Bundesliga Title Race Final Day Preview: After Bayern Munich Suffers Shock Draw, Dortmund Still Has A Chance

All Bayern Munich had to do on Saturday was win. But facing third-place RB Leipzig in an away match, the defending German champions could not even manage a goal, as the BBC reported. Of course, Die Roten did not allow Leipzig to score either, but gaining just one point from the 0-0 draw was not enough to secure their record seventh consecutive title.

As a result, along with a dramatic 3-2 win by second-place Borussia Dortmund at home over Fortuna Düsseldorf, Bayern’s frustration means that the German Bundesliga title race will come down to the final day — for the first time since the 2008-2009 season.

In that campaign, Bayern, who had won seven of the previous 10 Bundesliga titles, were edged on the last day by little-heralded VfL Wolfsburg, who managed to top Bayern by two points — after smashing the champions 5-1 in a match earlier that season, according to a Planet Football account of that season.

But a decade later, the 2018-2019 race has been equally dramatic. With Bayern entering the season eyeing a record seventh consecutive title, they got off to a sluggish start, and by the end of the calendar year 2018, they trailed their traditional rivals Dortmund by what seemed like an insurmountable nine points, as The Inquisitr reported.

In 2019, Bayern Munich won 12 of their first 15 league matches with only one defeat, per Soccerway. But when they needed just one more victory on Saturday, they couldn’t find it.

Next Saturday, both Bayern and Dortmund face difficult opponents, with the defending champions hosting sixth-place Eintracht Frankfurt, who have proven to be one of the most surprising teams in the league this season. Also on Saturday, May 18, at 3:30 p.m. Central European Time, Borussia Dortmund travels to face rivals Borussia Mönchengladbach — a rivalry based mainly on their shared name, “Borussia,” as The Hard Tackle explains.

But Gladbach, as the team is called for the sake of convenience, has also had a surprising season, rising from a ninth-place finish last year to currently sit in fourth and in position to qualify for the UEFA Champions League. But with only three points separating four teams all battling for that slot, as Bundesliga reports, the “other” Borussia team will be just as desperate for a victory as Dortmund. Only a win will guarantee Gladbach their first Champions League berth since 2016-2017.

For Dortmund, their fate is not completely in their own control. A win or a draw by Bayern will clinch the title for the Bavarian club. But if Bayern were to suffer a shock defeat, and Dortmund wins the battle of the Borussias, Die Schwarzgelben wins their ninth German title, and sixth of the Bundesliga era.