns and Dortmund players enter the field to loud applause.

JR in Illinois is in touch, too: “John, I keep hearing how VAR works better in European leagues but what I’ve just seen at Dortmund certainly disproves that premise. Just after Haller botched his penalty kick some dude on Mainz, as you noted, plowed right through Guerreiro’s back. In what non-corrupt world was that not a penalty? And I don’t support any of the teams involved. I’m just some neutral jerk sitting here wondering what in the wide world of sports is going on with a non-call like that.”

It was nailed on, wasn’t it?

Justin Kavanagh gets in touch: “So is there a German word for the pleasure derived by one set of fans’ from another team’s set of fans not being able to enjoy the original fans’ misfortune when it doesn’t materialize as expected? A kind of reverse schadenfreude? I’m sure there’ll be a German along any minute to inform us…”

Dortmund must wish their final day had been anything like as easy.

Half-time: Dortmund 0-2 Mainz

Hummels pummels a shot from distance, and a first half Dortmund will wish to forget, and need to recover from comes to an end.

Half-time: Köln 0-1 Bayern

Bayern are on course but may rue that VAR decision at the end of the half. Dortmund have been their saviours.

Sané goal for Bayern is ruled out! Still Köln 0-1 Bayern

Sane begins and finishes the move, getting on the end of a Gnabry ball, opening up the angle and slotting in. Bayern are seeing off their part of the job. The pressure on Dortmund unbearable…but what’s this….did Sané use his arm to control the ball.

Dortmund 0-2 Mainz: Cometh the half-hour, cometh Marco Reus. The risk taken on Adeyemi did not pay off. Meanwhile, Marius Wolf has a limp after coming down heavily. Reus is asked to save the day.

Köln 0-1 Bayern: Bayern looking cool in possession of both the ball and very probably the title.

Dortmund 0-2 Mainz: Brandt steers the ball in, Haller cannot get to it. At least Mainz are sat deep. But then from a corner, defended horribly, Lee screams away and there is panic, the ball only just cleared.