Dortmund crash Alonso farewell with 4-2 in Leverkusen; Frankfurt held
Dortmund's Julian Ryerson celebrates scoring his side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund at BayArena. Marius Becker/dpa
Borussia Dortmund spoilt the home farewell party for coach Xabi Alonso with a stunning 4-2 triumph at Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday to keep their Champions League ambitions alive.
Julian Brandt, Julian Ryerson, Karim Adeyemi and Serhou Guirassy reversed Leverkusen's lead from Jeremie Frimpong for Dortmund's sixth victory from seven unbeaten games. Jonas Hofmann got a late second for Leverkusen who suffered their third season defeat, all at home.
Advertisement
Champions League possible
Dortmund in fifth are all but certain to play in Europe next season, and one point behind Freiburg can still snatch fourth place for a Champions League berth on the final matchday Saturday.
Freiburg close at home against third placed Eintracht Frankfurt and Dortmund take on relegated Holstein Kiel.
Frankfurt were held 2-2 by St Pauli which means that Dortmund should move into the top four as long as they win by two goals, regardless of the outcome in Freiburg.
"Today was very important. We had to suffer in the first half, were a little lucky and had an outstanding goalkeeper. We were then clinical after the break," Dortmund defender Waldemar Anton told streaming portal DAZN.
Advertisement
Brandt expressed hope that "we can end the season in the best possible way" after what he named "a rollercoaster" earlier in the campaign, where they had been 10 points off the top four just a few weeks ago.
Alonso and Tah farewell
Alonso, who famously led Leverkusen to a historic unbeaten Bundesliga title and the German Cup last season, was honoured by club bosses amid "Xabi, Xabi" chants from the fans, after confirming on Friday he would be leaving after the season, possibly for Real Madrid.
He later also celebrated with defender Jonathan Tah, who is leaving after 10 years, in the stands with the diehards.
Advertisement
"His impact was huge, his aura. He is a top coach and a top person. We took a big step forward over the two and a half years," Tah said.
Alonso said: "It is the end of a super era in my life. They (Leverkusen) gave me the chance to become a coach, They gave me trust and support. I am very proud and I will be forever thankful to Bayer."
Leverkusen dominate but Dortmund hit back
On the pitch, Leverkusen started determined to give Alonso a successful home send off and after several missed chances took the lead in the 31st when Frimpong fired into top left corner after a one-two with Florian Wirtz.
Advertisement
Dortmund levelled out of the blue from former Leverkusen player Brandt two minutes later, and completed the turnaround from Ryerson's low shot in the 43rd for 2-1.
Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel made a number of extraordinary saves, including against Wirtz and Amine Adli who then also headed against the crossbar shortly before half-time.
Dortmund clinch it
Second-placed Leverkusen were not as dominant after the break, and Dortmund decided the game for good when Adeyemi emphatically fired into the top corner in the 73rd, before Guirassy raised his season tally to 20 four minutes later with a low shot.
Advertisement
Hofmann's goal in stoppage time made the result a little less painful for the hosts.
Frankfurt held by St Pauli and face CL berth final
Frankfurt failed to secure their Champions League spot with the draw against St Pauli who are effectively safe, three points and 13 goals better than third last Heidenheim.
Rasmus Kristensen gave Frankfurt a dream start 24 seconds into the game. Pauli reversed matters from Manolis Saliakas' looping ball into the far corner in the fourth and Morgan Guilavogui in the 16th but Michy Batshuayi drilled the equalizer in the 71st.
Frankfurt are two points above Freiburg and three clear of Dortmund, and their goal difference is just three better than that of Dortmund who have scored three more. That means they could slip out of the top four with defeat and a Dortmund victory by two goals.
Advertisement
Stuttgart end home rot
In the late game, VfB Stuttgart ended a run of six straight home defeats with a 4-0 victory over 10-man Augsburg in mid-table from Atakan Karazor in the eighth, Nick Woltemade in the 51st, Enzo Millot in the 80th and Ermedin Demirovic in the 87th.
They are however sweating on the fitness of influential Angelo Stiller, who limped off two weeks before their Cup final after being fouled by Samuel Essende which resulted in a red card for the Augsburg player in the 12th minute.
Stuttgart's Ermedin Demirovic (2nd R) scores his side's fourth goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between VfB Stuttgart and FC Augsburg at MHPArena. Tom Weller/dpa
Stuttgart's Enzo Millot celebrates scoring his side's third goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between VfB Stuttgart and FC Augsburg at MHPArena. Tom Weller/dpa
Stuttgart's Nick Woltemade celebrates scoring his side's second goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between VfB Stuttgart and FC Augsburg at MHPArena. Tom Weller/dpa
(R-L) St. Pauli's Morgan Guilavogui celebrates scoring his side's second goal with teammates Manolis Saliakas and Daniel Sinani during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FC St. Pauli at Deutsche Bank Park. Arne Dedert/dpa
Frankfurt's Rasmus Kristensen (L) scores his side's first goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FC St. Pauli at Deutsche Bank Park. Arne Dedert/dpa
Dortmund's Serhou Guirassy (2nd L) celebrates scoring his side's fourth goal with teammates (L-R) Emre Can, Niklas Suele, Waldemar Anton and Marcel Sabitzer during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund at BayArena. Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa
Dortmund's Karim Adeyemi (C) celebrates scoring his side's third goal with teammates during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund at BayArena. Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa
Dortmund's Julian Brandt (R) celebrates scoring his side's first goal with teammates during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund at BayArena. Marius Becker/dpa
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Liverpool told to switch focus to 'perfect' transfer once Florian Wirtz deal completed
Liverpool saw transfer "deadline day" come and go without any agreement on Florian Wirtz. Fortunately, the next window was only a week away — and not only do the Reds expect to wrap up a deal for the Bayer Leverkusen star in due course, they could also be busy with further business. Advertisement Things certainly seem to be moving in the right direction with Wirtz. One of Arne Slot's camp has broken the collective silence for the first time, with Andy Robertson acknowledging that the playmaker is a "top player". And all reports indicate that Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen are ironing out the finest details now. In an unrelated deal, but one which no doubt provides an incentive to work together toward a mutually beneficial outcome, the Bundesliga side is also taking an interest in Jarell Quansah. READ MORE: Liverpool transfer news LIVE: Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez latest, Alexander-Arnold presentation READ MORE: Barcelona chief makes fresh transfer admission after Liverpool rebuffed Luis Diaz approach Advertisement He's one of numerous players who could end up leaving Anfield this summer. Harvey Elliott faces an uncertain future after a tough first campaign under Slot, while the same could be said of Darwin Nunez, Joe Gomez, and a couple of others. The departure of Nunez, in particular, could yet push Liverpool into the market for another marquee deal after Wirtz is wrapped up. While the German has played as a number nine, it's anticipated that he will arrive in order to add creativity a little further back, potentially still leaving Slot in need of a new forward. Nunez has been persistently linked with the Saudi league, which may yet give Liverpool an unlikely chance to recoup a significant chunk of its initial outlay. That would give the club some handy headroom for a second swing at finding the long-term solution at number nine, this time with Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards leading the process. Solid links have been reasonably thin on the ground. Hugo Ekitike's name has been mentioned more than once, while Julian Alvarez did the rounds about a month ago, but nothing concrete has emerged. Advertisement And now Ally McCoist has urged Liverpool to go in a different direction altogether. He has hailed Victor Osimhen as "absolutely perfect" for Slot's side. Victor Osimhen of Galatasaray gestures during the Turkish Super League match between Galatasaray and Kayserispor on May 18, 2025 in Istanbul, Turkey. -Credit:'I think Osimhen would be absolutely perfect at somewhere like Liverpool," McCoist eulogized on talkSPORT. "I think he'd be unbelievable at Liverpool." The Nigerian striker is fresh off the back of an unlikely loan spell at Galatasaray. Relations broke down with Napoli to such an extent that Osimhen seized one of the few remaining options late in the window last summer, but he still looks every inch the elite forward. Advertisement Unsurprisingly, he is widely expected to move on a permanent basis this summer. Saudi sides have taken an interest in him, too, but he is thought to prefer the Premier League. And GiveMeSport claims that Osimhen has been mentioned in a "high-level meeting" at Liverpool. However, the likeliest current outcome is that the 26-year-old elects to remain with Galatasaray. Meanwhile, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal are all also looking to strengthen in the center-forward position. They may be contemplating giving Osimhen a route to the Premier League as well. So a deal that looks opportunistic (and apparently even "perfect") on its face may yet prove to be a little more complicated, especially once Osimhen's potential wage demands are factored in. But a striker of his caliber in front of Wirtz is certainly an appealing prospect — and with plenty of twists and turns expected once the second transfer window opens, it is sure to be an exciting summer at Liverpool.
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Jack Grealish could have big role to play in Liverpool finalizing Florian Wirtz transfer
Jack Grealish is apparently a contender to replace Florian Wirtz at Bayer Leverkusen. Leverkusen is set to lose its best player in the coming days, with talks between Liverpool and the German club at an advanced stage over Wirtz's prospective move to Merseyside. Advertisement Wirtz has emerged as one of the best young attackers in world soccer during his time at Leverkusen, and his impending transfer to Liverpool is set to see him become one of the most expensive players of all time. Leverkusen, meanwhile, must look to fill the huge void in the team that Wirtz's departure will leave, and one player who is being linked with a move to the Bundesliga club is Manchester City outcast Grealish. READ MORE: Liverpool transfer news LIVE: Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez latest, Alexander-Arnold presentation READ MORE: Andy Robertson becomes first Liverpool player to address Florian Wirtz transfer Advertisement Grealish has been at City since 2021 but he is expected to leave the club this summer, after being left out of Pep Guardiola's squad for this summer's revamped Club World Cup in the United States. The 29-year-old is said to be open to return to former club Aston Villa, but the prospect of a move to the Bundesliga is on the table as new Leverkusen boss Erik ten Hag is said to be a big fan of Grealish. Meanwhile, Liverpool is continuing to work on a deal to sign Wirtz after it emerged last month that the 22-year-old had decided that he wants to join the Reds instead of Bayern Munich. Liverpool has agreed personal terms with Wirtz, but talks are ongoing between the two clubs over the structure of the deal. Advertisement Meanwhile, Andy Robertson became the first Liverpool player to speak publicly about his club's interest in signing Wirtz, highly praising the 22-year-old. Florian Wirtz looks set to join Liverpool -Credit:Photo by Markus Gilliar -"He was excellent against us (Scotland, at Euro 2024) I do remember that," Robertson told Sky Sports. "Obviously that game was extremely tough for us, but he was excellent, he was the one causing us problems in the half-space, running in behind, he can mix it up. "I haven't seen too much of him but I have played against him and that was enough to see he was going to be a top player. We played Leverkusen in the Champions League this year as well and we dominated that game a bit more as well, so it was probably a bit more difficult for him, but certainly in the German team against us he was excellent. Advertisement "We're certainly linked with him, that's for sure! You can't miss it, you can't not see it. But if we get him through then an exciting talent is through the door. "We've already got a lot of exciting talent in there. He's a right good player. He'll only help us, and if he does get through the door then we'll be excited to play with him."
Yahoo
20 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Sundowns must adapt to less possession, warns coach Cardoso
South African giants Mamelodi Sundowns, a team used to dominating possession, may have their time with the ball considerably reduced at the Club World Cup, says coach Miguel Cardoso. The Pretoria outfit are outsiders in Group F with Fluminense and Borussia Dortmund expected to advance to the knockout phase in the United States at the expense of Sundowns and South Korean side Ulsan. Advertisement "We are used to controlling matches in the South African league," the 53-year-old Portuguese said of a club that recently won the national championship an eighth consecutive time. "Our possession can be 70 percent, sometimes even more," he told the South African media before departing for North America with a 26-strong squad. "Now we must prepare mentally to adapt to situations where our opponents will have the majority of possession. I doubt we will be able to control games like we regularly do in South Africa." Cardoso picked out Dortmund as a team to present a different type of challenge from the opposition Sundowns are used to at home and in Africa. Advertisement "Dortmund play a very high tempo, aggressive style, which is typical of German football," said the coach, who has worked in Portugal, Ukraine, France, Spain and Greece. Cardoso moved to Africa in 2024, winning the Tunisian title with Esperance and taking them to the CAF Champions League final, which they lost to Al Ahly of Egypt. Sundowns, Ahly, Esperance and Moroccan side Wydad Casablanca, who have won 20 continental Champions League titles between them, are the African representatives at the revamped 32-team Club World Cup from June 14. Sacked by Esperance last year following indifferent domestic form, the Portuguese was hired by Sundowns after they axed local coach Manqoba Mngqithi having lost to minnows Magesi in a knockout competition final. Advertisement - 'Our Lionel Messi' - Cardoso took Sundowns to the league title, but a surprise FA Cup semi-final loss to Kaizer Chiefs dashed hopes of a South African double. An even bigger disappointment came in the Champions League, where Sundowns eliminated Esperance and Ahly only to lose the final to Pyramids, an Egyptian club competing for only the second time. "The belief that African clubs lack organisation, especially when defending, is untrue," insists Cardoso. But it was a series of defensive blunders against Pyramids in Pretoria and Cairo that cost Sundowns a chance to win the Champions League a second time after their 2016 triumph. Advertisement Slack marking allowed Pyramids to snatch an added-time equaliser in South Africa, and a weak clearance and more poor marking led to the goals that gave the Egyptians a 2-1 second-leg victory. Cardoso has chosen a squad including 20 South Africans, two Brazilians, a Chilean, a Ugandan, a Zimbabwean and a Namibian. Reserve goalkeeper Denis Onyango from Uganda is the oldest at 40 and South African winger Kutlwano Letlhaku the youngest at 19. First choice shot stopper Ronwen Williams saved four penalties in a 2024 Africa Cup of Nations quarter-final shootout against Cape Verde. Khuliso Mudau is a polished full-back, Teboho Mokoena an aggressive midfielder with a powerful shot and Brazilian forward Lucas Ribeiro won the South African league's Golden Boot last season with 16 goals. Advertisement But a lot of South African attention at the Club World Cup will centre on a midfielder who did not feature in the Champions League title decider, 35-year-old Themba Zwane. Former Sundowns star Joel Masilela was furious at the exclusion of Zwane. "He is our Lionel Messi and should have started or come off the bench," Masilela said. "Cardoso cost us a Champions League title." dl/iwd/pb
