Harry Kane opened the scoring as Bayern Munich wrapped up a 2-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach, capping off a landmark night that saw him lift the first trophy of his career and club legend Thomas Muller bid farewell to the Allianz Arena faithful in his final home match.
The Bundesliga crown was clinched earlier in the day when Bayer Leverkusen, last year’s champions, stumbled to a 2-2 draw at Freiburg. But the celebrations reached full swing at full-time as Bayern hoisted the league shield before their roaring home crowd.
Soaked in beer after the traditional title celebration, Kane called the moment “an incredible feeling” and said he hoped it was “the first of many” in a Bayern shirt.
“It’s been a lot of hard work, a lot of sacrifice in between, for moments like this – to enjoy it with the team, enjoy it with the fans. I’m loving every minute,” said the England captain.
Kane opened the scoring in the 31st minute, heading in a curling Michael Olise shot for his 25th goal of the league campaign.
With Bayern lacking their usual energy, Gladbach had several chances to equalize but were let down by poor finishing. Olise tapped in from close range to score a goal of his own in the final minute, sealing the occasion.
In his 750th game for Bayern in all competitions, Muller – who will leave the club after 25 years this summer – went close to scoring but had his shot saved in the 57th minute.
The 35-year-old was substituted with seven minutes remaining, hugging his teammates as reserves and staff rushed to form a guard of honor. Muller won a record 13 Bundesliga titles and two Champions League trophies at Bayern.
Speaking with Sky Germany, Muller said, “I can’t really process it right now,” but was touched by “75,000 hearts that were beating just a little bit for me.”
Kane said he was “proud” to play with Muller, calling the veteran “a legend in football and a legend at this club.”
Kane’s longtime England and Tottenham teammate Eric Dier, who will join Monaco in the summer, was also given a send-off before the match.
Leipzig ‘disappointed,’ Bochum and Kiel relegated
RB Leipzig’s top-four hopes were dashed with a goalless draw at Werder Bremen as Holstein Kiel and Bochum were relegated from the Bundesliga after both suffered home defeats.
Leipzig, which had missed the Champions League only once in eight seasons since its debut promotion in 2017, struggled against a Bremen side pushing for a return to Europe after a 15-year absence.
Leipzig’s Xavi Simons went closest to scoring, hitting the post in the 68th minute and forcing a save from goalkeeper Michael Zetterer two minutes later.
“It’s extremely disappointing,” Leipzig’s Christoph Baumgartner said. “It’s matchday 33, and we didn’t make it. There’s no point sugarcoating it – we don’t deserve the Champions League.”
The result means Jurgen Klopp, the new football chief at owners Red Bull, will oversee his first offseason without the promise of the Champions League.
Leipzig needs to beat Stuttgart in their final match to have any hope of reaching the Europa League, while Bremen’s European hopes are now purely mathematical, given their poor goal difference.
Heidenheim’s 3-0 win at Union Berlin on Saturday, thanks to a brace from Adrian Beck and a goal from Jan Schoeppner, secured at least the relegation play-off spot for the 16th-placed side.
Kiel, promoted to the top flight for the first time this season, needed a win to keep their hopes alive. They scored first but conceded twice, losing 2-1 to Freiburg.
Lasse Rosenboom’s counter-attacking opener was canceled out by a Johan Manzambi equalizer just before halftime. Lucas Holer replaced Manzambi at halftime and scored early in the second period, heading in from close range to give Freiburg the lead.
The victory puts Freiburg in pole position to qualify for the Champions League for the first time next season. Freiburg sits four points clear of Borussia Dortmund, which has two games to play.
Bochum’s four-year stint in the Bundesliga ended with a 4-1 loss to Mainz, which scored through Germany duo Nadiem Amiri and Jonathan Burkardt, along with Phillipp Mwene and Paul Nebel.
Bochum, which had only two points in December but kept its hopes alive with a run of good results, including wins over Bayern Munich and Dortmund, picked up just two points from its last eight games.
Bayer Leverkusen will host Dortmund on Sunday in coach Xabi Alonso’s last home game with the club.
Content Source: www.dailysabah.com