BERLIN — St. Pauli and Heidenheim have been relegated from the Bundesliga following a tense final day of the season. Meanwhile, Wolfsburg managed to secure their place in the league with a crucial victory.
Wolfsburg triumphed 3-1 against St. Pauli in a relegation showdown, ultimately pushing St. Pauli down to the second division. Wolfsburg now advances to a playoff, where they will likely face the third-place team from the second division for a spot in next season’s top tier.
Heidenheim, which was tied with Wolfsburg and St. Pauli before the final matchday, needed a home win against Mainz to stay competitive, but they fell short with a 2-0 defeat.
The two teams that finished last are automatically relegated to the second division.
Stuttgart successfully clinched the final Champions League qualification spot with a tense 2-2 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt, despite conceding two late goals. Their result denied Bayer Leverkusen and Hoffenheim the opportunity to qualify.
Hoffenheim suffered a heavy 4-0 loss at the hands of Borussia Mönchengladbach, while Leverkusen could only muster a 1-1 draw against Hamburg SV.
Jonathan Burkardt netted two late penalties for Frankfurt during this match.
Harry Kane delivered a hat trick, bringing his season total to 36 goals, in Bayern Munich‘s comprehensive 5-1 victory over Cologne.
Leon Goretzka played his final Bundesliga match for Bayern, where the team was presented with the league trophy post-game.
Following the match, Bayern’s captain Manuel Neuer, who signed a contract extension the previous day, passed the “salad bowl” trophy to Goretzka as part of the celebrations. The traditional beer celebrations quickly followed, with Dayot Upamecano giving coach Vincent Kompany a beer soaking among other celebrations.
Next, Bayern will face defending champions Stuttgart in the upcoming German Cup final at Berlin’s Olympiastadion next Saturday.
Marie-Louise Eta secured her second win in charge of Union Berlin, leading her squad to a dominant 4-0 victory over Augsburg.
As the first woman coach in Bundesliga history, Eta is expected to transition to oversee Union’s women’s team, though her successful tenure with the men’s team may prompt calls for her to remain in that role after achieving two wins and a draw in five matches.
Second-placed Borussia Dortmund concluded their season with a 2-0 victory over Werder Bremen, while Freiburg celebrated a 4-1 victory against third-placed Leipzig.
Freiburg is set to face Aston Villa in the Europa League final in Istanbul this Wednesday.