30,210 spectators in the BayArena cheered after Viktor Boniface’s penalty goal for the first time after 25 minutes, which also marked the half-time lead. In the second half, Granit Xhaka (60th) and Florian Wirtz (68th/83rd/90th) added more for mastermind Xabi Alonso’s team. With five matchdays to go, the Spanish coach’s team is 16 points ahead of Bayern and VfB Stuttgart, who both celebrated home wins on Saturday.
Leverkusen, which won the UEFA Cup in 1988 and the DFB Cup in 1993 and reached the Champions League final in 2002, has been part of Germany’s first division since 1979 and has finished runners-up five times. In the 2001/02 season they lost their first title on the last match day at SpVgg Unterhaching, and now they have reached the goal of all their dreams.
IMAGO/Eibner/Thomas Thienel Mastermind Alonso led Leverkusen to their first championship title in history
The club, which was previously disdained as “Vizekusen”, managed to win the title for the third time in the Bundesliga. The team from North Rhine-Westphalia is unbeaten in 44 competitive games this season and still has a chance of winning two cups, they are in the final of the DFB Cup and they have a chance in the Europa League won the quarter-final first leg against West Ham 2-0.
Holiday in Leverkusen
The fans had already welcomed their sixth-placed team last season when they arrived at the stadium with firecrackers, New Year’s Eve rockets and loud chants. After the final whistle, the wave of euphoria reached a new peak and the masses stormed the pitch. Many fans were already stocked up on unofficial championship paraphernalia such as T-shirts and caps, which were sold in large quantities before the game. The year 2024 could not go down in club history just because of the league title.
Reuters/Wolfgang Rattay State of emergency in the arena: The fans’ long wait was over
There was a scandal surrounding Naby Keita at Bremen before the game. The ex-Salzburger didn’t get on the bus for the away game after he found out he wouldn’t be able to play from the start. “We will talk to him and his advisor tomorrow about the consequences and how to proceed,” said Bremen’s football boss Clemens Fritz. In twelfth place, his team is five points ahead of the relegation place.
German Bundesliga, 29th round
Sunday:
Leverkusen – Bremen 5:0 (1:0)
Goals: Boniface (25th/penalty), Xhaka (60th), Wirtz (68th, 83rd, 90th)
Bremen: with Schmid, without Friedl (suspension)
Darmstadt – Freiburg 0:1 (0:1)
Tor: Doan (36.)
Darmstadt: with Klarer, Karic up to 81, Honsak from 68.
Freiburg: Gregoritsch up to 89th, Adamu replacement, without Lienhart (injured)
Saturday:
Bayern – Cologne 2:0 (0:0)
Tore: Warrior (65.), Müller (93.)
Bavaria: Laimer from 79.
Cologne: with Ljubicic, Kainz up to 54.
Leipzig – Wolfsburg 3:0 (1:0)
Tore: Olmo (13.), Sesko (68.), Openda (81.)
Leipzig: Schlager up to 76th, Baumgartner from 76th, Seiwald from 76th.
Wolfsburg: Coach Hasenhüttl, with Pervan, without Wimmer (ill)
Gladbach – Dortmund 1:2 (1:2)
Goals: Wöber (36th) and Sabitzer (22nd, 28th/penalty)
Gladbach: Wöber up to 75, Lainer up to 64.
Dortmund: with Sabitzer
Mainz – Hoffenheim 4:1 (0:1)
Tore: Burkardt (47.), Mwene (51.), Gruda (63.), Oniwiso (88.) bzw. Kaderabek (19.)
Mainz: with Mwene, Onisiwo from 77.
Hoffenheim: with Grillitsch
Bochum – Heidenheim 1:1 (0:0)
Goals: Schlotterbeck (90th) and Schlotterbeck (81st/own goal)
Bochum: with Stöger
Heidenheim: without Dovedan (blocked) and Tschernuth
Stuttgart – Frankfurt 3:0 (3:0)
Tore: Guirassy (11.), Undav (17.), Leweling (37.)
Frankfurt: without Kalajdzic (injured)
Freitag:
Augsburg – Union Berlin 2:0 (0:0)
Goals: Tietz (47th), Michel (81st)
Union: Trimmel until 66.
Tabel:
2024-04-14 17:26:15
#Football #Leverkusen #crowned #champions #time
