May 6 – Bayern Munich have reclaimed their grip on the Bundesliga, officially sealing a record-extending 34th German league title after Bayer Leverkusen failed to win at Freiburg on Sunday.
The result caps a turnaround season for Bayern under Vincent Kompany, and brings Harry Kane his first major trophy as a professional footballer, which was met with a teary-eyed reaction from the England captain on social media as he celebrated with compatriot Eric Dier.
Leverkusen’s draw handed Bayern the title without the Bavarians having to kick a ball, after Yussuf Poulsen’s late equaliser for RB Leipzig against the now-champions had delayed celebrations 24 hours earlier. At Freiburg, a Piero Hincapié own goal and a strike from Maximilian Eggestein put Leverkusen 2-0 down before Florian Wirtz and Jonathan Tah salvaged a point late on — but that was not enough to keep their faint title hopes alive.
The championship win is a landmark for both Kane and Kompany. Kane, who joined from Tottenham last summer, has scored 24 league goals this season, following his 36-goal Golden Shoe-winning debut campaign.
Kompany, meanwhile, finds redemption after being relegated from the Premier League with Burnley just a year ago. His appointment at Bayern was questioned by some, but the Belgian has delivered the club’s minimum expectation — a return to domestic dominance.
Despite regaining the Bundesliga, Bayern’s season hasn’t been without setbacks. They were knocked out of the DFB-Pokal at home by Leverkusen and fell to Inter Milan in a tight Champions League quarter-final. The Bundesliga win, however, reinforces Bayern’s resilience and remains a powerful commercial statement — especially as Kane continues to raise his international profile and the club looks to maintain their stature across global markets.
The title is Bayern’s 12th in 13 seasons, and their 34th overall (including their 1932 pre-Bundesliga championship), underlining the structural gap between the ‘Rekordmeister’ and other domestic challengers.
For Leverkusen and manager Xabi Alonso, who is heavily linked with a move to Real Madrid this summer, the season ends empty-handed (save for the season-opening German Super Cup), with their Pokal campaign ended after a stunning semi-final loss to third-tier Arminia Bielefeld.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1746528654labto1746528654ofdlr1746528654owedi1746528654sni@g1746528654niwe.1746528654yrrah1746528654