21: 32
All the Bayern players are sporting T-shirts with 8 on the front and 30 on the back: eight consecutive titles, 30 in total. Congratulations to them and especially their coach Hansi Flick. Thanks for your company – see you tomorrow for some Premier League action. Goodnight!
21: 26
Bayern celebrate with hugs on the pitch and fistbumps in the stands, although one of the board members got carried away and gave Karl-Heinz Rummenigge a big hug.
21: 24
BAYERN MUNICH WIN THE BUNDESLIGA!
Full time: Werder Bremen 0-1 Bayern Munich That’s it! Robert Lewandowski’s masterful first-half goal has sealed yet another title for Bayern, their eighth in a row. It was a bit tight towards the end but nobody can reasonably deny their victory – not just tonight but over the whole season. They were seventh in December and in big trouble, so they won 17 of the next 18 games to win the league at a canter. It’s a helluva story, especially for their new coach Hansi Flick. They have been awesome.
Updated
21: 20
90 min: Great save by Neuer! That was so close to a Bremen equaliser. Bartels floated a lovely ball into the area towards Osako, whose deft header was heading for the bottom corner until Neuer plunged to his right to make a superb reaction save.
Updated
21: 18
89 min Kimmich is booked for a retaliatory foul on someone.
21: 18
88 min Langkamp is booked for flattening Lewandowski. And here comes the 41-year-old Claudio Pizarro, who replaces Veljkovic.
21: 17
87 min A vital interception from Boateng, who sticks out a leg to stop Gebre Selassie’s low cross reaching the unmarked Sargent in the middle.
21: 16
86 min Bremen appeal for a penalty when Sargent’s snapshot hits the body of Boateng. The referee isn’t interested. But this is getting a little hairy for Bayern. Replays show that, while the shot did hit Boateng’s hand, his body was in a natural position.
21: 14
84 min Another Bremen change: Davy Klaassen off, Niclas Fullkrug on.
21: 12
82 min A Bayern change: Lucas Hernandez comes on for Serge Gnabry. He has gone to left-back, with Alaba moving back infield. Moments later, Coman flashes a wonderful low cross that just beats the stretching Lewandowski in the six-yard box.
21: 11
81 min Coman almost seals the title for Bayern. He twisted Veljkovic inside out on the left side of the box before whacking a low shot that hit the legs of Pavlenka and went behind for a corner.
Updated
21: 10
80 min Kimmich has dropped into the back four, with Alaba moving to left back.
21: 09
DAVIES IS SENT OFF!
79 min Bayern are down to 10 men. Alphonso Davies gets a second yellow card for a block on Veljkovic. It was fairly soft for a second yellow, but then he might have gone in the first half.
Updated
21: 07
77 min More sweeper-keeping from Neuer, who wins the ball ahead of Osako but then overruns it, which means he has to keep running and tackle a second Bremen player. No, I have no idea who it was.
21: 06
75 min “No!” says Woolie Madden. “It can’t be! I saw Pizarro on the teamsheet, and assumed it was simply a different Pizarro to the one I first encountered on ISS Pro Evolution – the precursor to Pro Evolution Soccer. His career predates Pro Evo! He began playing professionally the same summer Three Lions was in the charts! Incredible!”
21: 03
73 min Bayern look content to pass the clock down, having twigged that Bremen are almost certainly not going to score tonight.
21: 02
71 min Werder put 10 passes together for the first time in the second half. Eventually Bartels plays a good ball to find Gebre Selassie in space on the right. His dangerous cross into the six-yard box is brilliantly defended by Boateng, who gets in front of Osako to volley clear.
Updated
20: 56
66 min “Cheers Rob,” says Peter Oh. “Re: 60 min. With the title only minutes away, even a wet Flick can chill.”
I’m afraid that needs to be referred to the Guardian Contemporary Pun Committee before it can be published.
20: 55
65 min The second half has been so one-sided, even by Bayern’s standards. Bremen look like they have settled for damage limitation, which is fair enough in the cirumstances.
20: 54
64 min “Don’t forget that Bremen still have Claudio Pizarro on the bench,” says Paul. “He’s still only 41.”
I want to see him up front with Kazuyoshi Miura.
20: 52
62 min A double Bremen change: Fin Bartels and Josh Sargent replace Bittencourt and Rashica.
20: 51
61 min Pavard drags a shot into the side netting after a nice touch from Coman. It’s a matter of time.
20: 50
60 min Lewandowski misses a terrific chance, stooping to head Muller’s inswinging cross wide from eight yards. Replays show the cross took a slight touch off somebody else’s head before reaching Lewandowski, which is probably why he missed.
20: 49
60 min “If they can hold out for this last half hour it’ll be Gene Kelly weather for Bayern in Bremen,” says Justin Kavanagh. “And no chance of Herr Flick being the wally with the brolly when it starts raining beer.”
20: 49
59 min Davies’s low cross is kicked behind by Moisander. Bayern have been more focussed since half-time and are in complete control.
20: 47
58 min “Servus Rob,” says Peter Oh. “If Bayern seal the title today, will the players be allowed in to douse Hansi Flick with a bucket of beer or would that run afoul of the sanitisation rules?”
I think they can do what they like within their bubble, but I don’t think they will be able to lift the trophy or, say, give Karl-Heinz Rummenigge the bumps.
20: 46
56 min Bayern are killing Bremen with clipped passes over the defence. That disallowed goal came from a lofted angled pass from Kimmich that was cushioned across goal by Muller and finished by Lewandowski.
20: 45
55 min: Lewandowski has a goal disallowed! It was a lovely finish, flicked daintily behind his front leg at the near post, but Muller was offside in the build up.
Updated
20: 43
53 min Muller misses a chance, mistiming an awkward volley from Goretzka’s sweet pass over the defence, before shouting ‘eff!’ in frustration.
20: 41
52 min Bittencourt plays a long pass over the top for Rashica, forcing Neuer to run 30 yards from his goal to head clear. Splendid sweeper-keeping.
20: 39
49 min A slow start to the second half. It’s a strange thing to say about a team that is 1-0 down, but Bremen have a stick or twist dilemma: should they push for an equaliser or protect their goal difference with the last two games in mind? Those two games, since you asked, are Mainz away on Saturday and Cologne at home on the final day.
20: 35
46 min Peep peep! Bayern begin the second half. Bremen have made a change, with Sebastian Langkamp replacing Kevin Vogt.
20: 31
Half-time chit-chat “It might be interesting to note that the first team to achieve automatic promotion to the Bundesliga next season is Bielefeld, not Hamburg or Stuttgart, who must now compete for the runners-up position in Bundesliga 2,” says Paul. “Bremen are still aiming for the third last place in the Bundesliga together with Düsseldorf, and may well have to play off against Hamburg, if they are to avoid relegation. Hamburg and Bremen enjoy what is known as a ‘healthy rivalry’.”
Relegation/promotion playoffs with teams from two different divisions are great. I’d love to see them again in English football, though that view might not be shared by the polis.
Updated
20: 17
Half time: Werder Bremen 0-1 Bayern Munich
Peep peep! Bayern are 45 minutes from another title. They had to work very hard against a diligent, determined Bremen before Robert Lewandowski’s expertise put them ahead just before half-time. See you in 15 minutes for the second half.
20: 14
GOAL GIVEN! He was just onside. It was a masterful two-touch finish from Lewandowski, his 31st goal in the league this season. That’s a personal best.
Updated
20: 13
GOAL! Werder Bremen 0-1 Bayern Munich (Lewandowski 43)
The big man strikes. He was very close to being offside but I think it’ll be okay. A corner was half cleared to Boateng, 40 yards from goal. He floated a superb pass over the defence to Lewandowski, who took the ball down beautifully on the chest and rattled it past Pavlenka.
Updated
20: 12
41 min “That was certainly an evocative filmic rain metaphor,” says Ian Copestake. “I hope you have a list of them, including one referring to the Shawshank Redemption when the loo is blocked.”
I don’t remember that scene, although I haven’t watched Shawshank in about 20 years. I’d forgotten that it was a gross-out comedy.