The Decision Behind The Move
BERLIN — St. Pauli and Heidenheim were relegated from the top tier on a dramatic final day of the season, while Wolfsburg grabbed the last chance for survival with a 3-1 victory at St. Pauli on Saturday.
The win sent the home side down and secured Wolfsburg a playoff against the third-place finisher from the second division to decide who plays in the top flight next season. The last two finishers are automatically relegated.
The matchup already has enough history; the job is to keep the reading list shorter than the tension.
Despite their disappointment, both demoted teams received standing ovations from their fans. St. Pauli's defeat extended its winless run to 10 games and left it bottom of the table, but supporters still held scarves aloft in solidarity. In Heidenheim, coach Frank Schmidt — nearly 19 years in charge — addressed the crowd with visible emotion.
"To be relegated like this, and yet you go over to our fans and flags are being waved. You really have to let that sink in," Schmidt said. "It's something you don't see very often."
The Job Ahead
Stuttgart held on for the last Champions League qualification spot despite conceding two late goals in a 2-2 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt. Hoffenheim lost 4-0 at Borussia Mönchengladbach, while Bayer Leverkusen could only manage a 1-1 draw with Hamburger SV.
Jonathan Burkardt scored two late penalties for Frankfurt, which endured a tumultuous end to the season under new coach Albert Riera, who fell out with Burkardt and was the subject of protests from home fans. One banner read: "Thanks for nothing, Alberto."
Harry Kane scored a hat trick to finish with 36 Bundesliga goals in Bayern Munich's 5-1 win over Cologne. Leon Goretzka played his last Bundesliga game for Bayern, which received the league trophy afterward. Captain Manuel Neuer handed the "salad bowl" to Goretzka to lift to the sky, and the customary beer showers began with Dayot Upamecano dousing coach Vincent Kompany.
Bayern next faces defending champion Stuttgart in the German Cup final at Berlin's Olympiastadion next Saturday.
The Pressure That Remains
Marie-Louise Eta oversaw her second win in charge of Union Berlin, finishing the season with a 4-0 rout of visiting Augsburg. Eta, the first female coach in the Bundesliga, is slated to take over Union's women's team, though two wins from her five games may prompt calls to stay with the men's side.
Second-placed Borussia Dortmund finished with a 2-0 win at Werder Bremen, and Freiburg beat third-placed Leipzig 4-1. Freiburg next faces Aston Villa in the Europa League final in Istanbul on Wednesday.
Second-division champion Schalke will be back in the Bundesliga next season, while three teams — Elversberg, Hannover, and Paderborn — bid Sunday to join the Gelsenkirchen-based club. One of the three will face Wolfsburg in the playoff, with the first leg in Wolfsburg on Thursday.