Bayern Munich‘s hopes of clinching the Bundesliga title practically vanished after they suffered a 2-0 defeat at home to Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. This loss put them 13 points adrift of Bayer Leverkusen, the current league leaders, with only seven matches left in the season.
Having dominated the league for the past 11 years, Bayern seemed out of sync in their offensive play. Their first shot on target came late in the second half, with their usually reliable striker Harry Kane missing key opportunities earlier on.
For Dortmund, the victory marked their first league win in Munich in a decade, solidifying their grip on the fourth position, which secures a spot in next season’s Champions League group stage.
When asked if the title race was effectively over, Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel, who is set to depart at the end of the season, conceded, “It certainly seems that way. There’s no need to tally points after today’s game. How many points behind are we now? Congratulations to Leverkusen.”
He added, “We’re deeply disappointed because it felt like we lacked the necessary drive to secure a victory. We fell short in the basics.”
Dortmund capitalized on their first chance in the 10th minute, capitalizing on a mistake by Thomas Mueller and a brilliant pass from Julian Brandt to set up Karim Adeyemi for a goal. Adeyemi, vying for a spot in the German Euro 2024 squad, finished off the swift counterattack with a superb shot past goalkeeper Sven Ulreich.
Although Ulreich made several crucial saves in the second half, he was beaten again in the 83rd minute by Julian Ryerson’s powerful low shot.
Despite Bayern’s efforts, including close chances by Kane, who narrowly missed a header and had another attempt stopped by Mats Hummels, the team couldn’t salvage the match.
As disappointed Bayern fans left the stadium early, Kane, the league’s record signing at 100 million euros ($107.93 million), thought he had scored in the 89th minute, only for his header to be ruled offside.
Following the defeat, Bayern remains on 60 points, while Leverkusen, who secured a 2-1 victory over Hoffenheim, leads with 73 points. Dortmund sits in fourth place with 53 points, three ahead of RB Leipzig, who were held to a goalless draw by Mainz.
