15.30 kickoffs: Jadon Sancho leads Dortmund over Leipzig, Bayern München officially 2020/21 Bundesliga champions
The title-winning t-shirts are set to come out at the Allianz Arena later this afternoon after Edin Terzic's Dortmund held off Leipzig with a 3-2 victory.
A Jadon Sancho brace proved the difference as the hosting Schwarzgelben snatched all three points after some late drama.
A Jadon Sancho brace proved the difference as the hosting Schwarzgelben snatched all three points after some late drama.
Jadon Sancho (Dortmund) and Marcel Sabitzer (RB Leipzig). | Photo: GEPA Pictures/Sven Sonntag |
With lead-striker Erling Haaland once again watching on from the stands, a Dortmund 4-2-3-1 spearheaded by Thorgan Hazard too the field on Saturday afternoon. Haaland's absence didn't appear to be much of a problem as captain Marco Reus opened the scoring seven minutes in. A lovely back-heel from Hazard put Reus through on a one-two, but the BVB skipper supplied his own magnificent finish to put his side off on the right foot.
Little else happened over the course of the first half as a disciplined Terzic side kept their shape and squeezed out Leipzig regularly. Sancho struck six minutes after the restart, completing some nice footwork after Raphaël Guerreiro shuffled off for him wide left. Lukas Klostermann was able to pull a goal back twelve minutes after that. As has been the case many times this season, Dortmund conceded on a poorly defended corner.
Dani Olmo then drew the visitors level in the 77th after Hee-Chan Hwang toasted Guerreiro and set the Spaniard up with a sublime cutback. Guerreiro atoned for his mistake ten minutes later on with another set up of Sancho. The Englishman lurked on the overlap, controlled well, and emphatically hit the back of the net to send the entire team into convulsions.
Leipzig's loss means the FC Bayern München have now officially earned their ninth consecutive league championship, no matter what happens later today in the match against Borussia Mönchengladbach. Dortmund are in excellent position to secure a top-four place, with Frankfurt under serious pressure to respond with a win against surging FSV Mainz 05 tomorrow.
Elsewhere in the Bundesliga's 15:30 kickoffs, FC Schalke 04 appeared headed for their third win of the season after jumping out to a 2-0 halftime lead. Opponents TSG Hoffenheim nevertheless completed their second spectacular comeback in the last three rounds, charging back to win 4-2.
VfL Wolfsburg remain two points ahead of Dortmund in third place after securing a 3-0 victory over FC Union Berlin. Leverkusen-Bremen ended in a goalless draw. On 31 points, Florian Kohfeldt's Hanseaten may be dragged into the relegation zone before the weekend is out.