Top seven triumph as Bayern condemn Köln
Saturday, May 5, 2012
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Borussia Dortmund, FC Bayern München and Bayer 04 Leverkusen ended their Bundesliga campaigns with four-goal flourishes, while defeat for 1. FC Köln sealed their relegation.
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Borussia Dortmund may have clinched the title two weeks ago but they showed no sign of letting up on the final day as Jakub Blaszczykowski and Robert Lewandowski each scored twice to complete the champions' 25th – and sixth successive – victory of the campaign, a 4-0 defeat of SC Freiburg.
Second-placed Bayern conceded once but also scored four as they ended Köln's stay in the top flight. Thomas Müller (34, 85), a Pedro Geromel own goal (52) and Arjen Robben's 12th of the season in the league condemned Köln to the same fate as relegated 1. FC Kaiserslautern, who lost 2-1 despite taking a shock lead at Hannover 96.
Hannover's victory secured seventh place and the final UEFA Europa League qualifying berth, along with VfB Stuttgart, who fought back from 2-0 down to win a five-goal thriller against VfL Wolfsburg.
Third-placed FC Schalke 04 also prevailed 3-2, thereby ending SV Werder Bremen's hopes of playing European football next term, Dortmund-bound Marco Reus scored twice to help fourth-placed VfL Borussia Mönchengladbach win 3-0 at 1. FSV Mainz 05 and Stefan Kiessling registered a hat-trick in a 4-1 triumph at 1. FC Nürnberg that ensured Bayer 04 Leverkusen finished fifth.
Elsewhere, FC Augsburg were 1-0 winners against Hamburger SV while Hertha BSC Berlin's 3-1 defeat of TSG 1899 Hoffenheim earned them one last shot at survival in the relegation-promotion play-off.