Bayern Munich were handed the Bundesliga champions for the ninth straight season Saturday, thanks to Borussia Dortmund’s 3-2 win over second-placed RB Leipig.
England winger Jadon Sancho netted twice in Dortmund’s home win which crowned Bayern as champions without kicking a ball before their home game against Borussia Moenchengladbach later on Saturday.
“Of course, everyone was a bit excited, but we are absolutely focused on this game (against Moenchengladbach), 100%,” Bayern coach Hansi Flick told Sky.
“We want to deliver, that’s the mentality of this side.
“It was a pleasure to work with this team,” added Flick, who will leave at the end of the season having won seven titles in 18 months.
Bayern Munich honours
German league champions: 31 times (1932, 1969, 1972, 1973, 1974, 1980, 1981, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021)
European Cup/Champions League winners: 1974, 1975, 1976, 2001, 2013, 2020
UEFA Cup/Europa League winners: 1996
European Cup Winners’ Cup winners: 1967
UEFA Super Cup winners: 2013, 2020
FIFA Club World Cup winners: 2013, 2021
Intercontinental Cup winners: 1977, 2001
German Cup winners: 20 times (1957, 1966, 1967, 1969, 1971, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2010, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2019, 2020)
German Super Cup winners: 8 times (1987, 1990, 2010, 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020)
— via AFP
Before they even kickwed off, Bayern have an unassailable 71 points to Leipzig’s 64.
“I don’t think anyone has ever become champions before while in the team bus on the way to the stadium!” Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic said in congratulating Bayern.
Julian Nagelsmann, the 33-year-old coach who will leave RB Leipzig to take over at Bayern next season, offered a terse “congratulations on a deserved title” to his future employers.
The victory lifted Dortmund into the Champions League places, but Eintracht Frankfurt can knock them out of fourth place if they beat Mainz on Sunday.
Even without star striker Erling Braut Haaland, Dortmund were 2-0 up at the start of the second half thanks to goals from Marco Reus and Sancho.
Leipzig fought back with a Lukas Klostermann header before Dani Olmo equalised only for Sancho to grab the winner with superb footwork.
The 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 goal-scorer Reus.
Dortmund hope to have Haaland back from a thigh injury before the cup final and even with their top-scorer watching in the stands, the hosts still raced into the lead after only 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 break with a superb piece of skill from Sancho, who cut back inside after a Raphael Guerreiro pass and fired his shot in off the far post with superb accuracy.
The visitors pulled a goal back on 63 minutes when Emil Forsberg floated in a corner and Lukas 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 grabbed the winner when he flicked the ball to Guerreiro, took a return pass and tapped home to hand Bayern the title.
(Report by AFP)
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