Author: Vishwajit Sawant
In a thrilling conclusion to the Bundesliga season, Bayern Munich won their 11th title in a row, while Dortmund faltered under pressure to draw with Mainz. Dortmund went into the final matchday two points clear of Bayern, but their hopes were dashed when Mainz took a shock two-goal lead in the first half, compounded by a missed penalty from Dortmund’s Sebastian Haller.
Meanwhile, Bayern faced Cologne away from home and wasted no time in asserting their dominance. Striker Kingsley Coman scored within 10 minutes, giving Bayern an early lead. A penalty from Cologne’s Dejan Ljubicic threatened to alter the title race, but Bayern’s Jamal Musiala sealed a memorable 2-1 victory with a goal in the 89th minute.
Dortmund managed to snatch an equalizer with a late goal from Niklas Sule, but the final whistle confirmed Bayern’s triumph, securing their 33rd top-flight title. This season has been marked by turbulence for Bayern, including a change of coach in March, when Thomas Tuchel took over from Julian Nagelsmann. Despite an early exit from the UEFA Champions League at the hands of Manchester City and an early exit from the DFB-Pokal against Freiburg, Tuchel successfully guided Bayern to another Bundesliga triumph.
During the campaign, Bayern faced challenges both on and off the pitch. Long-time goalkeeper Manuel Neuer suffered a leg injury while skiing in December, and the departure of goalkeeping coach Toni Tapalovic in January caused further disruption. In April, star player Sadio Mane was sidelined after a confrontation with his teammate Leroy Sane following the Champions League defeat.
On the pitch, Bayern faced occasional difficulties, as evidenced by the unexpected 3-1 home defeat to RB Leipzig in the penultimate game of the season. That defeat left Dortmund with a two-point lead going into the final matchday. However, Dortmund faltered under the weight of expectations, allowing Bayern to snatch victory in the final minutes and maintain their unrivaled dominance in German soccer.