Hoffenheim 2-1 Borussia Dortmund
A dramatic penalty converted by Andrej Kramaric in stoppage time gave Hoffenheim a 2-1 victory, effectively handing the Bundesliga title to Bayern Munich before they even take the field against Stuttgart on Saturday.
Kramaric converts one of his penalties against Dortmund
The Bundesliga race has been virtually decided. Borussia Dortmund’s 2-1 defeat at Hoffenheim, sealed by a 98th-minute spot kick, means Bayern Munich only need a point against Stuttgart at the Allianz Arena to secure their 35th league title.
Last week’s loss to Bayer Leverkusen had direct consequences for the lineup coach Edin Kovac chose for the trip to Hoffenheim, a side that had slipped to sixth place after winning just one of their previous seven matches (2-4 against Heidenheim). Not only was striker Serhou Guirassy left on the bench, but also defenders Ramy Bensebaini and midfielder Julian Brandt.
The Croatian coach tried to shake things up from the start to avoid handing the Bundesliga trophy to Bayern on a silver platter. However, a shot against the crossbar from Hoffenheim’s Lemperle in the sixth minute only deepened the sense of disillusionment surrounding Dortmund.
A header from Jonas Svensson attacking the six-yard box from the left side in the 13th minute seemed to lift the mood for Borussia. But that hope quickly faded. Less than 10 minutes after a penalty claim for a foul by Anton on Lemperle was waved away, Niklas Süle blocked a shot from Kramaric with his hand, and the Croatian calmly converted the resulting spot kick in the 42nd minute.
At halftime, Bayern already knew they were champions-elect, given Dortmund’s lackluster performance. It wasn’t until after the hour mark that the visitors threatened again, when Kabak made a crucial block to deny Svensson an equalizer. That equalizer finally arrived in the 86th minute through Guirassy, who turned on the edge of the box and slotted home against the post.
A point would have at least forced Bayern to beat Stuttgart to clinch the title mathematically. But deep into stoppage time, Ryerson handled a cross from Prass, and after a VAR review, referee Daniel Siebert pointed to the spot for the second time. Once again, Kramaric stepped up and hammered the final nail in Dortmund’s coffin.