Borussia Dortmund have only themselves to blame for not winning Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund only have themselves to blame after a disappointing 2-2 draw in a must-win final Bundesliga game of the season against Mainz at home.
Starting the day two points ahead of serial winners Bayern Munich, a victory would have made BvB league champions for the first time in a decade. It would also have been Marco Reus' first Meisterschale in his barren Dortmund career, but it was not to be.
Bayern Munich needed to win at FC Koln and pray that Dortmund dropped points at home. That's exactly how the evening transpired. Just when it seemed Bayern would drop points themselves, substitute Jamal Musiala came up with a stunning strike from just outside the box to put Die Roten at the helm of the Bundesliga table.
It showed once again the ruthless mentality of Bayern and a testament to their enduring quality as a club over the years.
Borussia Dortmund, on the contrary, choked under pressure and conceded two goals early within 20 minutes. To add insult to injury, Sebastien Haller missed a penalty when his soft strike to the right was easily saved by Mainz goalkeeper Finn Dahmen. It would have levelled the game at 1-1 inside 17 minutes.
Bayern's last-gasp win and Dortmund's draw meant that both teams ended with the same number of points (71), but Bayern won the title because of their better goal difference.
Dortmund could not break down stubborn Mainz
Throughout the game, Dortmund fans tried their best to keep their team's morale high, especially after the shock concession of two early goals. It was a beautiful yet heartbreaking sight, as the players did little in the first half to lift spirits.
Mainz had a clear gameplan, defending in a 5-4-1 shape with an impenetrable low block. The idea was to make Dortmund go wide and put crosses into the box, which Mainz defended comfortably throughout the game.
In fact, Niklas Sule's late 96th minute goal only added to the pain. That's because it came at a moment when there was no time to score the winner that would have delivered the Bundesliga.
Dortmund cannot retain top talent
After the departure of Erling Haaland, Borussia Dortmund do not have a No. 9 who has good aerial ability.
To be fair, Haaland was never a box striker at Dortmund and instead liked to run in behind defences during counter attacks. However, the team from the Ruhr district could have used Haaland's height and goalscoring abilities had he not been snapped up by Manchester City.
Thus, Dortmund looked like a team bereft of ideas for much of the game. Their passing lacked any real tempo, and they did not look especially threatening when they attacked.
Conceding two early goals only heaped more pressure on them. It's also interesting that when Raphael Guerrero did score their opening goal, it came not from a cross into the box but through a central strike from the edge of the Mainz box.
Although it may seem harsh, Dortmund never really looked like winning, not only the game on Saturday evening but also the Bundesliga.
Dortmund have a habit of selling 'star' players
Borussia Dortmund are a club without identity, or worse, they're now identified as a feeder club who sell their most prized assets to bigger clubs for generous profits.
We can make a detailed list of the quality and pedigree of players Dortmund lost to bigger clubs. The most notable recent departures being Mario Goetze, Robert Lewandowski and Mats Hummels to Bayern Munich; Erling Haaland to Manchester City and possibly Jude Bellingham to Real Madrid.
A team that consistently sells its "star" players to other clubs cannot realistically win titles, even in a duopoly league like the Bundesliga. Dortmund's antics remind us of Arsene Wenger's Arsenal when they sold their star player Robin van Persie to Manchester United, where the latter finally won his first and only Premier League title.
Before selling the Dutchman, Arsenal had already sold many of their other stars. However, the Gunners had to sell players, as they came under some financial strain after the building of the Emirates Stadium. So one can understand that their hands were somewhat forced. Dortmund, though, have no such compulsions.
They are simply forced to sell, as players do not see the club as ambitious enough to go for major titles. Dortmund now have the reputation of being a launching pad club, a team that buys young, exceptional talent at cheaper prices and hone them into better players before selling them at big profits.
Players like Jude Bellingham, Jadon Sancho, Erling Haaland, Mario Goetze, Robert Lewandowski and Achraf Hakimi (on loan) are all recent examples of young players using Dortmund as a launching pad for their careers in a top European league, the Bundesliga.
Borussia Dortmund have nowhere to hide
The question football fans must ask is: what does this do for the Bundesliga? Some people have already begun calling it the Bayernliga, including Bundesliga commentators in English. Borussia Dortmund are the ultimate underdogs, a team that seems almost as cursed as Atletico Madrid itself.
It was Jurgen Klopp who last won the league title with Borussia Dortmund in the 2011-12 season. Players come to Dortmund now to become more recognisable faces, as Dortmund are the only club that can guarantee these young players consistent playtime.
At the start of the game against Mainz, it seemed Dortmund held all the cards. They were playing against a mid-table team at home, needing a win to secure the title, but they failed, and Bayern pounched to win an 11th straight Bundesliga title.