Bayer Leverkusen cruised to their first ever Bundesliga title, confirming their crowning as German champions with a win against Werder Bremen.
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Leverkusen beat Werder BremenSecured first ever Bundesliga crownSit 16 points clear of BayernWHAT HAPPENED?
Leverkusen had a 13-point lead over reigning champions and nearest challengers Bayern Munich heading into Sunday's Bundesliga match. A win was enough to see them crowned league winners and Xabi Alonso's team managed to complete the task at the BayArena, taking the lead through a Victor Boniface penalty in the first half before Granit Xhaka and Florian Wirtz scored two brilliant long-range goals in the second. Wirtz added another two goals to complete his hat-trick late on and seal a comprehensive 5-0 victory for Leverkusen – sparking wild scenes of celebration.
AdvertisementGetty THE BIGGER PICTURE
The win put Leverkusen 16 points clear of Bayern Munich with five matches left to play in the 2023-24 campaign, enough to ensure they cannot be overtaken by Thomas Tuchel's faltering team. It is the first time in their history that the Werkself have managed to win the league title, ending an 11-year run of Bundesliga successes for Bayern. Despite the addition of Harry Kane, who has enjoyed a prolific debut season at Allianz Arena, Bayern will finish a distant second to Leverkusen as they prepare for the summer departure of Tuchel, though they do still have the Champions League to play for.
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Leverkusen are still unbeaten in all competitions this season. They have won 25 and drawn four of their league games this season and are still in contention to win the Europa League and DFB-Pokal. They have a 2-0 lead from the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final tie against West Ham and will meet Kaiserslautern in the final of the German Cup later this season.
GettyWHAT NEXT FOR LEVERKUSEN?
After celebrating their Bundesliga title, Leverkusen will hope to secure the treble by winning the Europa League and DFB-Pokal. They will then prepare to defend their crown next season, safe in the knowledge that coach Alonso will still be in charge despite interest from Liverpool and Bayern Munich.