European football: Dortmund reach Champions League, Leipzig out of Europe | European club football

Borussia Dortmund cruised previous relegated Holstein Kiel 3-0 to complete fourth and snatch the final Champions League spot for subsequent season, in the perfect comeback of the final seven matchdays in Bundesliga historical past. Niko Kovac’s Dortmund gained six of their final seven matches to climb from tenth to fourth within the standings and end on 57 factors, two forward of Freiburg, who misplaced 3-1 at residence to third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt and drop into the Europa League.

Dortmund, needing a three-goal win to be assured a top-four end regardless of ends in the opposite video games, acquired off to a dream begin when Serhou Guirassy transformed a third-minute penalty for the lead. Kiel had been then left with 10 gamers when Carl Johansson was despatched off with a straight pink card however the hosts couldn’t make the additional man depend till the break.

They did, nevertheless, rating two minutes after the restart, with Marcel Sabitzer slotting in from the sting of the field to make it 2-0 and Felix Nmecha added one other within the 72nd minute to seal their European spot.

Dortmund gamers will now go right into a two-week break earlier than returning in early June forward of the Membership World Cup in america. Niko Kovac, who had taken over in February with the crew in eleventh place after the departure of Nuri Sahin after a disappointing first half to the season, stated: “For a very long time we had been simply passengers and on the ultimate matchday we had been within the driving seat and did it simply in time,” stated the Croat. I did my job however I wish to underline that you just can not obtain something in soccer alone.”

RB Leipzig, in the meantime, missed out on European soccer utterly after ending seventh. They misplaced 3-2 at residence to German Cup finalists Stuttgart, whereas Mainz drew 2-2 at residence to Bayer Leverkusen to complete sixth by a degree and attain the Convention League. Bayern Munich, who had secured the title two weeks in the past, beat Hoffenheim 4-0. Heidenheim completed in Sixteenth after shedding 4-1 at residence to Werder Bremen to enter a relegation/promotion playoff.

Leverkusen, final season’s champions, got here from 1-0 down at Mainz however led 2-1 as they handed Xabi Alonso one other report as they went two league seasons with out an away defeat. Alonso is leaving after two and a half years in cost – together with a sensational home league and Cup double final season with out one defeat – with experiences linking him to a transfer to Actual Madrid.

Mainz went in entrance by way of Paul Nebel within the thirty fifth minute however Leverkusen struck twice in 5 minutes by way of Patrik Schick within the forty ninth and 54th to get again into the driving seat. Mainz levelled with a penalty from Jonathan Burkardt within the 63rd minute.

They nearly spoiled the Leverkusen report when Stefan Bell stabbed in for what seemed just like the winner in stoppage time however his effort was overruled for handball after a prolonged video assessment.

Harry Kane got here off the bench to attain the final objective in Bayern’s 4-0 win. It was the England captain’s twenty sixth of the season as he grew to become the primary participant to prime the Bundesliga scoring charts in every of his first two campaigns.

“I all the time attempt to enhance,” Kane stated after being handed the highest scorer trophy. “However with out teammates this may not be potential. I’m having fun with this.”

Sporting Have been Topped Portugal Champions After Beating Vitória Guimarães 2-0 In The First League The Title Race and the Relegances Have been Selected the Last Matchday.

Pedro Gonçalves put the defending champions in entrance after 55 minutes earlier than Viktor Gyökeres doubled the benefit late on, sealing the factors with a low strike inside the underside proper nook. Sporting completed prime of the standings on 82 factors, two factors above their native rivals Benfica, who had been held to a 1-1 draw at 10-man Braga in a simultaneous kickoff.

Sporting and Benfica performed out a 1-1 draw final weekend to remain stage on factors however Sporting’s 1-0 win within the reverse fixture in December meant they held a head-to-head benefit, and wanted solely to match Benfica’s outcome on closing day. Sporting, who grew to become champions for the twenty first time, gained first consecutive league titles since they claimed 4 in a row from 1951-54.

Boavista and Farense had been relegated from the highest flight whereas Sixteenth-placed AVS will face Vizela, who completed third within the second tier, within the playoffs.

The Paris Saint-Germain winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia scored twice within the second half because the Ligue 1 champions got here from behind to beat Auxerre 3-1 and finish their season on a profitable be aware after falling behind to a Lassine Sinayoko strike.

On the different finish of the desk, Saint-Étienne had been crushed 3-2 at residence by Toulouse and can be part of the already-relegated Montpellier in Ligue 2 subsequent season after ending second from backside. A late penalty lifted Le Havre to a 3-2 win over Strasbourg and fifteenth place, leaving Reims to complete Sixteenth and a promotion/relegation playoff in opposition to Metz.

PSG completed on 84 factors, 19 forward of the runners-up Marseille and 23 forward of third-placed Monaco, who each qualify instantly for the Champions League group stage, whereas Good thumped Brest 6-0 to complete fourth and enter that competitors within the third qualifying spherical.

Unbeaten once they secured the title in early April, PSG had been on track for his or her third defeat of their six subsequent video games when Sinayoko gave Auxerre the lead. However Kvaratskhelia bundled the ball over the road for the equaliser within the 59th minute, with Marquinhos including a header earlier than the Georgian scored once more late on to wrap up the three factors.