Bayer Leverkusen are Bundesliga champions for the first time in their history, ending Bayern Munich’s dominance at the top of German football.
A thrilling second-half hat-trick from Florian Wirtz wrapped up a 5-0 victory over Werder Bremen with Granit Xhaka and Victor Boniface also on the score sheet.
Despite some first-half nerves, the hosts were clinical and showed just why they are unbeaten in 43 league games.
Bremen started well but gave away a poor penalty in the first half which was converted by Boniface on his return to league action.
Xhaka doubled the hosts’ lead shortly after the break with a sensational curling effort from 25 yards out.
Substitute Wirtz then wrapped up the points and secured the title with his first-ever senior hat-trick.
A string of pitch invasions before the final whistle temporarily stopped play before the referee blew for full-time shortly after the final goal.
The victory is a long time coming for Leverkusen and Xabi Alonso who is in his first full season as a manager.
With the league wrapped up, they are now going for a treble as they remain in both the DFB Pokal and the UEFA Europa League.
Talking Point – Unbeaten Leverkusen end Bayern Munich’s German football dominance
Nobody expected Bayer Leverkusen to be in with a chance of winning the Bundesliga title at the start of the season. From day one they have been the team to beat breaking several records along the way, the latest being the first team in to go unbeaten in 43 consecutive league games.
This isn’t just great for Leverkusen it’s great for German football. The last team other than Bayern Munich to win the Bundesliga was Borussia Dortmund under Jurgen Klopp in 2012.
The Bavarians 11 year dominance whilst impressive diminished the standing of the league compared to the other top divisions in Europe.
Bayern will likely bounce back and be a lot closer next season, but with Alonso confirming he’s staying at Leverkusen, they will be the team to beat.
It’s the biggest moment in Leverkusen’s history.
Player of the match – Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)
The man of the moment was Florian Wirtz who scored his first senior hat-trick in the second half to wrap up the victory and secure the title. The best of the bunch was his sensational 25-yard effort which flew over Bremen’s Zetterer.
Player Ratings
Bayer Leverkusen: Hradecky 7, Hincapie 7, Tah 7, Kossounou 6, Hofmann 8, Andrich 6, Tapsoba 6, Tella 7, Adli 6, Boniface 8, Xhaka 8, Wirtz 10, Schick 5, Grimaldo 5, Frimpong 6
Werder Bremen: Zetterer 6, Ducksch 5, Weiser 5, Bittencourt 6, Veljkovic 4, Lynen 5, Schmid 5, Malatini 3, Agu 4, Woltemade 4, Groß 4
Match Highlights
25 – GOAL! Leverkusen 1-0 Bremen (Boniface): Victor Boniface steps up to convert a penalty on his return to league action after a three-month injury.
60 – GOAL! Leverkusen 2-0 Bremen (Xhaka): Granit Xhaka with a sensational curling effort that gives the Bremen goalkeeper no chance.
68 – GOAL! Leverkusen 3-0 Bremen (Wirtz): Substitute Florian Wirtz’s strike from 25 yards out sensationally beats Zetterer.
83 – GOAL! Leverkusen 4-0 Bremen (Wirtz): Wirtz grabs his second and the Leverkusen fans storm the pitch causing play to halt temporarily.
90′ – GOAL! Leverkusen 5-0 Bremen (Wirtz): A first senior hat-trick for Wirtz as he clinches the title for Leverkusen.