Bayern Munich confirmed as Bundesliga champions
BERLIN (AFP) –
Bayern Munich’s midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger (left) and Frankfurt’s Sebastian Rode vie for the ball during the German first division Bundesliga in Frankfurt on April 6, 2013. Bayern Munich set the record for the earliest Bundesliga title win when they were confirmed as German league champions for the 23rd time with a 1-0 victory at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Bayern Munich set the record for the earliest Bundesliga title win on Saturday when they were confirmed as German champions for the 23rd time with a 1-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Germany star Bastian Schweinsteiger scored the decisive goal to give Bayern their 24th win from 28 league games this season and seal the first major silverware the Bavarian giants have won since May 2010.
With Bayern facing Juventus on Wednesday in the Champions League quarter-final leading 2-0 from the first leg, the win came despite coach Jupp Heynckes resting several key players.
Second-placed Borussia Dortmund –champions in each of the last two seasons – won 4-2 at home to Augsburg, but could not prevent Bayern from setting a Bundesliga record for the earliest confirmed title win.
With six games left, they have an unsurmountable 20-point lead and have won their 22nd Bundesliga title.
Bayern Munich’s team players lift their headcoach Jupp Heynckes in the air after winning the German first division Bundesliga match against Eintracht Frankfurt in Frankfurt on April 6, 2013. Bayern set the record for the earliest Bundesliga title win when they were confirmed German champions for the 23rd time with a 1-0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt.
It is their 23rd national title overall, with the Munich club also winning the old-style German championship in 1932.
Following a frantic start, Bayern defender David Alaba missed a 26th-minute penalty when he fired wide after Thomas Mueller was brought down in the area, but Schweinsteiger’s second-half back-heel flick gave them three more points.
With Bayern pushing forward, captain Philipp Lahm fired in a pass for his deputy to delicately flick a shot past Frankfurt goalkeeper Oka Nikolov with his heel on 52 minutes for the decisive goal.
Despite the defeat, Frankfurt remain fifth in the league for now.
Dortmund host Malaga in Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final second leg with all to play for after the first leg finished 0-0, and Juergen Klopp’s side had to twice come from behind to beat Augsburg at the Signal Iduna Park.
Byaern Munich fans wave flags as they celebrate their team during the German first division Bundesliga football match against Eintracht Frankfurt in Frankfurt, on April 6, 2013.
Goalkeeper Roman Wiedenfeller, striker Robert Lewandowski, captain Sebastian Kehl and star attacking duo Mario Goetze and Marco Reus were all left out of the starting line-up.
Jonas Hofmann, 20, made his Bundesliga debut while Leonardo Bittencourt, 19, started for the first time in the league as the pair were both promoted to the midfield, and striker Julian Schieber also made a rare appearance.
Schieber needed just 22 minutes to rifle home Dotmund’s opening goal against Ausgburg, who are locked in a battle with Hoffenheim — 3-0 winners against Duesseldorf on Friday — to avoid automatic relegation.
Augsburg went ahead with two goals in 80 seconds just before the half-time break, but Klopp responded by bringing on Lewandowski and Goetze early in the second half.
The changes had an immediate impact, as Lewandowski put Hofmann away on the right wing to square for Schieber to equalise with his second of the day on 52 minutes.
The Poland star then netted in the 92nd minute to extend the club record of having scored in his last 10 league games.
By doing so, he equals Klaus Allofs’ overall Bundesliga record, set in 1984.
Bayer Leverkusen remain third after their 1-1 draw at home to Wolfsburg while Schalke hold fourth after their 2-0 win at Werder Bremen and Moenchengladbach moved up to sixth with a 1-0 win at home to bottom side Fuerth.
Hamburg have the chance to get back amongst the top six — and the European places — when they host Freiburg on Saturday night while Nuremberg are at home to Mainz and Hanover host Stuttgart on Sunday.