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Bayern Munich miss out on first chance to win Bundesliga

Bayern Munich's midfielder Thomas Muller celebrates scoring against Werder Bremen
Image: Bayern Munich's midfielder Thomas Muller celebrates scoring against Werder Bremen

Bayern Munich were held 1-1 at home by Borussia Moenchengladbach on Saturday as Borussia Dortmund kept the Bundesliga title race alive.

Bayern, who would have claimed their 26th German title with a victory, got off to a great start when Thomas Muller scored in the sixth minute.

But the defending champions were made to pay for a lacklustre performance when Andre Hahn deservedly equalized in the 72nd minute.

"We would have liked to be champions today  I won't lie  but we'll try to seal the deal against Ingolstadt next weekend," Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said.

Dortmund closed the gap to five points with two games remaining thanks to two goals from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and one each from Shinji Kagawa, Adrian Ramos and Marco Reus in a 5-1 rout of Wolfsburg.

Most of the attention in Dortmund was on captain Mats Hummels, who has expressed his wish to join Bayern next season. He was whistled by fans, some of whom held a banner asking him to go straight away. He responded with a commendable performance, though it didn't spare some supporters' anger after the game.

Kagawa fired Dortmund ahead in the seventh minute with his ninth goal of the season and the Japan star set up Ramos to make it 2-0 two minutes later.

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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Borussia Dortmund celebrates scoring against Werder Bremen
Image: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang of Borussia Dortmund celebrates scoring against Werder Bremen

Reus settled it at the third attempt on 59, after Diego Benaglio had saved from Sven Bender and then Kagawa.

Two goals in two minutes from Aubameyang wrapped it up, the Gabon forward heading in crosses from Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Marcel Schmelzer to take his tally to 25 for the season.

Bayer Leverkusen secured direct qualification for the Champions League with a 2-1 win at home over Hertha Berlin to guarantee third place. It was Leverkusen's seventh successive victory.

"We're more than happy. To settle it with two games to go is a very good performance," said 19-year-old Julian Brandt, who scored for the sixth straight game.

Brandt and Lars Bender fired Leverkusen into an early lead before Vedad Ibisevic pulled one back in the 21st to give Hertha hope.

Hertha dropped to fifth, behind 'Gladbach on goal difference. Both are assured of at least Europa League football next season.

Klaas Jan Huntelaar was on target in Schalke's win
Image: Klaas Jan Huntelaar was on target in Schalke's win

Schalke boosted its Champions League qualification hopes by climbing sixth thanks to goals from Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Klaas Jan Huntelaar and Alessandro Schoepf in a 3-1 win at Hannover. 

Schalke, a point behind 'Gladbach and Hertha, are at least assured of Europa League football.

Eintracht Frankfurt boosted its hopes of avoiding the drop with a come-from-behind 2-1 win at local rival Darmstadt, as did Hoffenheim at home against already safe Ingolstadt.

Darmstadt's Mario Vrancic scored early in the Hessen derby, but Makoto Hasebe equalized and Stefan Aigner scored late for Frankfurt, which moved two points above Werder Bremen (31) into the relegation playoff place. Bremen hosts Stuttgart, which is level with Frankfurt on 33 points, on Monday.

Hamburg and Mainz played out a 0-0 draw.

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