MUNICH, GERMANY (AFP) - Thomas Mueller hailed Bayern Munich's "phenomenal" achievement after they were confirmed Bundesliga champions for the ninth season in a row on Saturday (May 8). Robert Lewandowski grabbed a hat-trick in a 6-0 thrashing of Borussia Moenchengladbach at the Allianz Arena in Munich. Bayern were confirmed champions even before kick-off after Borussia Dortmund's 3-2 win at home to second-placed RB Leipzig earlier in the day sent the title to Munich. "Nine titles in a row, that's crazy. And I was there each time. I'm very grateful for that," said Mueller, 31, who now holds the joint record of 10 Bundesliga titles with team-mate David Alaba. "It shows the development of this club over the years. It's phenomenal, it's a huge amount of work every year with a great team." Head coach Hansi Flick has now won seven titles in 18 months, but will leave to be replaced by RB Leipzig boss Julian Nagelsmann next season. "That performance was worthy of champions," said Flick. Mueller scored Bayern's second goal while Kingsley Coman and Leroy Sane also got on the scoresheet alongside Lewandowski, who now has 39 league goals this season, one short of Gerd Mueller's all-time Bundesliga record. "We wanted to show on the pitch that we are German champions," said Lewandowski, who insisted he will "keep stepping on the gas" as he chases Mueller's record with two games left. More on this topic Related Story Football: Bayern Munich win Bundesliga title as Dortmund beat Leipzig Related Story Football: Bayern celebrate title win by demolishing Gladbach Flick says Lewandowski is writing himself into the club's folklore. "Gerd Mueller was my idol when I was young, but what Gerd Mueller was in my youth, Lewandowski is today," he said. "If he manages the record, it will have been more than deserved." Club captain Manuel Neuer admitted it was a "bizarre situation" to be crowned champions while still warming up. "We were just getting ready, there are a few TVs in the dressing rooms," said the Germany goalkeeper. "We realised that we had become champions and started congratulating each other." Thomas Mueller, a one-club wonder who won his first Bundesliga title with Bayern back in 2009/10, said he never dreamed of such success when he joined the Bavarian giants as a schoolboy. "When you play here as a little boy, you don't think you'll ever play in the first team at FC Bayern. You're just happy when you get tickets for home games," he quipped. More on this topic Related Story Football: Five-star Flick raises the bar for next Bayern coach Nagelsmann Related Story Football: Nagelsmann to coach Bayern Munich from next season
STUTTGART, GERMANY (REUTERS) - Borussia Dortmund teenager Ansgar Knauff fired in an 80th-minute winner for his first professional goal to give his team a 3-2 victory at VfB Stuttgart on Saturday (April 10) and maintain their slim hopes of a top-four finish. Germany youth international Knauff, in his third league appearance, picked up the ball on the edge of the box and audaciously threaded his shot past two defenders and the goalkeeper to secure the win that lifted Dortmund to 46 points in fifth place. Eintracht Frankfurt are in fourth on 53 following their 4-3 win over third-placed VfL Wolfsburg, with six games left in the season and the top four finishers qualifying automatically for next season's Champions League group stage. It was a memorable week for 19-year-old Knauff after he also earned his first start in Dortmund's 2-1 Champions League quarter-final loss to Manchester City on Tuesday. "It was an amazing week with my first ever start and my first Bundesliga goal," Knauff said. "I am happy and hope this keeps going." "I came on, did my best and really wanted to win the game. I am happy that it worked," said the winger, who was brought on in the 67th minute. Goals from Jude Bellingham - also his first in the Bundesliga - and Marco Reus in the 47th and 52nd minutes gave Dortmund, who host City in the second leg on Wednesday, a 2-1 lead after the hosts had gone in front thanks to Sasa Kalajdzic's looping first-half header. Daniel Didavi then fired in a 78th-minute equaliser for Stuttgart but their joy lasted only two minutes when Knauff snatched the winner.
DORTMUND, GERMANY (REUTERS) - Bayern Munich continued their recent dominance over old rivals Borussia Dortmund on Saturday (Nov 7), coming from behind to win 3-2 away in the Bundesliga with Robert Lewandowski scoring his 11th goal of the season. Midfielder David Alaba was also on target for the Bavarians after a turbulent week in which the club publicly withdrew its offer to renew his contract, leaving the long-serving Austrian "hurt and disappointed." Bayern, who stayed top of the Bundesliga with 18 points from seven games, have won all four of their meetings with Dortmund since Hansi Flick took over as coach, including the league double last season. Dortmund are third with 15 points, one behind RB Leipzig. Bayern thought they had gone ahead in the 25th minute when Lewandowski swept Serge Gnabry's low cross into the net but, after a long VAR check, the goal was disallowed because the Pole's right knee was offside. Having survived that, Dortmund took the lead. Jadon Sancho sent Raphael Guerreiro into the box and he cut the Portuguese back for Reus to sidefoot into the net in the 45th minute. Dortmund, who had conceded only two league goals all season before Saturday, then let in two in five minutes either side of the break. Gnabry played a free kick short to Thomas Mueller who teed it up for Alaba to equaliser with a deflected shot in first-half stoppage time. Within three minutes of the restart, Lucas Hernandez whipped in a cross from the left and Lewandowski got in front of Mats Hummels to scored with a powerful header. Dortmund, who missed several chances throughout the game with topscorer Erling Haaland among the culprits, and fell further behind in the 80th minute. Bayern broke up a Dortmund attack and the ball was quickly played up to substitute Leroy Sane who cut inside and scored with a low shot into the far corner. Dortmund were not finished as Haaland ran onto Guerreiro's dinked pass to round Manuel Neuer and pull one back with seven minutes left. Reus volleyed over from Guerreiro's cross before Lewandowski had another goal chalked off in stoppage time.