BUNDESLIGA
Borussia Dortmund lose Bundesliga title on the final day
It looked like Bayern Munich would miss out on the German league title for the first time in a decade but things went wrong in the first half at Signal Iduna Park.
Borussia Dortmund missed their chance to break Bayern Munich’s decade-long reign as German champions on Saturday. Dortmund failed to beat Mainz at home and a late winner from Jamal Musiala secured a win for Bayern, who clinched their 11th consecutive Bundesliga title.
Dortmund went into the final weekend of fixtures in the Bundesliga knowing that they would be crowned champions if they could beat mid-table Mainz at the Signal Iduna Park. A home victory against a side with nothing to play for seemed eminently doable but Dortmund suffered a nightmare first half to put the title back in Bayern Munich’s hands.
They went into the half time break 2-0 down to Mainz and having missed a penalty. Sebastien Haller’s return this season has been one of football’s feel-good stories but the Dortmund top scorer’s spot kick was saved by Finn Dahmen in the Mainz goal.
Star midfielder Jude Bellingham was not in the Dortmund starting XI, the England international is suffering from a knee injury and was not fit enough to play.
Edin Terzic’s side got a goal back midway through the second half and managed to put the pressure on Mainz in the final stages. They had the ball in the back of the net early into injury time but that strike was ruled out for an offside. Minutes later Niklas Sule did level the game at 2-2 but that came too little to late for a Dortmund side who had appeared destined to win their first Bundesliga title since 2012 and the era of Jurgen Klopp.
At the final whistle the Dortmund players sank to the floor at the Signal Iduna Park, unable to comprehend what had unfolded over the previous two hours. Fans had arrived at the stadium readied for a celebration, with t-shirts and scarves proclaiming themselves Bundesliga champions on sale before the game.
There had been a sense of renewal and of change under Terzic this season, a feeling that Dortmund were now ready to prise the Bundesliga title from Bayern Munich’s vice-like grip. However seeing their team squander a two-point lead at home on the final day, dreams of reclaiming the German title must now feel further away than ever for Dortmund fans.