90min

Bundesliga Round Up: Gladbach Secure Champions League Spot, Dusseldorf Relegated & Werder Bremen Face Play-Off

By Matt O'Connor-Simpson

Borussia Monchengladbach celebrate their Champions League qualification
Borussia Monchengladbach celebrate their Champions League qualification / Lars Baron/Getty Images
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Borussia Monchengladbach qualified for next season's Champions League, while Fortuna Dusseldorf were relegated by a single point on a dramatic final day in the Bundesliga. Meanwhile, Werder Bremen face the prospect of a relegation play-off to preserve their top flight status.

Going into Matchday 34, most things had already been sown up. Bayern Munich confirmed their eighth straight Bundesliga title earlier this month, and Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig were already mathematically assured to be joining them in the 2020/2021 Champions League.

A 1-0 win over Mainz was not enough to secure Bayer Leverkusen a Champions League place
A 1-0 win over Mainz was not enough to secure Bayer Leverkusen a Champions League place / Pool/Getty Images

One final top four place was still to play for though, with Gladbach enjoying a two point advantage over fifth placed Bayer Leverkusen at the start of play.

Leverkusen did what they had to do, securing a 1-0 win over Mainz courtesy of an early Kevin Volland goal, but it was not enough as Marco Rose's side registered a fairly comfortable 2-1 victory over Hertha Berlin thanks to strikes from Jonas Hofmann and Breel Embolo.

Peter Bosz's team will be joined in the Europa League next season by Hoffenheim and Wolfsburg, who edged out Freiburg by a single point.

It was a day to forget for Fortuna Dusseldorf as they were relegated from the Bundesliga
It was a day to forget for Fortuna Dusseldorf as they were relegated from the Bundesliga / Maja Hitij/Getty Images

At the wrong end of the table, Dusseldorf's fate was confirmed after they were soundly dispatched 3-0 by Union Berlin. Union were widely tipped as relegation favourites at the beginning of the season but have defied expectations by finishing 11 points clear of the drop zone.

Werder Bremen will have their fate decided in a relegation playoff against either Heidenheim or Hamburg who are fighting it out for 3rd spot in the 2. Bundesliga on Sunday. They will go into the game in good form after they romped to a 6-1 over FC Koln on Matchday 34 with Premier League target Milot Rashica impressing.

The Bundesliga becomes the first European football league to complete a full season after action across the continent was suspended due to coronavirus back in March.