Bayern Munich lifts the Bundesliga again. Photo: Getty Images.

Bayern Munich emerged from nothing, from the failure to which it aimed the day before, to maintain, suddenly, its irreducible hegemony of the Bundesliga, champion for the thirty-second time and, above all, for the eleventh consecutive season, when it perceived it unlikely, when nobody believed in the defeat or the draw of Borussia Dortmund, not even in its victory in Cologne, when Jamal Musiala unpredictably crowned him on the verge of the end with a great goal when he had been on the field for five minutes.

Everything happened. At the Signal Iduna Park, in the territory where Borussia had won their last eleven games uninterruptedly, with 13 wins in the most recent 14 days in front of their public, Mainz promoted, essential, the already unexpected title of Thomas Tuchel's team, with a 2-2 draw in Dortmund that circumscribed Bayern to a simple victory that completed in the 89th minute the German international, after the 1-1 of Cologne in the 82 penalty. Against the horns, Bayern survived.

Because, in the last 90 minutes of the rollercoaster that has been the competition for the leadership of this Bundesliga campaign, Bayern was champion for more than 85. He didn't depend on himself. He wasn't even worth the draw. Nor the triumph if there was no defeat of Borussia. He did not give up his efforts, no matter how complex the matter seemed. On the verge of the 8th minute, with 0-0 in Dortmund, he was already winning 0-1.

A great goal from Kingsley Coman. The precise counterattack, emerged almost in his area, derived on the left side of the French winger: he accommodated the ball with his left, faced his opponent, gave two touches with the right to open the space towards the center and invented a parable out of the reach of the goalkeeper, above, to the other post, with the right hand to transfer all the responsibility, all nerves, to Borussia Dortmund, who failed under such circumstances.

Bayern was already partial champion then, with the 0-0 on the other ground. Even more, when, at quarter of an hour, the 0-1 of Mainz was known at the Signal Iduna Park. And, even more, when, after a missed penalty by Sebastian Haller for Dortmund, the news came to Cologne of 0-2. The noise was an unmistakable sign that the original faith was already enthusiasm, as close as the title saw. Either Dortmund scored three goals, or Cologne scored one... Or he was a champion.

The minutes passed in his favor. Without frights in their defense, without more news from Dortmund, with the 0-2 in their favor canceled to Leroy Sané by a hand in the course of the play that defined after perfectly inside the area (the referee's review of the monitor then invalidated the action), Bayern entered and left the dressing room at the head of the Bundesliga, 45 minutes to repeat as champion, half-time to save the course.

Out of the Champions League in the quarterfinals, devoured by the powerful Manchester City; eliminated by Freiburg in that same round of the German Cup and winner only until the start of the last day of the German Super Cup, back in the summer, even with Julian Nagelsmann on his bench, not having conquered the Bundesliga would have enlarged the disappointment (or the fiasco) to unbecoming heights in this team, who decided to change his previous coach for Thomas Tuchel just on March 24.

It would not have been the best way to believe in a project that goes until 2025 (until then, the coach has signed), which gains credit and time, while facing a probable review around its squad, but as champion of the Bundesliga. It would not be the same, far from it, to have lost the German summit, although it has dominated it all decade.

Jamal Musiala celebrates after scoring Bayern Munich's winning goal against Cologne. Photo: Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images.

On the edge of the precipice Bayern played, first with that minimum 1-0 (the tie was not worth it, even if Dortmund was defeated), with some sporadic occasion, with the passage of minutes as the best symptom for him, but, at the same time, exposed to a goal from Cologne that deprived him of everything, that left him with nothing, as threatened by a stubborn Selke and as solved Sommer, who returned to clear another corner with a magnificent hand.

There was still half an hour left. Tuchel despaired. Bayern played with fire. The German coach, who replaced Müller, gave entry to Cancelo and reinforced his defense to transform it into a more populated structure of three central and two laners. Then, Dortmund scored the 1-2, the coach insisted with two other changes (Choupo Moting for Coman and Goretzka for Gravenberch), the sprinklers jumped in a local attack, another corner was finished off again by Cologne ... And everything was still in the air.

Bayern, with a chance from Choupo Moting... And in resistance mode, destroyed with a penalty by a hand of Gnabry, with the arm too open, with the VAR attentive to direct inside, to the maximum penalty, what the referee had seen outside. Dejan Ljubicic converted the penalty in the 80th minute. Another twist for the Bundesliga. Until Musiala handed down his sentence. He entered in '85, he scored in '89. A great goal for the eleventh Bundesliga in a row. The most unforeseen. A surprise party in Cologne.

(Taken from ESPN)