German football is a game of 11 versus 11, and Bayern always wins — the Bundesliga version of Gary Lineker’s famous quote. Once again, the Bavarians have proven this true: despite all odds against them this season, they secured the German championship title by capitalizing on Borussia Dortmund’s catastrophic slip-up.
Everything came down to the final matchday: Bayern got the job done in Cologne (1-2), while Dortmund stumbled at home (2-2) against a Mainz side with nothing to play for. Tuchel’s team, plagued by inconsistency this year, did not control their own destiny: they needed a win and to hope for good news from Signal Iduna Park.
In fact, the conclusion of the match mirrored the dramatic atmosphere of the German evening: for a few minutes, with Ljubicic’s 81st-minute penalty, Dortmund was champion despite their defeat. Salihamidzic looked desperate in the stands. But then, Bayern’s ‘wonderkid’ Musiala stepped up, scoring a stunning goal in the 89th minute to keep the championship title in Munich.
Bayern’s 32nd League Title
With this new Bundesliga trophy, Bayern continues to expand its honors: 32 league titles won at the Allianz. This marks their eleventh consecutive win, the most dominant streak in the history of a major European league. Bayern has managed to maintain their pace and competitive hunger, unlike Juventus in Italy or PSG in France.
This is also Thomas Müller’s 12th Bundesliga title with Bayern, perhaps his last, as rumors of his potential departure this summer intensify. No player in Bayern’s history has won as many top-flight German football titles as Müller. He is followed by Neuer, with 11.
From Nagelsmann to Tuchel
The season in Munich has been a rollercoaster, starting with Lewandowski’s exit in the summer, followed by the Nagelsmann-Tuchel managerial switch shortly after eliminating PSG from the Champions League. Along the way, there were the Sané-Mané saga and Neuer’s skiing injury.
Despite the chaos, they still won the Bundesliga. Dortmund must be wondering how many years it will take to get this close again. Meanwhile, in Bavaria, Tuchel secures a title that strengthens his position and earns credibility ahead of an important summer transfer market.
During the match, both ‘Kicker’ and ‘Bild’ reported that Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidzic would no longer continue as Bayern executives. Jan Christian Dreesen has been appointed as the new CEO in a radical change.
Coman’s Winning Streak Continues
Kingsley Coman keeps adding titles to his resume: an eighth Bundesliga and eleventh league title overall. He has not lost a league since 2012, winning with PSG, Juventus, and now Bayern.
For the 26-year-old Coman, his record includes eleven league titles (in Germany, Italy, and France), a Club World Cup, a European Super Cup, four domestic cups, eight Super Cups, a Champions League, and a Nations League. The World Cup is the only title that eludes him: he missed out on Russia 2018 and finished as the runner-up in Qatar 2022.
