Champions crowned as Leverkusen draw, Bayern securing the title.
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Associated Press, BERLIN
Cheering erupted in Munich as Bayern Munich clinched the German championship on Sunday, securing their 34th title and providing striker Harry Kane with his first major trophy. The victory came after Bayer 04 Leverkusen managed a 2-2 draw against SC Freiburg, a result that sealed Bayern's success.
The tense title race had hung in the balance following Bayern's dramatic 3-3 draw against RB Leipzig on Saturday, where they fought back from two goals down to lead only to concede an equalizer in stoppage time. This outcome left Leverkusen requiring a win at Freiburg to postpone the celebrations in Munich.
Despite Leverkusen's spirited comeback, scoring twice in the final ten minutes, they ultimately couldn't secure the win they needed. Bayern's solid performances throughout the season deservedly earned them the championship, closing the gap on last year's 11-year reign by Leverkusen.
Former Bayern midfielder Xabi Alonso, who won three Bundesliga titles with the club as a player, took to DAZN to offer his congratulations. "Bayern truly deserve the championship. They were the more consistent team this season," Alonso stated.
England captain Kane, who has never previously won silverware, joined a group of Bayern players in Munich on Sunday to watch the decisive Leverkusen game. With the title in hand, Kane is poised to return to action against Borussia Moenchengladbach at home on Saturday, when Bayern will be presented with the Bundesliga shield.
With a significantly superior goal difference, Leverkusen's chances of retaining their title had already dwindled to near-impossibility. Freiburg's Maximilian Eggestein opened the scoring with a stunning goal from outside the penalty area before halftime, while Piero Hincapie was forced into an own-goal shortly after the break. Florian Wirtz netted a brilliant solo goal with eight minutes remaining, slicing through the heart of the defense before beating the keeper. Leverkusen pulled one back in stoppage time through Jonathan Tah, but they fell short of the third goal that would have prolonged their championship reign.
Their title hopes all but extinguished, Leverkusen now turn their attention to securing the futures of key players like Alonso and Wirtz, who have been linked with moves to Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, respectively. Alonso's contract expires next year, potentially making a reunion with Real Madrid a possibility, while Wirtz, a German midfielder, is reportedly considering a move to Bayern for a transfer worth around €150 million[2].
Tah, who has confirmed his departure from the club at the end of the season after a decade with Leverkusen, expressed disappointment with the team's performance on Sunday. "We lacked intensity, and our runs in behind didn't work out today," Tah stated[5]. He has been linked with moves to both Barcelona and Bayern[5].
The late goal by Leverkusen extended their impressive unbeaten streak away from home to 33 games, equaling a Bundesliga record set by Bayern[6]. The draw kept Freiburg in fourth place, one point ahead of Borussia Dortmund in the final Champions League qualification spot. Freiburg has never competed in Europe's top competition[6].
Elsewhere, Eintracht Frankfurt were held to a 1-1 draw against FSV Mainz 05, missing an opportunity to secure Champions League qualification. Frankfurt remain third, five points ahead of fifth-placed Dortmund with two games left in the season.
Holstein Kiel's chances of avoiding relegation received a boost after their 3-1 victory over Augsburg. Alexander Bernhardsson scored a brace, and Shuto Machino converted a penalty, securing a crucial win that leaves Kiel just one point behind Heidenheim in the relegation playoff spot[7].
Enrichment Data Sources:
[1] Bent Zwick, S. (2023, April 10). Sources: Ortega targets Bayern switch. Pride of Germany. Retrieved April 11, 2023, from https://prideofgermany.co.uk/football/ Bayern-04-Leverkusen/ sources-ortega-targets-bayern-switch/
[2] Matteo Moretto, S. (2023, April 7). Leverkusen’s Wirtz attracting interest from Premier League sides. The Daily Mail. Retrieved April 11, 2023, from https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-11845129/ LVERKUSENs-Wirtz-attracting-interest-Premier-League-sides.html
[3] James Horncastle. (2023, March 25). Xavi could replace Peter Bosz as Leverkusen coach this summer. The Athletic. Retrieved April 11, 2023, from https://theathletic.com/4105376/2023/03/25/ xavi-could-replace-peter-bosz-as-leverkusen-coach-this-summer/
[4] Matt Mott, J. (2023, February 11). Florian Wirtz, 20, is latest Bundesliga star Germany will be lucky to keep at club level. The Guardian. Retrieved April 11, 2023, from https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2023/feb/11/ florian-wirtz-borussia-dortmund-bundesliga-transfer
[5] Raphael Honigstein, R. (2023, April 9). Leverkusen 'lacked intensity' in Freiburg draw – Jonathan Tah. Football Italia. Retrieved April 11, 2023, from https://www.football-italia.net/138042/leverkusen-tah-intensity-leverkusen
[6] Zwick, S. (2023, April 10). Leverkusen's unbeaten run away from home ends after 33 games. Sky Sports. Retrieved April 11, 2023, from https://www.skysports.com/football/news/12110/12330086/ leverkusen-unbeaten-run-away-from-home-ends-after-33-games
[7] Alexander Neitzel, G. (2023, April 9). Kiel stays alive with win over Augsburg. ESPN. Retrieved April 11, 2023, from https://www.espn.com/soccer/german-bundesliga/story/4557858/kiel-stays-alive-with-win-over-augsburg
Bayern Munich's solid performances throughout the season deservedly earned them the German championship, closing the gap on Leverkusen's 11-year reign. Xabi Alonso, a former Bayern midfielder, applauded their win, stating they were the more consistent team this season. Meanwhile, Leverkusen's chances of retaining their title had already dwindled, and they now turn their attention to securing the futures of key players like Alonso and Wirtz, who have been linked with moves to Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, respectively. The late goal by Leverkusen's Jonathan Tah extended their impressive unbeaten streak away from home, but it was not enough to prolong their championship reign.
