CNN
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Borussia Dortmund spurned a golden opportunity to become Bundesliga champion and snap Bayern Munich’s decade-long reign as title holder, falling to a 2-2 draw at home to Mainz as Bayern beat Köln 2-1 in one of the most exciting season finales in recent memory.
Going into the final day, the title was within Dortmund’s grasp – it held a two-point advantage over its Bayern at the top of the table, it had home advantage for its final match and a parade had even been planned.
Bayern Munich required a win and had to hope for a Dortmund loss or draw, though Dortmund could still lose the match and if Bayern lost or drew, the title would be heading to Signal Iduna Park.
And with just one minute of regular time remaining, Dortmund was indeed set to be crowned champion. Although it was trailing 2-1 in its own game against Mainz, Bayern had conceded an 81st minute equalizer against Köln, putting Dortmund a point ahead in the table.
As news of Köln’s goal filtered into Signal Iduna Park, the crowd burst into a momentary delirium, as fans cheered and hugged each other. After all, there were only nine minutes of regular time left as each thud of the drums echoing around the stadium carried Dortmund one second closer to a first title since 2012.
But the fans’ tentative elation was only fleeting, crushed eight minutes later as Jamal Musiala rifled the ball into the net, restoring Bayern’s lead in the 89th minute.
Five minutes of injury time remained and there was still time for another twist. Nicklas Sule’s goal made it 2-2 in the last possible minute and Dortmund continued to press.
The final whistle blew soon after, however, and Dortmund’s players slumped to the ground, mourning a title that, somehow, slipped through their fingers in the most agonizing fashion.
More to follow…
