Borussia Dortmund 2-2 Mainz: Borussia Dortmund failed to dethrone Bayern Munich. Edin Terzic’s team was in pole position for the national title on the final day of the Bundesliga season, but failed to win against FSV Mainz 05 on a dramatic afternoon at home. Bayern passed Dortmund thanks to a late goal from Jamal Musiala in Cologne and is the best in Germany for the eleventh year in a row.
Unprecedented drama for Dortmund: Bayern Munich champion again
Dortmund rose to the top position in the Bundesliga last week and was able to secure its first league title since 2012 at its own Signal Iduna Park on Saturday. The tension was high, but BVB started with Donyell Malen in the base not so bad at all in the home game against FSV Mainz 05. However, the first chances were not capitalized and then the visitors took the lead from a corner kick. Andreas Olsen headed in the 0-1.
The chance for the equalizer came quickly. Dortmund received a penalty kick, which, however, was killed by Sébastien Haller. The bet of the Frenchman was turned. The Dortmund supporters already felt the storm, especially when Karim Onisiwo also made it 0-2. Karim Onisiwo was able to head unhindered and his effort was too powerful for Gregor Kobel.
The Signal Iduna Park fell silent. Karim Adeyemi was injured, so Marco Reus came on, and the captain saw Julian Brandt come close to scoring just before the break. However, Brandt’s shot was deflected by Finn Dahmen. Moments later, Malen headed into the side net.
Second half
In the second half, Dortmund had to play all or nothing. In doing so, it gave away a lot of space in the back and Mainz had good chances to make it 0-3, before Haller had Dortmund’s first serious chance of the second half. He just couldn’t tap in at the far post. Moments later, Raphaël Guerreiro did manage to bring back hope, by shooting through the post to make it 1-2.
Dortmund completely revived and put Mainz under full pressure after the connection goal. Reus headed over fifteen minutes before the end and Giovanni Reyna (who came on for Malen) was also unlucky. Due to an equalizer by 1. FC Köln against Bayern Munich, Dortmund even seemed to become champion with a defeat, but Musiala prevented that.
Dortmund found the equalizer in injury time, made by Niklas Süle, but it didn’t get any further. As a result, not Dortmund, but Bayern ended up at the top.
Köln 1-2 Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich knew it had to win to have a chance at the national title and proved to be able to handle it at least in the first half. The record champion took the lead in the eighth minute. Kingsley Coman came in from the left and fired nicely into the far corner.
Bayern remained the leader after this goal and seemed to be 0-2 shortly before the break. Leroy Sané scored, but his goal was disallowed because the VAR had seen that hands had been made in the build-up. For example, Bayern went to rest with only a minimal lead, knowing that Dortmund was 0-2 behind at tea and that it was therefore virtual champion.
In the second half, Bayern did not seem to be taking too many risks in the search for a second goal. The visitors were in two minds and sometimes harvested a bit anxiously. Köln, however, seemed unable to take advantage of that. Bayern defended well and when the home team did get through, there was always Yann Sommer there.
Köln received a penalty ten minutes before the end, due to hands from Serge Gnabry. Dejan Ljubicic hit (1-1) and so the title of Bayern was suddenly at risk again. Just before the end, everything turned out well for Bayern, when Musiala made it 1-2. With that goal, the youngster made his team the champion.
