Kane Claims First Trophy as Bayern Celebrate Title and Bid Farewell to Muller

MUNICH, May 11 — Harry Kane scored the opening goal before lifting his first-ever career trophy as Bayern Munich triumphed 2-0 over Borussia Mönchengladbach, with Thomas Müller playing his final home game for the club.

Bayern officially secured the Bundesliga title today after defending champions Bayer Leverkusen were held to a 2-2 draw at Freiburg. However, Bayern were presented with the Bundesliga shield in front of their home fans after the match.

Soaked in beer from his teammates’ celebrations, Kane described the title win as “an incredible feeling” and expressed hopes that it would be “the first of many.”

“It’s been a lot of hard work and sacrifice to get to moments like this—enjoying it with the team and the fans. I’m loving every minute,” said the England captain.

Kane opened the scoring in the 31st minute, heading in a curling shot from Michael Olise to notch his 25th goal of the league season.

Although Bayern seemed lacking in energy, Mönchengladbach had several opportunities to equalise but squandered them with poor finishing. In the dying seconds, Olise scored from close range to secure Bayern’s victory.

Thomas Müller, playing his 750th game for Bayern across all competitions, came close to scoring in the 57th minute, but his shot was saved. The 35-year-old, who is leaving the club after 25 years this summer, was substituted with seven minutes remaining. His teammates and staff gathered to form a guard of honour, marking the end of his legendary Bayern career. Müller has won a record 13 Bundesliga titles and two Champions League trophies with Bayern.

Speaking to Sky Germany, Müller said he was still processing the moment but was touched by the “75,000 hearts” beating for him. Kane expressed pride in playing alongside Müller, calling him “a legend in football and a legend at this club.”

Before the match, long-time England and Tottenham teammate Eric Dier, who will join Monaco in the summer, was also given a send-off.

Leipzig ‘Disappointed’, Bochum and Kiel Relegated

RB Leipzig’s hopes of securing a top-four finish were dashed after a goalless draw at Werder Bremen, while Holstein Kiel and Bochum were relegated from the Bundesliga following defeats.

Leipzig, who had missed the Champions League only once in the eight seasons since their promotion in 2017, struggled against Bremen, who are vying for a European spot after a 15-year absence.

Xavi Simons came closest to scoring for Leipzig, hitting the post in the 68th minute and forcing a save from Bremen goalkeeper Michael Zetterer shortly after.

“It’s extremely disappointing,” said Leipzig’s Christoph Baumgartner. “It’s matchday 33, and we didn’t make it. There’s no point in sugarcoating it—we don’t deserve the Champions League.”

The result means Leipzig’s hopes of qualifying for the Europa League rest on a victory over Stuttgart in their final match, while Bremen’s European ambitions are now purely theoretical due to their poor goal difference.

Heidenheim secured at least a relegation play-off spot with a 3-0 win over Union Berlin, thanks to a brace from Adrian Beck and a goal by Jan Schoeppner.

Kiel, promoted to the top flight for the first time this season, needed a win to keep their survival hopes alive. They took the lead through Lasse Rosenboom’s counter-attack but were beaten 2-1 by Freiburg, with Johan Manzambi and Lucas Höler scoring for the visitors.

Freiburg's victory puts them in a strong position to qualify for the Champions League for the first time, sitting four points ahead of Borussia Dortmund, who still have two games to play.

Bochum’s four-year Bundesliga run ended with a 4-1 defeat to Mainz, who were led by goals from Nadiem Amiri, Jonathan Burkardt, Phillipp Mwene, and Paul Nebel. Bochum, after starting the season poorly with just two points in December, managed to stay in the fight with a string of good results, including victories over Bayern and Dortmund. However, they picked up only two points from their last eight matches.

Bayer Leverkusen will host Dortmund on Sunday in what will be coach Xabi Alonso’s final home game with the club. — AFP