The 2020-21 German Bundesliga season has come to an end and in what was the first full season without fans due to the Coronavirus pandemic, fates of some teams were decided in the final matchday of the season, especially at the bottom end of the table.
Werder Bremen joined FC Schalke 04 as the two automatically-relegated teams this season. The two teams, both with rich Bundesliga histories, will slug it out in 2. Bundesliga – the second division – next season for the right to gain promotion.
Bremen were beaten 2-4 by their visitors, Borussia Mönchengladbach. Goals from Lars Stindl (3′), Marcus Thuram (52′), Ramy Bensebaini (58′) and Florian Neuhaus (67′) helped Mönchengladbach race to a four-goal lead.
For Bremen, it was too little, too late as goals from Milot Rashica and Niclas Fuellkrug on 80 and 83 minutes only proved to be consolations as they finished 17th after being able on only amass 31 points while their conquerors on the day finished 8th with 49 points.
1. FC Köln had to settle for the relegation/promotion playoff spot after a 1-0 victory against already-relegated Schalke 04. Sebastian Bornauw’s late goal four minutes from full time was enough to lift Köln to 16th on the standings with 33 points while Schalke disappointingly finished ensconced at the bottom of the log with just 16 points.
The reason Köln could not secure survival was mainly because Arminia Bielefield were magnificent at VfB Stuttgart. Bielefield ran out 2-0 winners, courtesy of goals from Fabian Klos from the penalty spot six minutes after the hour mark and another from Ritsu Doan six minutes later. Bielefield ended the campaign in 15th place after garnering 35 points while Stuttgart finished ninth with 45 points.
Bundesliga Champions, Bayern Munich ended their season in style with a 5-2 win over FC Augsburg.
Hansi Flick’s charges dominated early and were already four goals up before halftime. Jeffrey Gouweleeuw scored an own goal in the opening nine minutes, Serge Gnabry made it two on 23 minutes, Joshua Kimmich netted the third in the 33rd minute and Kingsley Coman scored the fourth 10 minutes later.
Augsburg scored two consolation goals in the space of five minutes as Andre Hahn and Florian Niederlechner scored in the 67th and 72nd minute. Before the blast of the full-time whistle, history was made.
Robert Lewandowski netted on the stroke of full time, to take his goal tally in the Bundesliga to 41, deservedly break Gerd Muller’s all-time record of 40 which was set in the 1971-72 season.
This was Flick’s last game in charge of the Bavarians as he is set to be the German national team coach after the European championship in June, with Julian Nagelsmann taking over next season. Nagelsmann’s current side, RasenBallsport Leipzig, on the other hand, finished second on the log with 65 points after their 1-2 loss to 1. FC Union Berlin.
Justin Kluivert opened the scoring for Leipzig in the 55th minute but Marvin Friedrich’s goal on 67 minutes cancelled it out and it was followed by Max Kruse’s late winner on the stroke of full time. Union finished an impressive season in 7th place with 50 points.
Borussia Dortmund finished one point behind Leipzig in third position, in what was a fairly disappointing season, thanks to a 3-1 win over Bayer 04 Leverkusen at the Signal Iduna Park. Erling Braut Haaland bagged a brace and Marco Reus was also on the scoresheet for the ‘Black and Yellow’. Lars Bender converted a penalty a minute before full-time as Leverkusen finished sixth with 52 points.
Fourth-placed VfL Wolfsburg were defeated 2-3 by 1. FSV Mainz 05. Maximillian Phillip and Joāo Victor netted for Wolfsburg but it could not better Mainz’s tally as Jean Paul Boetius, Robin Quaison and Stefan Bell were on target to help their side finish 12th with 39 points.
Fifth placed Eintracht Frankfurt triumphed over SC Freiburg 3-1. André Silva got the opener from the penalty spot two minutes after the hour mark but Woo-Yeong Jeong netted the equaliser on 77 minutes.
Almamy Traore put Frankfurt’s noses back in front three minutes before full-time and Ragnar Ache secured the win with a goal in stoppage time to help his side amass a total of 60 points this season while Freiburg finished the campaign in 10th with 45 points.
Andrej Kramaric’s injury-time goal helped 1899 Hoffenheim to a 2-1 win over Hertha Berlin. Vladimir Darida broke the deadlock in favour of Hertha two minutes before halftime but Sargis Adamyan got the equaliser four minutes after the break and Kramaric stepped up to score the winner to leave Hertha 14th on the log with 35 points while Hoffenheim finished 11th with 43 points.
Full Results.
Borussia Dortmund 3 – 1 Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Eintracht Frankfurt 3 – 1 Freiburg
FC Köln 1 – 0 Schalke 04
Hoffenheim 2 – 1 Hertha Berlin
Union Berlin 2 – 1 RB Leipzig
VfB Stuttgart 0 – 2 Arminia Bielefield
Werder Bremen 2 – 4 Borussia Mönchengladbach
VfL Wolfsburg 2 – 3 Mainz 05
Bayern Munich 5 – 2 Augsburg
