After Bayern Munich's early title and Leverkusen's runners-up spot, the last round of Bundesliga matches still held a special thrill: the fight for the final spot in next season's UEFA Champions League. There were many upsets, but Borussia Dortmund secured their place thanks to a 3-0 win against Holstein Kiel.
It took just two minutes for Borussia to take the lead. Nmecha found great space inside the opponent's area and was brought down by Holtby. From the penalty spot, Guirassy hit the ball hard into the left-hand corner and beat the opposing goalkeeper, who got the corner but failed to save it.
Fighting against relegation, Kiel saw their situation get even worse after just eight minutes. Just as Adeyemi was taking advantage of the space provided by the opposing defense, Johansson came running in for a bad foul outside the box. The goal was prevented in desperation, but the inevitable red card appeared in the hands of the referee.
Borussia Dortmund took full control of the attacking action and offered much more danger than their opponents, but goalkeeper Kobel had to make a great reflex save before the break when Bernhardsson received a great pass in the box and finished with a first-time shot.
The visitors tried to take advantage of Dortmund's physical fatigue at the end of the first half, but the favorites needed just a minute after the break to score their second. Svensson crossed the ball into the box and a poor cutback by the defense left the ball for Sabitzer, who struck low and sent the ball into the corner.
With much more composure and without giving up any more chances to their rivals, Borussia Dortmund scored the winning goal in the 71st minute. Svenssson received the ball from Bensebaini on the left wing and played Nmecha into the box. The No. 8 took the ball with his right leg and struck it into the corner.
Nico Kovac has done a spectacular job at Borussia Dortmund
Thanks to their three-goal victory, Borussia Dortmund didn't have to worry about the clash between Freiburg and Eintracht Frankfurt to secure their place in the Champions League. This was a reflection of the excellent work of coach Niko Kovac, who took over in the second half of the Bundesliga season and led an impressive recovery.