Bundesliga: Borussia Dortmund secure Champions League spot
Borussia Dortmund have officially secured UEFA Champions League football for next season with a 3-1 win over Mainz on Sunday evening.
Following a double apiece in the DFB-Pokal triumph over RB Leipzig, Erling Braut Haaland and Jadon Sancho featured as Dortmund recalled Thomas Meunier and Giovanni Reyna too.
It was exactly a minute from the midway stage when the Black and Yellow made the opening after Raphael Guerreiro met a delivery from Sancho to apply a bottom-corner finish.
Einfach mal: D-A-N-K-E! 💛 pic.twitter.com/Uoi693xsop
— POKALSIEGER 2021 (@BVB) May 16, 2021
A second followed four minutes towards halftime when a shot from the centre of the area by Marco Reus following a pass from Sancho went beyond goalkeeper Finn Dahmen.
Opportunities for a third came to the fore as the interval loomed, but Manuel Akanji, Haaland and Jude Bellingham let it all fall by the wayside.
Bo Svensson entered the second half with two substitutions in Robin Quaison for Robert Glatzel before Danny da Costa made way for Edimilson Fernandes.
The introductions sparked energy as Karim Onisiwo closed-in with a strike from a promising area to Quaison directing a ball from Daniel Brosinski at goalkeeper Roman Burki.
Brosinski decided to have a go himself as the midway stage of the second approached, but he went way over from a promising position before Burki saved a shot from Danny Latza.
We're in. pic.twitter.com/JMoZngJPyV
— DFB-POKAL CHAMPIONS 2021 (@BlackYellow) May 16, 2021
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Dortmund had a third with ten minutes to go after substitute Julian Brandt met a ball from Haaland to find the bottom-left corner from a smart area.
The Black and Yellow gave the host a consolation from the penalty spot following a handball in the area by Thorgan Hazard at the death.
Quaison stepped up and converted, but it was too little too late as Dortmund ran out winners to go third on the league table.