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Bayer Leverkusen end unprecedented Bundesliga season without defeat, Cologne relegated – Winnipeg Free Press

Posted on by Neons

BERLIN (AP) — Bayern Munich never managed it.

Bayer Leverkusen became the first team since the Bundesliga's inception in 1963 to complete a season without defeat on Saturday.

Early goals from Viktor Boniface and Robert Andric gave the league champions a 2-1 win over Augsburg in their final game of the season.

Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso during the German Bundesliga match between Bayer Leverkusen and Augsburg at BayArena in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, May 18, 2024.
Leverkusen head coach Xabi Alonso during the German Bundesliga match between Bayer Leverkusen and Augsburg at BayArena in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, May 18, 2024.

The win was their 28th in 34 Bundesliga games.

Leverkusen, who won the title in April to end Bayern's 11-year streak, became the first team since Juventus in Italy's Serie A in 2011-12 to complete an unbeaten season in any of Europe's top five leagues.

Leverkusen have not lost a single competition all season, a record 51 games.

He kept Augsburg at bay, but Mert Komur pulled him back in the 62nd minute, forcing Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso to send on Florian Wirtz and Granit Xhaka, star players trying to rest ahead of the Europa League and German Cup finals. next week.

COLOGNE SUBJECTED, UNION SAFE

Local rival “Cologne” was relegated. Cologne's hopes of avoiding the drop ended with a 4-1 defeat at Heidenheim.

“Very sad, very sad. Maybe there's a little bit of respect for forgiveness,” said “Cologne” goalkeeper Marvin Schwebe about the fans' angry reaction.

Union's Benedikt Hollerbach, right, celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the Bundesliga soccer match between Union Berlin and SC Freiburg at the Ander Alten Forsterei stadium in Berlin on May 18, 2024 in Germany. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)
Union's Benedikt Hollerbach, right, celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the Bundesliga soccer match between Union Berlin and SC Freiburg at the Ander Alten Forsterei stadium in Berlin on May 18, 2024 in Germany. (Andreas Gora/dpa via AP)

Janik Haberer scored in stoppage time for Union Berlin in a 2-1 win over Freiburg.

That came after Union missed a penalty they should have won to avoid the playoffs, conceding an equalizer with five minutes to play, and then missed another penalty in extra time. Fortunately for the Union, Haberer was here to shoot and send beer mugs across the stadium.

Union's victory meant that Bochum were eliminated from the play-offs after losing 4-1 at Werder Bremen.

Bochum will play two legs against Fortuna Dusseldorf to see which team will play in the Bundesliga next season. Dusseldorf finished third in the second division.

Mainz secured their survival with a 3-1 win over Wolfsburg.

Bayern ONLY THIRD

Stuttgart finished second with a 4-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach at Bayern's expense, while Bayern suffered a 4-2 defeat at Hoffenheim in Thomas Tuchel's final game as manager.

Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz kisses the trophy after his team won the German Bundesliga after the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Augsburg at the BayArena stadium in Leverkusen, Saturday, May 18, 2024. Bayer Leverkusen won the Bundesliga title. the first time. This is the first team in the history of the Bundesliga to win the championship without defeat for an entire season. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)
Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz kisses the trophy after his team won the German Bundesliga after the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Augsburg at the BayArena stadium in Leverkusen, Saturday, May 18, 2024. Bayer Leverkusen won the Bundesliga title. the first time. This is the first team in the history of the Bundesliga to win the championship without defeat for a whole season. (AP Photo/Michael Probst)

“Another bitter defeat,” said a fuming Tuchel, a day after talks to extend his stay at the club failed.

Bayern's third-place finish is their worst finish since 2011 winners Borussia Dortmund and Leverkusen. This is Bayern's first season without a trophy since 2012.

Stuttgart's 73 points is a club record and comes after battling relegation the previous two seasons.

REYS'S BIG DAY

Marco Reus led Dortmund to a 4-0 win over bottom-placed Darmstadt. The 34-year-old, who will leave after 12 years at the end of the season, was handed the captain's armband for Dortmund's final Bundesliga game and played in setting up Jan Maatsen for the opener before scoring with a stunning free-kick.

Dortmund will host their next Champions League final on June 1 against Real Madrid.