Bundesliga Bulletin: Gladbach finish fourth, Bremen alive
June 27, 2020
Good week for: Bremen, Andrej Kramaric, Gladbach, Milot Rashica, Hoffenheim, Anthony Ujah
Bad week for: Fortuna Düsseldorf, Leonardo Balerdi, Timo Horn, Schalke, Dortmund
The headlines:
— Bremen's great escape
In one of the most dramatic final day relegation battles in recent Bundesliga history, Werder Bremen completed a surprise escape to secure a spot in the relegation playoff. Bremen stunned Cologne, running out 6-1 winners in their best performance of the season. That result, combined with Fortuna Düsseldorf's 3-0 defeat in Berlin to Union, saw Bremen jump up in the table and Fortuna relegated.
After a tense start in both games, Yuya Osako tucked in very neatly inside the box to give Bremen the lead. In Berlin, at the same time, Fortuna started to wobble and then Anthony Ujah pounced for Union, the man who helped Bremen stay in the league five years ago.
By halftime, Bremen were 3-0 up. Midway through the second half, Fortuna conceded a second and Bremen had notched up two more.
When Cologne grabbed one back, the nerves threatened to creep back in with goal difference a potential factor but then Josh Sargent scored a sixth. Fortuna pushed but in doing so they conceded a third. It was all over.
Fortuna's players were left dejected at the final whistle. Bremen were buoyant. Florian Kohfeldt's side had kept themselves alive. They will play either local rivals Hamburg or Heidenheim in the playoff.
— European race turns into stroll
The race to secure the last Champions League spot was less tense.
Leverkusen got the win they wanted against Mainz thanks to Kevin Volland's goal, his 10th of the season, after just 69 seconds.
But Gladbach took matters into their own hands, knowing that if they won it wouldn't matter what happened in Leverkusen. Breel Embolo held off Dedryck Boyata to set up Jonas Hofmann for the opener. Gladbach took a long time to add a deserved second but Embolo's goal made sure The Foals will be playing in Europe's top club competition next season.
In his final game for the club, Timo Werner's brace against Augsburg made sure RB Leipzig held on to third.
— Best of the rest
Borussia Dortmund looked as though they already on holiday on the final day as Andrej Kramaric scored four goals for Hoffenheim. The 4-0 defeat left Dortmund red-faced on their final day, but put Hoffenheim into sixth.
Bayern Munich won again, Kingsley Coman, Michael Cuisance, Robert Lewandowski and Thomas Müller denying Wolfsburg a sixth-placed finish.
In yet another 4-0, Schalke's defeat to Freiburg on the final day marks the end of a season the Royal Blues will be happy to see the back of. They haven't won any of their last 16 games, a club record. Paderborn were as valiant as ever in their final game in the Bundesliga, losing a 3-2 thriller to Frankfurt.
The quotes:
"Bayern have this absolute winner mentality. Maybe we sometimes have the wrong mentality and attitude."
Roman Bürki after Dortmund's defeat
"The biggest thanks go to those we can't see today, the fans who still love football."
Thomas Müller on football in 2020
"This is a special moment, but also a very strange one. We've never experienced a season like this before. No fans, no celebrations, no whistles - it's an odd atmosphere. It's not the Bundesliga that we want, but it was the only Bundesliga that was possible... That we have been able to finish our season today is huge... The new season will, at least to start, look a little different to how we're used to.
DFL boss Christian Seifert at the end of Bayern's win in Wolfsburg
"I feel empty. I'm sorry for our fans and the club."
Uwe Rösler on Fortuna Düsseldorf's relegation
"We have to thank Union. I don't know whether we need to send them a crate of beer or not, but I'm grateful."
Niclas Füllkrug after Bremen's win
"We were not good today. We were not present. We gave away too many gifts."
Lucien Favre on Dortmund's defeat
"My wife told me this morning that we would win 6-1 today."
Florian Kohfeldt after his side won 6-1
"I'm really happy to have played my part because I got a lot of messages from Bremen this week... I'm no longer at Werder but I could still help."
Anthony Ujah, smiling, knowing the value of his goal
"The last half an hour I was more in Berlin. We have to send them a huge thank you, they did superbly. We owe them more than a thank you."
Marco Bode, Werder Bremen chairman
The stats:
— 21 assists this season for Thomas Müller is a new Bundesliga record. Hansi Flick approves this statistic.
— Bayern Munich finished the season with 100 goals, one short of their own league record, set in 1971-72.
— Bremen secured their first home win in the league in 300 days. Timely.
— Robert Lewandowski finished the Bundesliga season with 34 goals.
— Bremen had scored nine goals in 16 home games before the final day. Three in 45 minutes was quite the surprise, as was six in 90, but it was exactly what they needed.
— Andrej Kramaric became the first Hoffenheim player to score four goals in a Bundesliga game and the first visiting player to score four in Dortmund in the league.
— Timo Werner's brace in Augsburg meant Werner finished the season with 17 away goals, equaling Jupp Heynckes' Bundesliga record from the 1973-74 season.
Farewells:
Mario Götze was not in Dortmund's matchday squad, having been with his family after the birth of his son. But he was at the Westfalenstadion to be given the sort of quiet and understated departure that sums up the current career status of the World Cup winner.
Timo Werner made his final appearance for RB Leipzig, saying a fitting farewell with a brace. Vedad Ibisevic also scored in seemingly his final game for Hertha Berlin, with Per Skjelbred also leaving the club after making 297 appearances.
Bundesliga and Gladbach club legend Raffael departed after seven years, over 200 appearances and 71 goals for the club. He nearly added another late on but it wasn't to be.
Robin Knoche was also waved off for Wolfsburg.
Rafal Gikiewicz played his final game for Union Berlin, with a move to Augsburg reportedly on the cards. The Polish keeper