Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich eased past Mainz 3-0 on Saturday (Apr 26) but had to put title celebrations on ice after Bayer Leverkusen matched their win to stay eight points behind with three matches left to play. Bayern, top on 75 points ahead of Leverkusen in second with 67, can now secure a 34th German league title with a win at RB Leipzig next week.
Bayern Munich moved one victory away from winning back the Bundesliga title as they beat Mainz at home.
Leroy Sane slotted into the bottom corner from close range to put Vincent Kompany's side in front. Michael Olise jinked inside and fired a low finish past Robin Zenter in the Mainz goal as Bayern increased their lead before the break. Eric Dier rounded off the victory in the closing stages, heading in Olise's corner.
Bayern would have won the league on Saturday if last season's champions Bayer Leverkusen had dropped points. However, Xabi Alonso's side were 2-0 winners against Augsburg as the eight-point gap between the two sides remained intact.
Prior to Leverkusen's unexpected success last term, Bayern had won 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles.
Mainz had a chance to reduce their deficit at Allianz Arena when Nadiem Amiri attempted to curl an effort into the top corner, but Jonas Urbig dived to his right to beat it away.
The victory margin could also have been greater. Bayern's Sane bent a strike wide of the far post before sending a delicate chip over the advancing Zentner and against the post, as the home side dominated.
Thomas Muller came on with six minutes remaining to make his 500th Bundesliga appearance, with the Bayern legend departing the club in the summer.
Regardless of Leverkusen's result next weekend, victory for Bayern away at RB Leipzig (Saturday) would seal their 33rd Bundesliga title.
Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen beat Augsburg 2-0. Patrik Schick struck in the 13th minute with Leverkusen’s first real chance, drilling in from the edge of the box for his 19th league goal of the season.
Leverkusen put the ball in the net once more a little later but Nathan Tella’s header at the far post was ruled offside. They made amends in first-half stoppage time when Emiliano Buendia curled a shot past Finna Dahmen to make it 2-0 and ensure three points for the hosts.
Borussia Dortmund conceded a stoppage-time equaliser but still managed to score a last-gasp winner through Waldemar Anton for a 3-2 win at Hoffenheim that boosted their chances of making next season’s Champions League with three league games left.
Anton slotted into an empty goal with seconds left to play for the winner, lifting Dortmund to sixth place on 48 points with their fourth win in the last five league games. Dortmund remain three points off fourth place – the last spot to offer automatic Champions League qualification – after SC Freiburg won 1-0 at Wolfsburg.
Serhou Guirassy and Julian Brandt scored Dortmund’s first two goals, the former also having a penalty saved at 1-0. Adam Hlozek scored Hoffenheim’s first equaliser and then Pavel Kaderabek equalised in stoppage time. But Dortmund kept up the pressure before carving out the winner from Germany international Anton.
RB Leipzig lost 4-0 at Eintracht Frankfurt in the late game and are only one point better off than Dortmund. The result cemented Frankfurt’s hold on third place.
