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Wolfsburg clinch first Bundesliga title

AFP
AFP - [email protected]
Wolfsburg clinch first Bundesliga title
Photo: DPA

Vfl Wolfsburg won their first ever German league title after a 5-1 drubbing of beaten UEFA Cup finalists Werder Bremen on the last day of the season on Saturday.

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In a new goal-scoring record for a German league partnership, Wolfsburg's Edin Dzeko and Grafite have scored 54 goals this season to break the previous record set by Bayern Munich's Gerd Muller and Uli Hoeness in the 1970s.

The victory means champions Wolfsburg finish the season two points clear to take their Champions League place for next season and give Wolfsburg coach Felix Magath his third Bundesliga title having won the German league twice with Bayern.

Magath leaves to coach and manage Schalke 04 next season while defending champions Bayern finish the season second after beating Stuttgart.

Wolfsburg took the lead at home to Bremen after just six minutes when Bosnian playmaker Zvjezdan Misimovic fired the hosts into the lead. And Brazil's Grafite underlined his status as the league's top-scorer when he slipped his marker Naldo to add a second after 15 minutes.

The result was put beyond doubt after only 26 minutes when Grafite fired his shot off the boot of Bremen defender Sebastian Proedl and into the net.

Werder's Brazilian Diego made it 3-1 after 31 minutes, but Grafite struck for the 28th time this season when he headed home from Misimovic on 56 minutes to make it 4-1. And Bosnia's Dzeko hit their fifth goal on 74 minutes it set the new record with his 26th goal to bring the title to Wolfsburg.

Bayern booked a berth at the Champions League for next season when they beat title rivals Stuttgart 2-1 at Munich's Allianz Arena.

Before the game, Bayern bid farewell to caretaker coach Jupp Heynckes, who will be replaced by Louis van Gaal on July 1, and Germany striker Lukas Podolski, who is returning to Cologne after three years in Munich.

Munich went ahead after only 16 minutes when French midfielder Franck Ribery saw his shot deflect off the boot of Stuttgart's Dutch defender Khalid Boulahrouz.

Bayern extended their lead when captain Mark van Bommel hit their second on 60 minutes before Germany striker Mario Gomez pulled a goal back three minutes later.

Despite losing to Bayern, Stuttgart can now qualify for the Champions League after they finished third.

Hertha Berlin have to be content with a Europa League place after they slumped to a 4-0 defeat to Karlsruhe who were relegated, but the win took them off the bottom of the table.

Hamburg's 3-2 win at Eintracht Frankfurt was sealed by an injury-time goal from Germany winger Piotr Trochowski which gives them fifth and a UEFA Cup place for next season.

Dortmund finished sixth and miss out on a Europa League place for next season with their 1-1 draw at Borussia Moenchengladbach.

Bielefeld are the other side relegated after their 2-2 draw at home to Hanover.

Energie Cottbus will find out next weekend if they have survived the dreaded drop after beating Leverkusen 3-0 to claim 16th place which means a play-off with the third-placed side in the second division.

In the other results, Bochum drew 1-1 at Cologne and Hoffenheim won 3-2 at Schalke 04.

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