05/04/25 01:21:00
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05/04 13:19 CDT Harry Kane finally wins his first career title as Bayern Munich
becomes Bundesliga champion
Harry Kane finally wins his first career title as Bayern Munich becomes
Bundesliga champion
By CIARAN FAHEY
AP Sports Writer
BERLIN (AP) --- The "curse" has been lifted.
Harry Kane can finally celebrate his first career title after Bayern Munich
became Bundesliga champion with a little help from Freiburg on Sunday.
Freiburg drew with second-placed Bayer Leverkusen 2-2 to leave Bayern an
unassailable eight points clear of the 2024 champion with two rounds of the
German league remaining.
Kane had never won a title in a career of runner-up finishes and individual top
scorer awards with Tottenham and England, leading some to speak of a "curse"
against a player considered one of the world's best forwards.
Kane was ready to celebrate Saturday when Bayern looked set to win 3-2 in
Leipzig. But Yussuf Poulsen equalized with the last kick of the game for
Leipzig to draw 3-3 and postpone Bayern's party for one day at least.
"Next week, Harry!" teammate Thomas Mller wrote on Instagram.
He didn't have to wait that long.
Leverkusen played without conviction in Freiburg, knowing that second place was
already secured and that it only had a mathematical chance of defending its
title with Bayern having a far superior goal difference.
Maximilian Eggestein fired the home team ahead before the break and an own-goal
from Piero Hincapie after it put Freiburg firmly in control.
Leverkusen had to wait till the 82nd minute for Florian Wirtz to pull one back
with his team's first shot on target. Jonathan Tah equalized with the next in
stoppage time, but it made no difference for the new league champion.
It's Bayern's record-extending 34th German championship including the first for
the club in 1932. All the others came after the Bundesliga's formation in 1963.
Champions League fight heats up
Freiburg's draw kept it fourth in the final place for Champions League
qualification, just a point ahead of a resurgent Borussia Dortmund and two
ahead of Leipzig.
Only the top four teams qualify for Europe's premier club competition.
Earlier, Holstein Kiel boosted its hopes of avoiding the drop with a 3-1 win at
Augsburg. It moved Kiel one point behind Heidenheim, which occupies the
relegation playoff place. Kiel next plays Freiburg, then Dortmund.
Eintracht Frankfurt played at Mainz later Sunday.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
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