Jamal Musiala’s 89th-minute goal gave Bayern Munich a 2-1 victory at Cologne on Saturday, snatching the championship from Borussia Dortmund and giving them their 11th straight Bundesliga title.
The tightest league race in years saw Bayern Munich overtake Dortmund after they stumbled to a 2-2 draw against Mainz 05 in the season’s final match. Dortmund had entered the game in first place.
In a dramatic season finale, Bayern was celebrating what turned out to be an unexpected title win, while Dortmund’s hopes of winning their first league trophy since 2012 were dashed when they fell behind Mainz 2-0 early on before battling back to draw 2-2, despite the fact that they needed to win to win the title.
Bayern finished with 71 points, beating Dortmund on goal differential. Third and fourth place finishers RB Leipzig and sensational Union Berlin will both play in the Champions League the following year.
Schalke 04 and Hertha Berlin were demoted, and VfB Stuttgart will participate in the relegation playoff.
“It is unbelievable that I experience such a title race,” said Bayern’s Thomas Mueller, who celebrated a league-record 12th Bundesliga title.
“People interested in football have the feeling that we do not deserve this and I clearly say I understand that because of the second half of the season being so chaotic for us.
“But it is still an unbelievable moment. Crazy, electric. I hoped it would happen but did not think it would,” Mueller added.
The club fired Hasan Salihamdizic, the sports director, and CEO Oliver Kahn, who was not in Cologne, minutes after Bayern won the title, salvaging some silverware in what had been a frustrating season.
The team unexpectedly lost in the German Cup and the Champions League quarterfinals, and the Bayern Munich management paid the price. Julian Nagelsmann was abruptly fired in late March, and Thomas Tuchel was brought in.
