Bayern beat Dortmund to Bundesliga title on final day

The young Nigerian-born forward, Jamal Musiala, etched his name into Bayern Munich folklore with a late strike that propelled his team to a remarkable 11th consecutive Bundesliga title on Saturday.

Born in Germany to a Nigerian father, Musiala is arguably one of the most talented youngsters in world football and he justified his high ratings with a crucial goal that not only saved Bayern their blushes but also ensured the Bavarians do not end the season without any silverware.

Final day drama

Bayern Munich entered the final day trailing their arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund in the standings.

The pressure on the defending champions was immense, as they needed not only to secure victory against Cologne but also hoped for a stumble from Dortmund.

The match away to Cologne began with a flurry of action as Kingsley Coman provided Bayern with an early breakthrough, driving a powerful shot into the back of the net to give his team the lead.

The Bavarians seemed to be on course for another routine victory, but Cologne had other ideas.

Showing resilience and determination, the underdogs fought back and earned a penalty that they coolly converted, levelling the score.

As time ticked away, Bayern’s hopes of clinching the title hung in the balance.

Then, in the 89th minute, the young starlet Jamal Musiala, rose to the occasion; scoring what will pass as one if not the most important goal of his career so far.

The ball rippled the back of the net, igniting wild celebrations among the travelling Bayern faithful.

Musiala’s late heroics ensured victory and triggered jubilant celebrations that reverberated throughout the stadium.

With Dortmund settling for a disappointing 2-2 draw at home to Mainz, they effectively handed the title to Bayern.

For manager Thomas Tuchel, this triumph marked a successful end to his first season at the helm of Bayern.

Taking over from Julian Nagelsmann in March, Tuchel faced the daunting task of maintaining the club’s winning tradition and even though it was not in a convincing fashion, he would be glad to have delivered the title at the first time asking.

It is worth noting that the last time a team started the final day of the Bundesliga in second place and emerged as champions was over two decades ago, in the 1999-2000 season when Bayern themselves achieved this feat against Bayer Leverkusen.

Despite winning the league, Bayern announced the dismissal of both Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidžić on Saturday.

While Kahn was the erstwhile CEO of Bayern, Salihamidžić was a member of the board.

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