dpa
Berlin
Bayern Munich have qualified to next season’s Champions League with a 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, while RB Leipzig’s hopes to secure a spot in the tournament were boosted after a 4-1 thrashing of Borussia Dortmund.
Leipzig were hosting Dortmund and fell behind in the 20th minute after they failed to clear the ball and it fell to Jadon Sancho, who broke the deadlock for the guests.
But the hosts got the equalizer just three minutes later, after a video assistant review confirmed Lois Openda’s goal from a stunning cross from Xavi Simons.
They had a penalty call overturned in the 31st, but took the lead when Benjamin Sesko forced a rebound from Xaver Schlager into the net shortly before the break.
Mohamed Simakan in the 46th and Christoph Baumgartner in the 80th secured Leipzig the important three points.
“The result is just right, we are glad that we won and are just happy. We are in a good mood at the moment, we are playing well and when we win, it is especially fun,” Schlager said.
Leipzig are fourth, the last spot for the Champions League, and now five points ahead of fifth-placed Dortmund.
“Today was a step in the wrong direction. It hurts a lot to concede four goals and lost this game. In such games, we have to give more,” Dortmund keeper Gregor Kobel told broadcasters Sky.
Dortmund are in the semi-finals of this season’s tournament against Paris Saint-Germain and could also qualify if they win the title.
In Munich, Harry Kane slotted the ball into the net to give Bayern the lead against Frankfurt in the ninth minute after Konrad Laimer did all the hard work and left three defenders behind.
But the visitors hit back in the 23rd with Hugo Ekitiké, who just on Friday signed a permanent deal with the club.
Kane and Bayern, however, had the final word and the England forward scored the winner from the spot int he 61st after Robin Koch elbowed Thomas Müller.
With the result and Dortmund’s defeat, Bayern qualified for the Champions League with three games remaining. The Bavarians are also in the semi-finals this year and will face Real Madrid on Tuesday.
Bayern board member for sport Max Eberl said the club won’t make any decision about who will replace departing coach Thomas Tuchel in summer until after the Madrid game.
“The next 2-3 days it’s all about Real Madrid. Christoph (Freund, sporting director) and I will simultaneously try to make things clear in the background. But as of now there will be no decision before the first leg against Real Madrid,” he said.
Kane, meanwhile, scored his 42nd goal in his 42nd competitive game for Bayern, beating his previous personal best of 41 goals in a single campaign with Tottenham in 2017-18.
Elsewhere, Wolfsburg claimed a late 2-1 against 10-man Freiburg, who missed a penalty in the 87th.
