Bayern Munich already have their eyes on a decade of Bundesliga dominance after winning the league for the ninth successive season Saturday, thanks to Borussia Dortmund’s 3-2 win over second-placed RB Leipzig.
England winger Jadon Sancho netted twice in Dortmund’s home victory which crowned Bayern as champions without kicking a ball before hosting Borussia Moenchengladbach later on Saturday.
“Of course, everyone was a bit excited, but we are absolutely focused on this game (against Moenchengladbach), 100 per cent,” Bayern coach Hansi Flick told Sky.
“We want to deliver, that’s the mentality of this side.
“It was a pleasure to work with this team,” added Flick, who will leave at the end of the season having won seven titles in 18 months.
Before the kick-off, Bayern have an unassailable 71 points to Leipzig’s 64.
The Bavarians had yet to lift the Bundesliga trophy before board member Oliver Kahn challenged them to a tenth title in a row.
“We watched the Leipzig game together, the atmosphere was great,” said Kahn.
“You don’t get used to it, it’s an incredible achievement.
“Now we can do something next season that no team in the world has ever done: become champions ten times in a row.”
Dortmund coach Edin Terzic congratulated Bayern on being crowned champions before even kicking a ball on Saturday.
“I don’t think anyone has ever become champions before while in the team bus on the way to the stadium!” he quipped.
Julian Nagelsmann, the 33-year-old coach who will leave RB Leipzig to replace Flick at Bayern next season, offered a terse “congratulations on a deserved title” to his future employers.
The victory lifted Dortmund into the Champions League places, but Eintracht Frankfurt can knock them out of fourth place if they beat Mainz on Sunday.
Even without star striker Erling Braut Haaland, Dortmund were 2-0 up at the start of the second half thanks to goals from Marco Reus and Sancho.
Leipzig fought back with a Lukas Klostermann header before Dani Olmo equalised only for Sancho to grab the winner with superb footwork.
The clubs meet again on Thursday in the German Cup final at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium.
“We showed a lot of morale, the game had absolutely nothing to do with the final in Berlin, but of course we want to win on Thursday too,” said goal-scorer Reus.
Dortmund hope to have Haaland back from a thigh injury before the cup final and even with their top-scorer watching in the stands, the hosts still raced into the lead after only seven minutes.
Reus span out of Lukasz Piszczek’s pass, sprinted behind the defence and took a beautiful back-heeled ball from Thorgan Hazard before sweeping his shot past Leipzig goalkeeper Peter Gulacsi.
Dortmund goalkeeper Marwin Hitz did not come out for the second half after being injured colliding with his centre-back Manuel Akanji just before the break and was replaced by Roman Buerki.
Dortmund doubled their lead just six minutes after the break with a superb piece of skill from Sancho, who cut back inside after a Raphael Guerreiro pass and fired his shot in off the far post with superb accuracy.
The visitors pulled a goal back on 63 minutes when Emil Forsberg floated in a corner and Lukas Klostermann steered his header past Buerki.
Leipzig drew level when South Korea striker Hwang Hee-chan broke clear of Dortmund defender Mats Hummels and squared for Olmo who tapped home from close range.
However, Sancho grabbed the winner when he flicked the ball to Guerreiro, took a return pass and tapped home to hand Bayern the title.
(AFP)
