In a thrilling Bundesliga encounter, Bayer Leverkusen was bested by Borussia Dortmund with a 4-2 scoreline, concluding coach Xabi Alonso’s tenure at home. This victory significantly bolstered Dortmund’s pursuit of a spot in the Champions League, leaving them a mere point adrift of fourth-placed Freiburg, with the league set for one final round.
Meanwhile, Eintracht Frankfurt squandered their opportunity to seal a place in Europe’s elite club competition prematurely, having drawn 2-2 against St. Pauli on home turf. Frankfurt’s result provided a glimmer of hope for both Freiburg and Dortmund to catch up on the last day, with Frankfurt standing two points ahead of Freiburg and three ahead of Dortmund, holding a slight advantage in goal differential.
Dortmund is slated to face already-relegated Holstein Kiel in their last fixture, while Freiburg will confront Frankfurt, potentially deciding the top four standings and final Champions League positions. The top quartet will secure automatic qualification for this prestigious tournament.
St. Pauli, on the other hand, almost sealed their Bundesliga stay, maintaining a three-point cushion over third-from-bottom Heidenheim, with an imposing goal difference. The Hamburg-based team can look forward to a local derby with Hamburger SV, following Hamburger SV’s return to the Bundesliga after a seven-year absence.
Coach Xabi Alonso bid farewell to Bayer Leverkusen, having confirmed his departure at season’s end. The team’s performance against Dortmund began promisingly as they created several chances but were thwarted by Dortmund’s goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
Alonso was celebrated before the match, alongside defender Jonathan Tah, who is also leaving. Despite a strong start and taking the lead via Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong, who scored in the 31st minute, Dortmund quickly replied with Julian Brandt scoring just two minutes later, catalyzed by Karim Adeyemi’s assist. Kobel continued to frustrate the Leverkusen attack with crucial stops.
Dortmund found the net again with Julian Ryerson before halftime. Brandt facilitated another for Adeyemi in the 73rd minute, followed by Serhou Guirassy sealing the victory shortly after. A late consolation for Leverkusen came as Wirtz assisted Jonas Hofmann during stoppage time.
Elsewhere, Stuttgart claimed a 4-0 victory over Augsburg, breaking their six-match losing streak at home in the league. Despite the triumph, the team faced a setback with injuries to players Angelo Stiller and young defender Finn Jeltsch during the first half. Substitute Yannik Keitel, who replaced Stiller, also sustained an injury. Augsburg’s Samuel Essende was shown a red card for his challenge on Stiller.
Stuttgart anticipates gearing up for their clash against Arminia Bielefeld in the German Cup final scheduled for May 24, eager to build momentum from their recent win.