Can Borussia Dortmund end Bayern Munich’s decade-long monopoly? Premium

The Ruhr Valley club is two points clear of the Bavarian powerhouse going into the final round of Bundesliga matches this season. If it finishes above the reigning ten-time champion, Dortmund will have completed a stunning turnaround, having languished in sixth place at the winter break

Borussia Dortmund enters matchday 34 of this season’s Bundesliga in a position to do what no team across the length and breadth of Germany has managed over the last 10 years: prevent Bayern Munich from winning the title. 

Ahead of Saturday’s final round of matches — all nine games kick off at the same time (7 p.m. IST) — Dortmund is two points clear. To win its first Bundesliga title since 2012, the Ruhr Valley club needs a victory at home against ninth-placed Mainz only if Bayern beats tenth-placed FC Koln away at Cologne. If Bayern draws or loses, Dortmund will be the champion even if it loses.

The winner will receive the ‘Meisterschale’ (champion’s bowl), which is commonly referred to as the ‘salad bowl’ because of its appearance. In recent years, Bayern has usually had the bowl in the bag by now. With the exception of the 2018-19 season, when the Bavarian powerhouse beat Dortmund by two points, Bundesliga title races simply haven’t been this close. But even on that occasion, Bayern held the upper hand going into the season-finale, thanks to a two-point lead.

This time, the German giant is in the unaccustomed role of fighting from behind, its destiny no longer in its own hands. Bayern (68 points) faces a tricky trip: Koln had led the reigning 10-time champion 1-0 until the 89th minute in a 1-1 draw at Munich’s Allianz Arena in the reverse fixture. 

Bayern will be confronted by a tough Cologne crowd, which isn’t merely hoping, but also praying, for Dortmund’s success. Koln’s fan-base has a longstanding friendship with Dortmund’s, and according to Sport Bild, the club plans to announce, over the stadium’s public address system, any goal Dortmund scores, so the crowd can cheer, turning the heat up on Bayern.

Dortmund (70 points) hosts Mainz at Signal Iduna Park in what is sure to be a nervy affair, given what is at stake. In the reverse fixture at Mainz, it had needed a stoppage-time goal to secure a 2-1 victory and will hope for a less fraught game this time around.

The Ruhr Valley club’s last Bundesliga title win dates back to 2012, when it successfully defended its 2011 championship, under then coach Jurgen Klopp. This season, Dortmund has kept pace with the Bavarians in a title race where the lead has changed hands several times. It has pounced on Bayern’s rocky 2023, taking a slim lead last week by beating Augsburg, thanks to a Sebastien Haller brace, after Bayern was stunned by RB Leipzig.