Bundesliga review: Hamburg relegated for first time as Hoffenheim & Dortmund reach Champions League
Hamburg were relegated from the Bundesliga for the first time in their history while Hoffenheim beat Borussia Dortmund but both teams qualified for next season’s Champions League.
Ten-man Hamburg beat Borussia Monchengladbach 2-1 but still went down for the first time, sparking angry fan demonstrations.
HSV had played in the German top flight since their foundation and in the Bundesliga since it began in 1963 but, after several flirtations with the drop in recent years, they have finally bowed out.
Despite Hamburg's efforts to hold on for maximum points - Wolfsburg's 4-1 triumph over bottom side Cologne meant they could not be caught.
The game at #Hamburg was actually still going on when relegation was confirmed
— Sporting Life Football (@SportingLifeFC) May 12, 2018
and all hell broke loose...#Bundesligapic.twitter.com/7vs2RVHQZK
Instead the Wolves will tackle a relegation/promotion play-off against second-division side Holstein Kiel.
When news that the full-time whistle had blown in Wolfsburg filtered through, Hamburg fans invaded the pitch at the Volksparkstadion, igniting flares and forcing a lengthy suspension as order was restored.
Hoffenheim and Borussia Dortmund won the race for the remaining Champions League spots, even though the former club subjected the latter to a 3-1 defeat at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena.
Julian Nagelsmann has been touted as a possible replacement for Arsene Wenger at Arsenal and his stock continues to rise as, despite losing two of his best players this season, he steered his side to finish third with only Bayern Munich scoring more goals.
Nagelsmann is an 18/1 shot to take charge at the Emirates in the summer, but the fact he's back in the Champions League may also provide a reason for him to remain in Germany - he should certainly be on Arsenal's list given his Bundesliga efforts.
Andrej Kramaric fired TSG ahead, with Marco Reus levelling before Adam Szalai and Pavel Kaderabek steered Hoffenheim into third place, while Dortmund took fourth.
Missing out were Bayer Leverkusen, who will be frustrated to have to settle for the Europa League after a 3-2 home win over Hannover.
Bundesliga results
Mainz 1 - 2 Werder Bremen
Bayer Leverkusen 3 - 2 Hannover
Bayern Munich 1 - 4 Stuttgart
Schalke 1 - 0 Eintracht Frankfurt
Hamburger 2 - 1 Borussia Mönchengladbach
Hertha Berlin 2 - 6 RB Leipzig
Freiburg 2 - 0 Augsburg
Hoffenheim 3 - 1 Borussia Dortmund
Wolfsburg 4 - 1 Cologne
Lucas Alario produced two classy strikes, and Julian Brandt one, before Hannover hit back through Niclas Fullkrug and Martin Harnik, meaning Bayer missed out on the Champions League due to their inferior goal difference to BVB.
Freiburg went into the final day vulnerable to being sucked into the play-off spot by Wolfsburg, but their 2-0 win over Augsburg negated that risk, Nicolas Hofler and Tim Kleindienst grabbing the goals.
Stuttgart spoiled Bayern Munich's title party and Jupp Heynckes' last game in charge of the champions by producing a surprise 4-1 success at the Allianz Arena.
It is the first time in over nine years Bayern had conceded four goals at home in the league, although they will not have cared too much as they lifted the Meisterschale trophy.
Everton loanee Ademola Lookman ran the show with a goal and two assists as RB Leipzig booked Europa League football by winning 6-2 at Hertha Berlin.
Elsewhere, Guido Burgstaller's bullet header saw Schalke edge Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 and Werder Bremen left it late to triumph 2-1 at Mainz, Theodor Gebre Selassie grabbing the winner after Florian Kainz had cancelled out Jean-Philippe Gbamin's opener.
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