In the early morning of March 9, Beijing time, the result of the 25th round of the German Bundesliga was shocking. The top three clubs – Bayern, Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund – all lost on the same day, the last time that happened was 18 years ago in 2006-07.
Bayern Munich, the leaders, suffered a disastrous comeback at home to Bologna. Although Guerrero scored twice in the first half to give Bayern a 2-0 lead, Bohon showed tenacity in the second half, scoring three times in a row to complete the comeback. Bayern also suffered a loss of personnel when Palinha was sent off for stomping, leaving the team with a man down for the rest of the game. The defeat also brought Bayern’s impressive run of 10 straight wins at home in the Bundesliga to an end.
Defending champions Bayer Leverkusen, meanwhile, failed to convert their chances. Bayer Leverkusen conceded after just seven minutes at home to Werder Bremen and was never able to get back on level terms, falling 2-0 in stoppage time. The loss is also Leverkusen in the last 23 rounds of the league’s first defeat.
Borussia Dortmund, another Bundesliga Champions League contender, was not spared. They conceded the first goal away to Augsburg, although at one point in the second half Brant scored a goal that was disallowed for offside. In the end, Dortmund lost 1-0, suffering the first defeat in the last five rounds of the league.
It is rare in Bundesliga history for three big clubs to lose on the same day. The last time that happened was in the 20th round of the 2006-07 season. Bayern Munich are eight points clear at the top of the table, with Bayer Leverkusen in second place and Borussia Dortmund in 10th place, 26 points behind.
This collective “overturn” the result of the game has undoubtedly brought new variables to the Bundesliga title situation. Although Bayern Munich still hold a large lead, there is still a chance for the pursuers such as Leverkusen to close the gap. Dortmund, on the other hand, will need to recover quickly to avoid falling further down the table.
