Dortmund, Frankfurt clinch Champions League qualification on final day of Bundesliga
Dortmund's Marcel Sabitzer celebrates after scoring during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Holstein Kiel at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Bernd Thissen/dpa via AP)
Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy, center, and Kiel goalkeeper Thomas Dahne in action during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Holstein Kiel at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Bernd Thissen/dpa via AP)
Dortmund's Felix Nmecha, center obscured, celebrates scoring during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Holstein Kiel at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Bernd Thissen/dpa via AP)
Freiburg's Jordy Makengo, front, and Frankfurt's Ansgar Knauff fight for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between SC Freiburg and Eintracht Frankfurt at the Europa-Park Stadium in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa via AP)
Freiburg's Jordy Makengo, front, and Frankfurt's Ansgar Knauff fight for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between SC Freiburg and Eintracht Frankfurt at the Europa-Park Stadium in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa via AP)
Dortmund's Marcel Sabitzer celebrates after scoring during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Holstein Kiel at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Bernd Thissen/dpa via AP)
Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy, center, and Kiel goalkeeper Thomas Dahne in action during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Holstein Kiel at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Bernd Thissen/dpa via AP)
Dortmund's Felix Nmecha, center obscured, celebrates scoring during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and Holstein Kiel at Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund, Germany, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Bernd Thissen/dpa via AP)
Freiburg's Jordy Makengo, front, and Frankfurt's Ansgar Knauff fight for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between SC Freiburg and Eintracht Frankfurt at the Europa-Park Stadium in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany, Saturday, May 17, 2025. (Philipp von Ditfurth/dpa via AP)
Borussia Dortmund and Eintracht Frankfurt qualified for the Champions League on the last day of the Bundesliga season on Saturday, leaving Freiburg to be content reaching the Europa League.
Dortmund clinched fourth place and the last for Champions League qualification with a 3-0 win at home over already-relegated Holstein Kiel, which had a player sent off after less than 10 minutes played.
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It's a remarkable turnaround under coach Niko Kovač, who took over a Dortmund team languishing in 11th place in February. Dortmund won its last five Bundesliga games straight.
Frankfurt stayed third with a 3-1 win in Freiburg, which dropped to fifth as a result, two points behind Dortmund. Freiburg had needed a win to qualify for the Champions League in place of Frankfurt.
Mainz drew with Bayer Leverkusen 2-2 to qualify for the Conference League in sixth place, a point ahead of Leipzig, which missed out on European qualification after a 3-2 loss at home to Stuttgart.
Bayern Munich, which clinched the title with two rounds to spare, finished the season with a 4-0 win at Hoffenheim in Thomas Müller's last Bundesliga game for the club. It was his 503th.
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