Borussia Dortmund squandered a fantastic chance to win the Bundesliga and end Bayern Munich’s decade-long hegemony, drawing 2-2 at home to Mainz while Bayern overcame Köln 2-1 in one of the most thrilling season finales in recent memory.
Dortmund had a two-point lead over Bayern at the top of the league going into the last day, it had home advantage for its final match, and a parade had even been arranged.
Bayern Munich needed to win and hoped that Dortmund would lose or draw, while Dortmund may still lose, and if Bayern lost or drew, the championship would be headed to Signal Iduna Park.
Dortmund was destined to be crowned champion with only one minute of normal time left. Despite losing 2-1 against Mainz, Bayern had surrendered an 81st-minute equaliser against Köln, giving Dortmund a one-point lead in the standings.
When word of Köln’s goal reached Signal Iduna Park, the stadium went into a craze, with supporters cheering and hugging one other. After all, there were only nine minutes of normal time remaining, and each thump of the drums reverberating throughout the stadium brought Dortmund one second closer to their first championship since 2012.
The supporters’ hesitant joy, however, was short-lived, as Jamal Musiala rifled the ball into the goal, restoring Bayern’s advantage in the 89th minute.
There were five minutes of injured time left, and there was yet time for another twist. In the last minute, Nicklas Sule’s goal made it 2-2, and Dortmund pressed on.
Soon after, though, the final whistle sounded, and Dortmund’s players collapsed to the ground, lamenting a championship that had somehow slipped through their fingers in the most agonising way.
The stadium became silent around them as supporters tried to absorb what they had seen. They cheered manager Edin Terzi, a lifelong Dortmund supporter who stood in front of them in tears.
Across Germany, in Cologne, travelling Bayern supporters rejoiced as their team raised the Meisterschale.
Dortmund’s last day got started to the worst conceivable start, with two goals surrendered in the first 25 minutes.
First, Andreas Hanche-Olsen gave Mainz a 15th-minute lead before Sebastian Haller, who returned to Dortmund in January after receiving treatment for testicular cancer, missed a penalty that would have tied the game.
Karim Onisiwo extended Mainz’s lead five minutes later, compounding Dortmund’s woes, which were exacerbated by developments in Cologne, where Bayern Munich had seized an early 1-0 lead.
Despite all of the late drama, Dortmund could not overcome the gap, and it will be forced to lament several wasted chances during the season’s last game.
This has been a dismal season by Bayern Munich’s high standards, and the club announced immediately after winning the championship that CEO Oliver Kahn and board member Hasan Salihamidi had been fired.
Jan-Christian Dreesen has been selected as the new CEO, while Salihamidi’s replacement is yet to be determined, according to a statement from Bayern.
More in Sports: https://buzzing.today/sports/
Photo Credits: https://commons.wikimedia.org/