FC Bayern Munchen News

The Polish attacker scored twice on his final league appearance for the season and takes the No.9 shirt in Goal’s final round up of the best performances in Germany

Matchday 34, fittingly, saw 34 goals across nine games and drama at both ends of the table as Nurnberg and Eintracht Braunschweig were both relegated to the second tier and Bayer Leverkusen scraped a Champions League place.

Ron-Robert Zieler claimed the No.1 shirt in Goal‘s Team of the Week for the final matchday after making an extraordinary number of saves in Hannover’s thrilling 3-2 win over Freiburg.

Omer Toprak scored a vital goal to deliver a top-four finish to Leverkusen, Joel Matip helped rubberstamp Nurnberg’s relegation with an early opener, Mats Hummels continued his good run of form in Borussia Dortmund’s 4-0 win over Hertha Berlin and Robin Knoche was on target in Wolfsburg’s fine, but fruitless 3-1 victory over Borussia Monchengladbach.

Kevin De Bruyne and Ivan Perisic scored the hosts’ other goals at the Volkswagen Arena and line up in midfield with Hoffenheim’s Sebastian Rudy, himself on the scoresheet in the win over Braunschweig. Slightly ahead of them sit Halil Altintop of Augsburg and Pierre-Michel Lasogga, on target as Hamburg lost at Mainz, only for the results of those below them to ensure their survival.

Finally, Robert Lewandowski leads the line after his two goals against Hertha saw him claim the top scorer award this season and ensured he ended his Bundesliga career with Dortmund on a positive note.

The Spaniard was doused in beer and even dropped the trophy during his side’s title celebrations and spoke of his happiness after winning the league in his first season

Pep Guardiola was “proud” of his Bayern Munich players after they finished their Bundesliga-winning campaign with a 1-0 victory over Stuttgart.

Claudio Pizarro came off the bench at the Allianz Arena on Saturday to net a stoppage-time winner with the last kick of the game as Bayern finished the season 19 points clear of second-placed Borussia Dortmund.

Bayern will have concerns over Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mario Mandzukic, both of whom limped off during the victory, especially with a DFB-Pokal final against Dortmund to come next weekend.

Immediately after the game, however, Guardiola was in celebratory mood, having been showered in beer and having dropped the trophy in the aftermath of Bayern’s on-pitch presentation.

“I’m very proud of this team and these players,” he told reporters.

“[The beer] is cold! It’s all okay now after having a proper shower. I’m happy!”

On Schweinsteiger, Guardiola remained positive and hopes the Germany midfielder will be fit for next Saturday’s clash in Berlin.

He added: “Bastian had problems with his patella tendon but we still have six days [before the cup final].”

COMMENT: Jurgen Klopp’s side have finished the Bundesliga season in better form than their rivals to leave the Olympiastadion clash poised on a knife-edge

When Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich line up at the Olympiastadion for next week’s make or break DFB-Pokal final, both teams will be looking to end a trying season on a positive note.

The Bavarians will have wanted – even expected – to be on the road to a second straight treble but their form has nosedived since they sealed the Bundesliga title in record time, costing them dear in a disheartening 5-0 loss to the Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-final.

For BVB, meanwhile, injuries and shoddy defending saw them crumble either side of Christmas after a promising start to the season. The Pokal clash will be their final chance to bring home some silverware and make a statement for the future.

And, truth be told, momentum is firmly with Jurgen Klopp’s side. Dortmund’s players seem more united and, crucially, have not taken their foot off the gas since they secured Champions League football ahead of next season.

Bayern, meanwhile, have looked devoid of ideas over the last six weeks. Their attacking play, once so potent, has been decidedly blunt since March.

The final day of the Bundesliga season was an apt demonstration. Dortmund travelled to Hertha, who pulled off a stunning 2-1 win at the Westfalenstadion before Christmas, and put on a clinic of attacking football with Robert Lewandowski starring in a 4-0 victory.

In Bavaria, though, Bayern were stumbling. Stuttgart had endured a torrid season, sacking two coaches and a total of 61 goals prior to kick off, but Pep Guardiola’s side looked disinterested before their blushes were saved through Claudio Pizarro’s late winner. What should have been a party at the Allianz Arena was a loose, lacklustre affair.

It leaves the Pokal final finely poised. Bayern will fancy their chances as the holders and, crucially, the superior team. But Dortmund look capable of hurting them in a way most other teams in Europe would envy.

Their three meetings this season make the match even harder to call. BVB gave Guardiola a wakeup call in the DFL-Supercup back in July as their incisive counterattacking saw them triumph 4-2 at Signal Iduna Park.

Four months later, they were back in the Ruhr and Bayern got revenge, recording an incredible 3-0 win to knock Dortmund out of the running for the Bundesliga title once and for all.

With more bodies back in the team in April, though, Klopp’s side went to the Allianz Arena and their pace and directness stung their arch rivals once more, as they got revenge in the grand manner, recording a 3-0 win.

The beer will be flowing in Munich on Saturday night as Bayern rightfully celebrate a thoroughly deserved title victory, but come Monday, they must turn their attentions to Berlin to cap a brilliant season with more success.

It is fitting that Germany’s two best teams will finish the season – just as they started it all those months ago – and it looks as though the game itself may just be something of a classic.

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Claudio Pizarro’s stoppage-time strike ensured Bayern Munich finished their Bundesliga campaign with a 1-0 win over Stuttgart.

Pep Guardiola’s men were crowned champions in late March, but have seen their form tail off in recent weeks, with Stuttgart looking all set to further Bayern for much of Saturday’s match.

That was until Pizarro fired in a left-footed shot from the edge of the area with the last kick of the game, as Bayern put the seal on their title-winning season before being presented with the trophy afterwards.

The hosts dominated at the Allianz Arena throughout and were almost kept out by Stuttgart, who toiled manfully and regularly dropped 10 men behind the ball in a rigid defensive effort.

Mario Mandzukic failed in his bid to become the Bundesliga’s leading scorer ahead of Borussia Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowski as he was denied by a combination of good goalkeeping and wayward finishing before limping out of action in the second half.

Pizarro, on as Mandzukic’s replacement, was equally wasteful initially, blazing over the crossbar while unmarked in the 75th minute.

Stuttgart, whose safety was assured last week, created little going forward and have now lost 11 consecutive matches to Bayern in all competitions.

Despite the win, Bayern will have concerns over Mandzukic’s fitness, while Bastian Schweinsteiger also sustained an injury and both players are now seemingly a doubt for the DFB-Pokal final against Dortmund next weekend.

After a quiet opening to the game, Mandzukic had the first serious effort on goal in the 24th minute.

The Croatian, recalled to the side in place of Mario Gotze, let fly from the corner of the penalty area, but Sven Ulreich was equal to his attempt and tipped the ball around the post.

Four minutes later, Mandzukic and then Schweinsteiger both headed narrowly off target as Bayern began to assert themselves.

The hosts felt they should have had a penalty shortly after the half-hour when Mandzukic’s acrobatic volley cannoned off the arm of Gotoku Sakai, but referee Bastian Dankert awarded a corner only.

Bayern began the second half as they had ended the first and were camped in the Stuttgart half, Arjen Robben bringing a flying save out of Ulreich shortly after the hour.

Tempers momentarily flared when Dante brought down Stuttgart substitute Cacau midway through the half, with the referee showing the Brazilian defender a yellow card after passions were calmed.

Mandzukic had hobbled off injured shortly beforehand and Pizarro wasted the clearest opening of the match with when he ballooned over the crossbar after being picked out by David Alaba’s cutback with 15 minutes to go.

Robben was denied by Ulreich with five minutes to go before Pizarro struck from 20 yards as Bayern signed off a dominant season with a win in front of their home fans.

The midfielder says he is flattered to hear the Bundesliga champions are considering a summer bid for his services but his club are determined to keep hold of him

Hamburg rising star Hakan Calhanoglu admits he is “proud” to hear of interest from Bayern Munich.

The Bavarians are believed to be considering a summer swoop for the 20-year-old attacking midfielder, who has been in impressive form in the Bundesliga this season, despite Hamburg struggling in a relegation battle for much of the campaign.

Calhanoglu claims talk of Pep Guardiola’s interest motivates him to keep performing well, but insists he is fully focused on helping HSV secure their top-flight survival.

He told Sky Sports News: “This (Bayerns interest) motivates me and it makes me proud. But I am not thinking about that right now. At the moment the focus is on avoiding relegation with the HSV.”

Hamburg’s CEO Carl-Edgar Jarchow has previously made it clear he has no intention of selling Calhanoglu, despite the club struggling on the pitch and in dire need of a financial boost in the close season.

“We are not in these talks [with Bayern],” he told Bild. “We do not want to sell Hakan. He is a player with great perspective. It would be a step back for our club to part ways with these kind of players.”

Calhanoglu, who scored an incredible 40-yard free kick against Borussia Dortmund earlier this season, has also been linked with Premier League giants Chelsea, as well as clubs in Italy.