Borussia Dortmund rounded off a disappointing Bundesliga season with a 3-2 win over Werder Bremen, giving coach Jurgen Klopp a winning send-off.
Goals from Shinji Kagawa and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang helped Dortmund into an early 2-0 lead in front of a carnival atmosphere at Signal Iduna Park.
However, Bremen threw themselves a lifeline through Levin Oztunali, before Henrikh Mkhitaryan restored Dortmund's two-goal lead shortly before the break.
Theodor Gebre Selassie reduced the arrears on 85 minutes, but the hosts held on. Die Borussen finish the season in seventh, while the visitors finish in 10th.
Relive the action with Sports Mole's minute-by-minute updates below.
Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen and thanks for joining us on an emotional day at Signal Iduna Park. Danke schoen is the theme of the day as the magnificent Südtribüne - the Yellow Wall - prepares to bid auf wiedersehen to beloved Borussia Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp in what promises to be a spectacular send-off. Oh, and Werder Bremen are here too.
Yep, the charismatic, long-haired, spectacle-wearing German, who looks a little like one of the baddies in the first Die Hard (the one who gets thrown down a flight of stairs by Bruce Willis and then sellotaped to an office chair) will experience the carnival atmosphere at this famous stadium once last time before riding off into the sunset. #Kleenex
With two Bundesliga titles and one DFB-Pokal - another could follow when Dortmund face Wolfsburg in Berlin next week - it is safe to say that Klopp has been a success at Westfalenstadion, right? Just about, yes. The man with a penchant for heavy metal music has had this place rocking for seven years, bobbing his head and making devil horns with his index and pinky all the way through. And now, sadly, it's time for his encore.
One of the reasons behind his departure, Klopp admitted, is that he was no longer the "perfect coach" for Borussia Dortmund following a turbulent season.
Believe it or not, but Dortmund came into 2015 level on points with bottom-of-the-table Freiburg after a truly horrific first half of the season. It is fair to say that Klopp has turned things around and fears of relegation subsided, as Die Borussen now sit seventh, with a shot at salvaging Europa League football up for grabs today, but their form is still a far cry from what they were producing prior to this season.
Anyways, let's crack on with a bit of team news, shall we? Why not. But first, let's remind ourselves why Klopp - a man who Hamburg passed over for Martin Jol in 2008 because he wore a tracksuit to the job interview - is so adored on these parts with Baron von Borsig's Kloppo du Popstar. Enjoy.
DORTMUND XI: Durm, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer - Gündogan, Kehl - Mkhitaryan, Kagawa, Reus - Aubameyang
BREMEN XI: Casteels; Theo, Luki, Vestergaard, Sternberg, Kroos, Juno, Busch, Bartels, Öztunali, DiSanto
DORTMUND SUBS: Langerak, Papastathpopoulos, Bender, Kampl, Immobile, Piszczek
BREMEN SUBS: Wolf, Prodl, Hajrovic, Von Haacke, Aycicek, Lorenzen, Makiadi
Right, let's start with the hosts and I can tell you that Klopp, who we thought would have one eye on next week's Pokal final, brings back a few of his heavy hitters with three changes from the 2-1 defeat to Wolfsburg.
Firstly, Roman Weidenfeller replaces Mitch Langerak between the sticks, while Mats Hummels displaces Sokratis Papastathopoulos. There's also room for Marco Reus in attack, with the playmaker coming in for Kevin Kampl.
Incidentally, it is also Sebastian Kehl's final home game for Dortmund, with the 35-year-old retiring at the end of the season after 14 years of service. So good luck to him.
On to Bremen now and Viktor Skrypnyk, whose name I can pronounce in real life, makes three changes from the 2-0 defeat to Monchengladbach. Assani Lukimya, Felix Kroos and Marnon Busch come into the side in place of Sebastian Prodl, Philipp Bargfrede and Davie Selke and that's your lot!
So, what's up for grabs on the final day of the Bundesliga for these two sides then? Well both can mathematically qualify for the Europa League - though one team's chances is significantly better than the other. Let's have a quick look at why, my friends.
Firstly, Dortmund, who sit seventh, need Augsburg - who sit three points ahead - to lose away to Borussia Monchengladbach, coupled with victory over their visitors today, and that would be enough to see Klopp's side salvage a route into Europe's secondary competition next season.
On to Bremen now and they've got about as much chance of making the Europa League as Raheem Sterling does of accepting minimum wage sadly.
Skrypnyk's men, who sit behind Dortmund on goal difference, need to beat their hosts and hope Monchengladbach defeat Augsburg. However, they also need a 12-goal swing in the process. Stranger things have happened, apart from the fact they haven't....
80700 - The average amount of handkerchiefs to be used at the Signal Induna Park by @BVB fans today. Klopp
— OptaFutbal (@OptaFutbal) May 23, 2015
Here's a minor example of what kinda atmosphere we can expect this afternoon - but we're still about 20 minutes from kickoff! This will be cranked waaaaaaaaaaaaaay up during the clash, folks.
Jürgen Klopp! #bvbsvw #dankekloppo https://t.co/IS8A9ubTNq
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) May 23, 2015
Let's have a quick look at both teams' form coming into this one, shall we? Why not. Link my arm as we stroll together down memory lane, my friends.
Dortmund come into this one on the back of a 2-1 defeat at Wolfsburg in perhaps a dress rehearsal for next week's Pokal final. It was their first loss in five games, having beaten Hertha Berlin, Frankfurt and Paderborn in recent weeks to reduce the damage of their early-season horror show and move into contention for the Europa League.
Likewise, Bremen also suffered defeat last week after losing 2-0 at home to Borussia Monchengladbach - also their first loss in five outings. Bremen won the reverse fixture 2-1 back in December and, given how there's seemingly little to choose between the sides, don't rule out another close affair here folks.
Klopp is giving an interview right now, but it's in German so unless he says the word 'sausage' or 'six' then I can't relay much unfortunately.
'Jump' by Van Halen echoes around Signal Iduna Park now. I wonder why...
© Getty Images
© Getty Images
PREDICTION: Right, we're about three minutes from kickoff so let's do what we always do and get a prediction wrong, shall we? Fair enough, and I'm on a 2-2 draw this afternoon folks. I think Dortmund have a vastly superior team out there, but none of them will want to exert to much energy and risk injury, with the Pokal final just seven days away.
Right, both sets of players enter the field now, with Dortmund led by Sebastian Kehl. The Südtribüne raises a massive, massive, MASSIVE photo of Klopp, which is flanked by the words 'Danke' and 'Jurgen' on either side. Did I say carnival atmosphere earlier? That's an understatement.
KICKOFF: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we're off at Signal Iduna Park, my friends. Dortmund get us underway. With the spectacle of Klopp's final home game taking centre stage, it's easy to forget that the hosts need to win in order to have a chance of reaching the Europa League. Stay tuned.
CHANCE! And they look determined to reach Europe's second tier, as Henrikh Mkhitaryan pulls away from Assani Lukimya to reach Reus's ball, before his angled effort was beaten away by Koen Casteels. Fine start by the hosts.
I was going to say that Werder's front line could pose problems today, before remembering that their front line is spearheaded by Franco Di Santos. The less said about him the better...but he's had a good season in his defence.
Bremen haven't actually looked bad going forward. Zlatko Zanuzovic helps fashion a slick one-touch passing move, but he's offside and had Di Santos converted his cut back it wouldn't have counted.
OFF THE POST! Wow. Talk about slick one-touching passing - what a goal this would've been! And it was Dortmund, as Kagawa's brilliant over-the-top ball is reached by Reus, whose first-time pass is cannoned off the post from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from close range. Probably should've scored to be fair.
Shinji Kagawa has looked really dangerous in this number 10 role thus far. He's played one or two fantastic passes to carve open Bremen's defence, and there was another one just then but Casteels is quick off his line to reach it before Aubameyang.
OVER THE BAR: Mats Hummels, recalled to the first XI today, plants a header narrowly over the crossbar from Mkhitaryan's corner.
GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dortmund 1-0 Werder Bremen (Shinji Kagawa)
We've got lift off on Jurgen Klopp's final home game as Dortmund boss as the Japanese international capitalises on a suicidal pass by Janiik Vestergaard before dancing through a few challenges and firing past Casteels. Too easy, but Dortmund won't care.
GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dortmund 2-0 Werder Bremen (Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang)
What a brilliant start from Dortmund and it gets much better, as Kagawa and Aubameyang exchange a slick one-two, before the latter shrugs Gebre Selassie out of the way and slotting past Casteels. Good, clincal finish from the Gabon international there.
Bremen's defence aren't at it this afternoon. They're giving Aubameyang far too much space, and anybody faster than Usain Bolt over 30 metres is trouble, isn't he? Yet, Bremen haven't wised up yet. Two relatively soft goals from a defensive perspective and their Europa League hopes are all but dead in the water now.
GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dortmund 2-1 Werder Bremen (Levin Oztunali)
Game on at Signal Iduna Park, as Levin Oztunali reduces the arrears with a fine goal. It's an excellent prodded pass from Busch, but the Bremen winger still had plenty to do. He turns Hummels brilliantly inside the box before lashing a right-footed shot past Weidenfeller, who had no chance. Barely a smile from coach Viktor Skrypnyk, who remains slumped in his dugout.
CHANCE! This is a chance and Aubameyang probably should've done better. Gundogan floats a wonderful ball into the box, and Aubameyang, with just Casteels to beat, executes a really tame header and it drops wide of the mark. There is a big question mark over Aubameyang in areas like that and, well, you can see why, despite his well-taken second goal.
SHOT! Sebastian Kehl, who's also bidding goodbye to Signal Iduna Park today, looks to mark his departure in style, but his poorly-struck shot is comfortably gathered by Casteels.
It's still 0-0 between Monchengladbach and Augsburg, meaning that Dortmund stay outside the Europa League places by a point.
Di Santo is down on the ground after colliding with Weidenfeller in a one-on-one. It was a lunge from the Dortmund keeper, who got the ball and the man, but the former Wigan man is back up now and seems okay.
Excellent defending from Lukimya here as the Bremen centre-half gets a crucial header to prevent Aubameyang from tapping home another great cross from Kagawa. The Japanese has been the stand-out player in this half.
CHANCE! Reus, without a goal in nine outings, misses a decent chance to end his goal drought, placing Kagawa's cut-back pass straight into the hands of Casteels. Should be 3-1.
UPDATE: It's 1-0 to Monchengladbach over Augsburg, meaning that Dortmund, as it stands, are going to finish sixth and secure the Europa League spot.
GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dortmund 3-1 Bremen (Henrikh Mkhitaryan)
Brilliant goal, but where was Bremen's defence AGAIN! Kagawa plays a sublime volleyed pass to Mkhitaryan, who was in an acre of space, and the Armenian simply gallops through with Casteels before nonchalantly clipping the ball over him to restore the hosts' two-goal lead. Fine finish.
ONE MINUTE ADDED ON:
HALF TIME: Borussia Dortmund 3-1 Werder Bremen
That's all she wrote in this half, my friends. Dortmund, with a 3-1 first-half lead, are well on course for the Europa League thanks to goals from Shinji Kagawa, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. They're cruising into Europe's second tier as we stand.
With two assists and a goal, there can be no doubt that the man of the first half was Shinji Kagawa. He's had an excellent first 45 minutes. Bremen just haven't been able to get near the diminutive Japanese international at all.
Here's the brilliant Klopp mural that I poorly described shortly before kickoff. Then again, words are not needed.
© Getty Images
© Getty Images
RESTART: Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we're back underway at Signal Iduna Park. Bremen, who trail 3-1, and sit 10th as it stands, kick us off once more. Let's go.
Little to report in the early stages of this second half. Dortmund bossing possession, and their fans still warming up their vocal chords for next week's Pokal final with Wolfsburg in Berlin, but no chances as of yet.
Good defending from Vestergaard, who cuts out Reus's pass to prevent Aubameyang from tapping home his second and Dortmund's fourth of the afternoon. Dortmund still in full control.
SHOT! Reus has looked lively in this half as he chases a first goal in nine games, but the wait goes on as the winger's snap-shot volley is gathered by Casteels.
Bremen looked resigned to their fate this afternoon. They're 3-1 down, one goal could change it, but they don't look bothered at all unfortunately. If Dortmund don't won this comfortably it'll be a major surprise.
SHOT! Just as I write that, Fin Bartels has Bremen's first shot of the half, but it doesn't really test Weidenfeller and Dortmund survive. Maybe they can build on that opportunity.
Half-an-hour to play and chances still at a premium, my friends. It remains 1-0 Monchengladbach's visit of Augsburg so, as it stands, Klopp's men are cruising into the Europa League.
CLOSE! This isn't far away at all from Aubameyang, who looks to break the second-half deadlock with an audacious overhead from Reus's cross, but it's narrowly over the bar. Decent attempt all the same.
CHANCES! Oh god how did Aubameyang miss this? The Gabonese international looks certain to tap home Reus's fizzing ball from close range, but he miscues and the ball falls to Mkhitaryan, who then strikes off the bar from close range. Should be at least 4-1, my friends, but Dortmund getting better.
It's a good spell by Dortmund this but still toiling in the final third. Nothing doing at the moment.
Really good defending from right-back Erik Durm, who reads Oztunali's intention to play in Di Santo and cuts out the pass with an excellent slide tackle. Super stuff from Durm.
I can confirm that Dortmund remain in sixth on goal difference ahead of Augsburg, who are losing 1-0 to Borussia Monchengladbach.
DORTMUND SUB: Klopp makes his first sub now as Ciro Immobile replaces Marco Reus, who Klopp is surely protecting ahead of the DFB-Pokal final next week.
SHOT! Still 3-1, as Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang lashes a curling effort over the bar. It was never going in.
DORTMUND SUB: The hosts make their second substitute now as the excellent Shinji Kagawa, after grabbing two assists and a goal, makes way for Milos Jojic. 10 minutes left and this one is kinda petering out unfortunately.
GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dortmund 3-2 Werder Bremen (Theodor Gebre Selassie)
Now then. Game on for the last few minutes as Gebre Selassie reduces the arrears by tapping home Januzovic's fizzing free kick. Let's go!
SUB: Sebastian Kehl makes an emotional farewell to the Signal Iduna Park crowd after 14 years here. He's retiring at the end of the season, and he's replaced by Sven Bender just now.
Bremen haven't done much since grabbing a second to be fair. They're still second best and haven't had many chances to grab the all-important equaliser.
THREE MINUTES ADDED ON:
FULL TIME: Borussia Dortmund 3-2 Werder Bremen
That's all she wrote, my friends. Dortmund give Klopp a winning send-off at Signal Iduna Park with a 3-2 win over Werder Bremen to seal their Europa League place.
Anywho, that's it from us, folks. Thanks for joining our live commentary and hopefully you've enjoyed our end-of-season coverage this afternoon. The final day of the Premier League is tomorrow and we'll be back for that. Until then, see you folks.
Written by
Shane Callaghan
Shane Callaghan
