The final day of the Bundesliga season and the usual questions were being asked.
Would you need a second screen or even a third and fourth to follow all the action?
Perhaps the title race on the big TV, relegation on the laptop, Champions League spots on the tablet and Europa League places on your phone?
There was the potential for more Bundesliga highlights than you could shake a stick at.
The scenario was simple – Borussia Dortmund knew victory at home to Mainz would mean a first Bundesliga title in 11 years,
That would mean even a Bayern Munich success at Cologne would not be enough to secure an 11th straight title win for the Bavarians.
Union Berlin were in the box seat for the fourth and final Champions League spot (RB Leipzig are in third) and knew they would clinch it with victory at home to Werder Bremen (mission accomplished) – that is, unless Freiburg went goal crazy at Eintracht Frankfurt (they didn’t).
Talking of Leipzig, Schalke’s solitary season back in the top flight would come to an end unless they won there and hoped both Stuttgart and VFL Bochum slipped up.
While Stuttgart could be forgiven for thinking Hoffenheim, now safe from the drop, would ease up, Bochum could hold no such hopes against Bayer Leverkusen, themselves clinging on for the sixth and final Europa League spot with Wolfsburg – at home to rock bottom Hertha Berlin – right on their heels. Amazingly, both lost as Leverkusen hung onto sixth spot.
Of all the permutations, the main focus, of course, was at the top end.
Kehl was captain of the side which won the title in 2012, then managed by Jurgen Klopp, and the prevailing decade has since seen the club lose many of its leading talents, often directly to their rivals which has dominated German football.
This was too good an opportunity to miss.
Before anyone reminds me, this position was very unexpected to me.
From the moment Thomas Tuchel oversaw a 4-1 Bayern victory against Dortmund last month to move to the summit, I thought the title race was a done deal.
And why wouldn’t I.
Bayern had not lost at home to Dortmund in the Bundesliga since April 2014 – winning their last nine – and the SBOTOP Bundesliga betting odds made them firm favourites.
Yet I reckoned without something else.
A collective will and a character which has seen them recover from setbacks.
Dortmund went top following a 10-game unbeaten start to 2023, including nine wins.
When they were comfortably beaten in Munich, they returned to winning ways against then third-placed Union.
They then looked to be heading level on points with Bayern, until surrendering 2-0 and 3-2 leads in a dramatic encounter with relegation-threatened 10-man VfB Stuttgart.
Still though, they have shown a resolve to bounce back and surprise defeats for Bayern, at Mainz and last week at home to Leipzig, has ensured they have taken advantage.
Chasing a 12th successive win at home, Dortmund were also meeting opponents who were, in the words of their own coach, going to enjoy themselves – probably the last thing Bayern wanted to hear.
This was the moment for Edin Terzic and his men; Dortmund’s day of destiny; and they were not found wanting.
I doubt anyone would have thought this at the start of the season.
This was Dortmund post Erling Haaland, the Norwegian whose goals (62 in 67 league games] were not even enough to fire them to title success.
This was Dortmund who started the campaign with his replacement, Sebastien Haller, being diagnosed with testicular cancer in July.
That he has managed to return to professional football is a truly wonderful story in itself.
That he has returned following six months of surgeries and chemotherapy and has contributed seven goals in his past nine games for the club is the stuff of dreams which needed a dream ending.
It didn’t get it.
Dortmund has won their last 11 Bundesliga games at home but when they needed a 12th to equal their club-record run, they were found wanting.
2-0 down after 24 minutes and with a missed penalty to boot, they showed character to claw back and drew level courtesy of Nicklas Sule’s 96th minute strike.
Yet an 89th minute winner from Jamal Musiala gave Bayern victory at Cologne and goal difference did the rest.
Moments later, Bayern partied like there was no tomorrow; like the serial champions they are.
Meanwhile, Dortmund players slumped to the turf as they became the first team since 2000 to lead the table at the start of the final day but not enjoy the ultimate success.
Scarcely believable and a moment this club could take years to get over.
Bayern are champions again!
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