Bayern win 9th straight Bundesliga title, Lewandowski near 40 goals

DPA Berlin Rampant Bayern Munich were confirmed as German champions for the 31st time on Saturday and extended their record run of consecutive Bundesliga t...

DPABerlinRampant Bayern Munich were confirmed as German champions for the 31st time on Saturday and extended their record run of consecutive Bundesliga titles to nine.RB Leipzig’s 3-2 defeat at Borussia Dortmund handed the title to Bayern, who celebrated in the later game with an emphatic 6-0 triumph at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach.Robert Lewandowski scored a hat-trick to move onto 39 goals for the season from just 27 appearances, one behind Gerd Mueller’s Bundesliga record with two games left to play.Bayern coach Hansi Flick, leaving at the end of the campaign after winning seven trophies, told Sky: “The coaching staff are so proud to have accompanied this team for two years. It has been a pleasure. I really, really enjoy working with the team.“We have a team with enormous quality.” Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho scored twice, including a late winner which not only sealed the title for rivals Bayern but also boosted his side’s Champions League hopes as they moved up to fourth - two points ahead of Eintracht Frankfurt who host Mainz on Sunday.Third-placed Wolfsburg look well set to achieve their European dream after a 3-0 win over Union Berlin. Werder Bremen, who had lost seven straight in the league, drew 0-0 with sixth-placed Bayer Leverkusen and Hoffenheim beat relegated Schalke 4-2 having been 2-0 down.Second-bottom Cologne welcome Freiburg on Sunday when fellow relegation candidates Hertha Berlin and Arminia Bielefeld also meet.VfB Stuttgart beat struggling Augsburg 2-1 on Friday.A well-worked move put Dortmund ahead early with Thorgan Hazard’s flick releasing Marco Reus who finished with aplomb.Dortmund, without the injured Erling Haaland, thought they should have had a penalty for Kevin Kampl’s handball just before the break but appeals were waved away.Sancho then made it 2-0 early in the second period when he fired home amid lax Leipzig defending.Lukas Klostermann headed in a corner to reduce the deficit and out of nowhere it was suddenly 2-2 on 77 minutes through Leipzig’s Dani Olmo.But Sancho was on fire and won it for Dortmund after another superb move on 87 minutes.“In the second half we played well,” Klostermann told Sky. “We have to lift our heads up quickly, the next game is very important.” Leipzig coach Julian Nagelsmann leaves for Bayern at the end of the season, but the 33-year-old can still sign off from Leipzig with some glory when his current side meet Dortmund again in the German Cup final on Thursday.“Congratulations (to Bayern) on a deserved title,” Nagelsmann said while grinning.It is the second Bundesliga triumph for Flick who took over during last season but is departing amid disagreements with sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic and speculation linking him to the Germany job vacant after Euro 2020.All but one of Bayern’s national titles have come in the Bundesliga era from 1963-64 and their current streak started with the league, German Cup and Champions League treble in 2013, a feat repeated under Flick in 2020.Their dominant decade also included further German Cups in 2014, 2016 and 2019, and a handful of minor trophies.Gladbach were lambs to the slaughter and Lewandowski opened the scoring on 2 minutes. Thomas Mueller’s deflected effort followed before an acrobatic finish gave Lewandowski his 200th Bundesliga goal for Bayern from Mueller’s 17th assist of the league campaign.Kingsley Coman rattled in a fourth just before the break and Lewandowski converted a penalty midway through the second half to leave Mueller’s record of 40 goals very much in his sights.A late red card for Tanguy Nianzou for a professional foul was the only blemish for Bayern, with Leroy Sane then making it 6-0.