The Game Turned Late
BERLIN — St. Pauli and Heidenheim were relegated from the Bundesliga on Saturday, while Wolfsburg grabbed the last lifeline in a dramatic final day of the season.
Wolfsburg won 3-1 at St. Pauli to send the home side down and secure a relegation playoff against the second division's third-place finisher. The automatic drop spots went to the two clubs at the bottom, and neither managed to climb out.
The matchup already has enough history; the job is to keep the reading list shorter than the tension.
The relegated clubs received standing ovations from their supporters anyway. St. Pauli fans raised their scarves in the rain after a tenth straight winless game left them rooted to the footer of the table. In Heidenheim, manager Frank Schmidt — nearly 19 years at the club — addressed fans who waved flags despite the fall. "To be relegated like this, and yet you go over to our fans and flags are being waved," he said. "I wish society, us here in Germany, had the kind of solidarity that we have within this club."
Stuttgart held on for the final Champions League spot despite conceding late in a 2-2 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt. That denied Hoffenheim and Bayer Leverkusen any helping hand. Hoffenheim lost 4-0 at Borussia Mönchengladbach while Leverkusen could only manage a 1-1 draw with Hamburger SV.
The Small Details Added Up
Jonathan Burkardt scored two late penalties for Frankfurt, which endured a rocky finish under new coach Albert Riera. A home banner read: "Thanks for nothing, Alberto."
Harry Kane bagged a hat trick to reach 36 Bundesliga goals in Bayern Munich's 5-1 victory over Cologne. Leon Goretzka played his final game for the club, and after the trophy presentation, Bayern captain Manuel Neuer handed the "salad bowl" to Goretzka so he could lift it. The customary beer showers followed, with Dayot Upamecano dousing coach Vincent Kompany.
Bayern faces Stuttgart in the German Cup final in Berlin's Olympiastadion next Saturday.
Marie-Louise Eta secured her second win as Union Berlin coach, finishing 4-0 against Augsburg. The first female manager in Bundesliga history will now take over Union's women's team, though her three-point-from-five-games record might spark talk of keeping her with the men.
The Table Looks Different
Borussia Dortmund beat Werder Bremen 2-0 to finish second, and Freiburg downed Leipzig 4-1 at home. Freiburg meets Aston Villa in the Europa League final in Istanbul on Wednesday.
Schalke clinched the second division title and returns to the top flight. Three teams — Elversberg, Hannover and Paderborn — compete Sunday for the remaining promotion spot, with the winner facing Wolfsburg in the playoff's first leg on Thursday.