I will begin and end with congratulations.
The Bundesliga has long been over and we should begin by offering congratulations to runaway champions Bayern Munich.
To win a 10th consecutive title – a feat that was confirmed when they eased to victory over second-placed Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker a fortnight ago – was special indeed and shows how Julian Nagelsmann’s side have once again dominated domestic rivals.
From the start the Bavarians set the pace and, although neutrals were willing on Dortmund to make a challenge, it rarely looked like materialising.
Of course, that is not a criticism of a club which has seen Bayern pick off its best players for almost a decade now and the gap is clear.
In fact, it will probably increase next season with Dortmund’s hottest property, Erling Braut Haaland, reportedly closing in on a move to Manchester City.
The 21-year-old starlet has hit 21 league goals in 22 top-flight matches this season and, if he departs, it will only increase the gap to a team who would need an almighty collapse not to begin next term as title favourites with the SBOTOP Bundesliga betting odds.
A word also for Thomas Muller, who became the first player to win 11 Bundesliga titles.
In all, Bayern have won their previous five championships by a combined 64 points and this latest success underlines a gulf in class their challengers must somehow find a way to close.
Domestically, Bayern remain untouchable, although they are still unable to replicate the success they enjoyed in winning Europe’s elite club competition in 2020.
Their quarter-final defeat to Villarreal was particularly poor and a real missed opportunity.
With the title wrapped up in good time and Dortmund comfortably in second place, the race for the two remaining Champions League spots has heated up and three goals in the final 17 minutes on Saturday secured a berth for Bayer Leverkusen – surprise finalists in 2002.
They trailed Hoffenheim 2-1 before two goals in four minutes from Moussa Diaby and Patrik Schick turned the contest on its head
Lucas Alario completed their quickfire Bundesliga 2022 highlights in stoppage time.
The race for the fourth and final spot could hardly be closer.
Union Berlin’s victory at Freiburg has moved them within a point of the fourth-placed team, as well as opened the door for RB Leipzig.
They seemed set to miss out after their hopes of qualifying via the Europa League ended at a raucous Glasgow on Thursday night.
However, avoid defeat against Augsburg n Sunday and they will be back in the top four with one match remaining.
Cologne’s chances are over, however, after a 1-0 reverse at home to Wolfsburg, earned by Yannick Gerhardt’s close-range finish a minute before the break.
All is not lost though as Cologne’s place in Europe next season has been confirmed after their Rhine rivals Leverkusen defeated Hoffenheim to ensure the Billy Goats are certain to finish inside the top seven.
It’s potentially just as close at the bottom.
An 89th-minute own goal pushed Arminia Bielefeld closer to the trapdoor on Friday night as they went down 2-1 at Bochum.
That sealed second-from-bottom Bielefeld’s 10th consecutive game without a victory – eight of those defeats – to leave the team relying on a favour from Bayern Munich against Stuttgart to have any chance of survival going into the final weekend.
A Stuttgart win in Munich would confirm Bielefeld’s eighth relegation from the top tier, joining already relegated Greuther Fürth in the second division.
The unfortunate George Bello could do little to avoid scoring the decisive goal after Stefan Moreno saved Simon Zoller’s shot before the rebound came off the American defender’s left leg and over the line.
The final word of the day – and another congratulations – goes to Schalke who will be back in the top flight next season after a one-year absence.
Their relegation from the Bundesliga last term was a painful moment for the fiercely loyal fans of a club that developed the likes of World Cup winners Manuel Neuer, Mesut Özil and Julian Draxler, flying winger Leroy Sane and midfielder Leon Goretzka.
This is a very different side now to the one which went down with 13 of the top 18 appearance-makers for Schalke in Bundesliga 2 this term enjoying a maiden season at the club.
They came from behind against fellow promotion chasers St. Pauli as a Simon Terodde double and a further strike from Rodrigo Zalazar sending Die Knappen up with a 3-2 success.
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