It was a dramatic end to the Bundesliga season as Bayern Munich snatched the title from Borussia Dortmund’s grasp with a late goal against Köln, while Dortmund failed to beat Mainz at home.
Dortmund had a two-point lead over Bayern going into the final matchday and only needed a win to secure its first title since 2012. It also had the advantage of playing at Signal Iduna Park, where a celebration was already planned.
Bayern Munich, meanwhile, had to hope for a Dortmund slip-up and also win its own game against Köln. Dortmund could still afford to lose if Bayern also dropped points.
With one minute left in regulation time, it looked like Dortmund had done enough. Despite trailing 2-1 to Mainz, it was ahead of Bayern on goal difference after Köln equalized in the 81st minute.
The Dortmund fans erupted in joy as they heard the news from Cologne, believing they were moments away from glory. The drums pounded louder as they counted down the seconds.
But their happiness was short-lived, as Jamal Musiala restored Bayern’s lead in the 89th minute with a powerful strike.
Dortmund still had five minutes of added time to find an equalizer against Mainz, and it got a glimmer of hope when Nicklas Sule scored an own goal in injury time.
But it was too little, too late, as the final whistle blew and Dortmund’s players collapsed on the pitch, devastated by their near miss.
The stadium fell silent, except for the applause for manager Edin Terzić, a lifelong Dortmund fan, who was in tears.
In Cologne, Bayern’s fans celebrated with their team as they lifted their 11th straight Bundesliga trophy.
Dortmund’s downfall was sealed by a poor start to its game against Mainz, as it conceded two goals in the first 25 minutes.
Andreas Hanche-Olsen opened the scoring for Mainz in the 15th minute, before Sebastian Haller missed a penalty that could have leveled the game.
Karim Onisiwo doubled Mainz’s lead 10 minutes later, putting Dortmund in a difficult position that was worsened by Bayern’s early goal against Köln.
Despite all the drama in the final minutes, Dortmund could not overcome its deficit and will regret its missed chances throughout the game.
Bayern Munich, on the other hand, had a disappointing season by its standards and announced after the game that CEO Oliver Kahn and board member Hasan Salihamidžić had been sacked.
Jan-Christian Dreesen was appointed as the new CEO, while Salihamidžić’s replacement is yet to be announced, according to Bayern’s statement.
