Bayern Munich picked up a fourth Bundesliga title in a row regardless of stress all through the season from Thomas Tuchel’s Borussia Dortmund. BVB completed the marketing campaign with 78 factors – three factors greater than the earlier time Dortmund truly received the league.
Whereas the battle for high spot went till the second final day of the season, third positioned Bayer Leverkusen have been by no means within the working to problem Bayern. They completed 28 factors shy of high spot, with Borussia Monchengladbach one other 5 factors additional again.
Lower than 10 years after successful the German title, Stuttgart suffered the ignominy of relegation to the two Bundesliga, successful simply 9 video games all season. Hannover 96 additionally fell out of the highest flight, with Eintracht Frankfurt solely staying up due to a 2-1 mixture win over Nurnberg within the playoff.
CHANGES
Dortmund started life after Jurgen Klopp by appointing former Mainz head coach Thomas Tuchel, who had been out of contract because the earlier Might. The brand new boss started life at Westfalenstadion by reshaping the midfield, bringing in Gonzalo Castro and Julian Weigl from Bayer Leverkusen and 1860 Munich respectively. Roman Burki was signed for €3.5 million and took over the vast majority of goalkeeping duties from Roman Weidenfeller.
Pep Guardiola strengthened his Bundesliga holders by spending €37m on Arturo Vidal from Juventus and €30m on Shakhtar Donetsk’s Douglas Costa, with speedy French winger Kingsley Coman becoming a member of on a loan-to-buy deal from Juve as nicely. Guardiola additionally raided Stuttgart for 2 of their key gamers, including Sven Ulreich as a backup for Manuel Neuer and signing Joshua Kimmich as a flexible squad possibility.
A few of Bayern’s older gamers left the membership in a big clearout, with Bastian Schweinsteiger, Pepe Reina, and Claudio Pizarro among the many exodus. Thomas Muller, Thiago, and Manuel Neuer obtained new contracts, whereas David Alaba and Jerome Boateng have been additionally given extensions.
Wolfsburg misplaced Kevin De Bruyne to Manchester Metropolis for €75m, making him the Bundesliga’s costliest export ever. Julian Draxler was introduced in from Schalke to interchange him, however didn’t dwell as much as his predecessor as VfB slipped out of the European locations.
Borussia Monchengladbach appeared to Chelsea to enhance their group, loaning Danish defender Andreas Christensen and making the deal for Thorgan Hazard everlasting. Amin Younes returned to the membership from his non permanent spell at Kaiserslautern, however was quickly shipped off to Ajax.
Mexican soccer followers started to take a higher curiosity within the Bundesliga due to Bayer Leverkusen’s addition of Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernandez, who rewarded his new membership with 17 league objectives.
SUMMARY
Dortmund started life underneath Tuchel impressively and led the league for 4 of the primary 5 weeks earlier than Bayern Munich took over on the high. Tuchel introduced new vitality to the membership after their disappointing seventh-placed end the earlier season, nurturing the connection between Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who netted 54 objectives between them in all competitions.
On the finish of the season, Dortmund had scored extra objectives than Bayern, however have been finally undone by their poor run of video games in late September and early August the place they drew with Hoffenheim and Darmstadt earlier than being crushed 5-1 on the Allianz Area.
Dortmund solely misplaced as soon as after the winter break, however Bayern have been relentless underneath Guardiola, who themselves received 13 of their 17 Ruckrunde matches. They secured a league and cup double, beating Dortmund on penalties within the DFB-Pokal last, however noticed their Champions League hopes dashed by an away objectives rule loss to Atletico Madrid within the semi-final.
Stuttgart’s 39-year keep within the German high flight got here to an finish on the final day of the season when a 3-1 defeat to Wolfsburg noticed them be part of Hannover 96 within the relegation zone. Borussia Monchengladbach started their season caught on the incorrect finish of the desk, dropping all of their opening 5 video games, resulting in the exit of head coach Lucien Favre. Below Andre Schubert, that they had a exceptional turnaround, successful the following six video games and finally ending in a Champions League place.
Hoffenheim additionally started their season with out a win of their first 5 video games – the primary season ever the place two groups had such unhealthy begins – however didn’t fare in addition to Gladbach, and ended up only one level above Eintracht Frankfurt, who have been saved through the promotion-relegation playoff.
PLAYER OF THE SEASON
HENRIKH MKHITARYAN
Armenia worldwide Mkhitaryan was concerned in 30 of Borussia Dortmund’s Bundesliga objectives, getting his identify on the scoresheet 10 occasions and organising 20 extra – only one shy of the Bundesliga assists file.
MANAGER OF THE SEASON
ANDRE SCHUBERT
Borussia Monchengladbach had not received any of their 5 video games when Schubert changed Lucien Favre in late September, however instantly turned issues round and someway guided the group to a high 4 end.
TOP GOALSCORER
ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI – 30 GOALS
The Poland worldwide completed 5 objectives forward of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and 10 forward of Bayern Munich team-mate Thomas Muller to comfortably safe his second high scorer award in three years.
TEAM OF THE SEASON
NEUER; LAHM, MATIP, HUMMELS, RODRIGUEZ; MKHITARYAN, VIDAL, WEIGL, MULLER; HERNANDEZ, LEWANDOWSKI
MOST EXPENSIVE TRANSFER
Arturo Vidal
Juventus to Bayern
€37m
KEY MOMENT OF THE SEASON
Borussia Dortmund pushed Bayern Munich shut for a lot of the season, however accrued two extra losses than their title rivals over the course of the marketing campaign. They by no means have been capable of catch up following their 5-1 thumping in Munich, the place ex-BVB stars Robert Lewandowski and Mario Gotze have been among the many objectives.
