Bayer Leverkusen became the first Bundesliga team to finish a league season unbeaten as their dream of an ‘invincible treble’ remained alive.
Xabi Alonso’s side had already secured their first league title but made more history as Saturday’s 2-1 win at home against Augsburg ensured they finished the domestic campaign undefeated.
It came as deposed champions Bayern Munich sank to third place after surrendering a 2-0 lead to lose 4-2 at Hoffenheim in the final round of games, allowing Stuttgart to jump to second.
Leverkusen’s season-long unbeaten run is now at 51 games in all competitions – already breaking a 59-year-old Uefa record – and two more wins will secure a remarkable treble.
They face Atalanta in the Europa League final in Dublin on Wednesday, followed by the German Cup final against second-tier Kaiserslautern three days later.
In a party-style atmosphere, Leverkusen were rarely troubled by Augsburg as Victor Boniface opened the scoring after 12 minutes, converting Amine Adli’s pass from inside the penalty area.
The lead was doubled soon after from a close-range effort by Robert Andrich and, despite Mert Komur’s second-half strike in reply, Leverkusen were able to finish a memorable league campaign in winning ways.
Leverkusen have surpassed the 49-game unbeaten run Portuguese giants Benfica enjoyed between 1963 and 1965.
This season they won 28 of their 34 games in the Bundesliga, scoring 89 goals and conceding just 24.
Their last league defeat was at the end of last season, when they lost 3-0 at Bochum.
Should they finish the season unbeaten in all competitions then it will be 53 games they have gone without experiencing defeat.
Bayern’s misery complete
After 11 consecutive Bundesliga titles, Bayern Munich have endured a season of torment this time around, and it continued on the Bundesliga’s final day.
They led 2-0 at Hoffenheim after six minutes thanks to goals from Mathys Tel and Alphonso Davies, but Maximilian Beier soon halved that lead before Andrej Kramaric hit a second-half hat-trick.
Bayern will part company with head coach Thomas Tuchel now their season is complete, having finished empty-handed.
They were without injured England striker Harry Kane, and the defending was calamitous at times, with Tuchel saying afterwards:, external “It was a painful and unnecessary defeat, which has happened far too often.”
Veteran goalkeeper Manuel Neuer added on Bayern’s official website: “A fresh start is needed, also from our side, the team. It’s clear it can’t go on like this.”
Stuttgart pipped Bayern to second place by a point thanks to a 4-0 win against Borussia Monchengladbach, with Serhou Guirassy scoring twice.
