With so much relegation action and the crowning of a champion here is the latest Bundesliga round-up.
Bayern Munich knew that if they held their nerve against local adversary FC Ingolstadt that they would be crowned champions for a record fourth consecutive season. After Frank Ribery earned a penalty the visitors strolled to a 2-1 victory in Pep Guardiola’s second to last league match in charge of the Bavarian outfit.
Ingolstadt looked to be set up robustly but Ribery getting past the defensive line to earn the penalty that was converted by Robert Lewandowski was the break through that carried sway for the remainder of the match. A second goal from the Polish international before the half placed the game out of reach and all but confirmed his winning of the torjagerkanone as the 15-16 Bundesliga torschutzenkonig. American Alfredo Morales made his customary substitute appearance for the hosts in the second half.
Dortmund was hoping for a slip up by Bayern to keep their faint hopes of a title alive but a 14th minute goal by Stefan Aigner gave the three points to Frankfurt. Eintracht, with the victory, won their third consecutive win and all but ensured their Bundesliga survival with one match left to play.
Niko Kovac’s squad came out with one goal in mind, score then defend. After the only goal of the match the squad as a whole was completely behind the ball never giving Borussia Dortmund the time of day. Possession, tackles won, passes completed, touches, pass completion percentage, and shots were all statistics in favor of BVB but Eintracht Frankfurt was too difficult to break down. The final match between Frankfurt and Werder Bremen will dictate who will survive and who will need to face FC Nurnberg in the relegation playoff.
FC Koln finished their home campaign in a way that stated they were more than happy to be finishing in the top half of the table for this season as they played relegation threatened Werder Bremen to a 0-0 standstill.
For Werder Bremen this was absolutely not what they desired. Frankfurt leapfrogged the Green and White via their win over Dortmund and with a final match remaining between these two clubs there is still the small chance that Bremen will be relegated out of the Bundesliga if results in Wolfsburg go against them. Only bright spot was the first clean sheet of the season for the northern club.
First blood was earned by Stuttgart but joy turned to ashes in the fans mouths as Mainz 05 scored three to all but relegate the five time champions a decade after their most recent title.
Christian Gentner, captain, got such an early goal on Saturday the entire Bundesliga watching public was turned on its head. With all the matches played simultaneously both Frankfurt and Bremen were worried they would be fighting it out on the final day to escape the drop. It was like a fire was lit under Mainz then. Taking advantage of horrible defensive efforts Yunus Mali, Jhon Cordoba, and Karim Onisiwo scored to all but mathematically relegate the Swabians to the Zweite Liga and revisiting the Baden-Wuttemberg derby against rival Karlsruher SC.
After a poor run Hertha Berlin was looking to ensure qualification into the Champions League with a win over fellow stragglers Darmstadt. But it was the goal of former Berlin man Sandro Wagner who ensured Bundesliga survival and Europa League for the Old Lady.
Berlin came out with an early goal from talisman Vladimir Darida. The Czech international has been so crucial to their success but the plucky side from Hesse wouldn’t go down without a fight. A scrappy goal meant it was all level at the half and of all people but former Hertha player Sandro Wagner scored the winner, taunted to crowd to receive a yellow and purposefully get sent off to give his opinion of his former club.
Bayer Leverkusen was looking to make Borussia Monchengladbach’s hope of another year of Champions League football be dashed at home. Instead the local rival Foals came through via two goals from Andre Hahn to win 2-1.
A first goal for Charles Aranguiz looked like Bayer was going to stroll to their eighth straight victory. Andre Hahn played hero for the second week with his two goals meaning three points over the local rivals and all but sealing up the fourth Champions League place.
Schalke 04 was nursing hopes of snatching fourth place from both Berlin and Borussia but a last moment equalizer meant sharing the spoils with FC Augsburg and plan for another year in the Europa League for the Royal Blues.
For a club like Schalke to lead so late with a 82nd minute goal by Klaas Jan Huntelaar this draw will be probably seen as the end of Andre Breightenriter as manager. This is too big of a club to be stumbling around in the dark when so many points were lost over the last few months that would’ve meant that they would be in either third or fourth comfortably by now.
Wolfsburg found a goal via Luis Gustavo to earn their first points in nearly a month as a 1-0 victory over Hamburg showed that Stuttgart better have more than just super scoring boots to escape on the final matchday.
With results going their way Hoffeneheim had no problem losing 1-0 to Hannover 96. The last home Bundesliga match for the club was one for the fans to enjoy before a trip into the second division where who knows what fate lies in store.
German Football phrases and words
Torjagerkanone-the cannon shaped trophy awarded to the torshutzenkonig of the Bundesliga
Torshutzenkonig-the top scorer in the Bundesliga for that season
Zweite Liga News
Both promotions were confirmed for champions and runners-up in the second division of the Bundesliga. RB Leipzig earn promotion as the second best team in the division with a win over Karlsruher.
Already promoted SC Freiburg won against Heidenheim to confirm themselves as the champions of the second division.
FC Nurnberg awaits the final match day to find out their opposition in the promotion relegation playoff between the Bundesliga 16th place team and the third place team from the second division.
[/column]
