- Beaten Man Utd only lacking good fortune, claims Ten Hag
- Postecoglou says Spurs out-battled in Crystal Palace loss
- EU urges Georgia vote probe as ex-president calls for mass protests
- Malinin wins Skate Canada for North American Grand Prix double
- Mpetshi Perricard powers to 'amazing' first ATP 500 title in Basel
- Bayern thump Bochum to retake top spot
- West Ham pile more pressure on Ten Hag, Palmer fires Chelsea to victory
- Balotelli set for Italy return with injury-hit strugglers Genoa
- Japan ruling coalition projected to miss majority in election
- Netanyahu declares Iran strike a success as Israel pounds Lebanon, Gaza
- Draper holds off Khachanov for first ATP 500 title in Vienna
- Left seeks to unseat conservative in Uruguay president vote
- 'Failing' Judge vows to dig Yankees out of World Series hole
- Leon Marchand savours break from post-Olympics glare
- Ex-president of Bolivia says 14 shots fired at his car
- Netanyahu hails 'precise' strike on Iran as Israel pounds Lebanon, Gaza
- Steen Olsen wins World Cup opener as Hirscher wows on comeback
- Georgia thrown into political turmoil after disputed vote
- Japan ruling party projected to miss majority in election
- Philippines death toll from Tropical Storm Trami rises to 110
- Syria Kurd force denies links to Ankara attack as Turkey strikes
- Thousands turn out for Thai royal barge pageantry
- Mbappe and Real Madrid shaken by Clasico thrashing
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- Centre-left tipped to take power as Lithuanians vote
- Israel pounds Gaza and Lebanon after Iran strikes
- Left-field thought and patio heaters: How Pakistan turned series on head
- Bagnaia wins wet Thai MotoGP to close gap on title rival Martin
- 'Olympus has fallen': India fears end of an era after New Zealand loss
- Bagnaia wins wet Thai MotoGP ahead of title rival Martin
- Olympic champion Zheng hails consistency after Pan Pacific Open win
- Red-hot Yin Ruoning secures LPGA Malaysia title with flawless 65
- Echavarria birdies final hole to win PGA Tour's Zozo Championship
- Lithuanians vote in runoff as centre-left tipped to take power
- Trump takes election pitch to storied New York arena
- James triple-double helps Lakers hold off Kings, Clippers down Nuggets
- Olympic champion Zheng wins in Tokyo for third title of year
- Death toll in Philippine storm rises to 100
- Ohtani suffers shoulder injury in Dodgers win
- Ohtani injury scare as Dodgers down Yankees to take 2-0 World Series lead
- Ohtani suffers partial shoulder dislocation in Dodgers win: team
- Rare Sahara floods bring Morocco's dried-up south back to life
- Dodgers down Yankees 4-2 to take 2-0 World Series lead
- Far right tipped to gain ground as jaded Bulgarians vote again
- Dodgers' Ohtani injured in World Series win
- China's second-generation factory owners go digital to combat challenges
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- Israel's Netanyahu hoping for Trump triumph
- Powell pours in 37 to spark NBA Clippers over Jokic-led Denver
Leverkusen win first Bundesliga crown, breaking Bayern's 11-year run
Bayer Leverkusen lifted the Bundesliga title for the first time in their 120-year history on Sunday, a 5-0 victory over Werder Bremen breaking Bayern Munich's 11-year stranglehold on the German top flight.
Xabi Alonso's Leverkusen knew victory would secure the title with five games to spare, but there were no signs of nerves in a dominant performance.
A hat-trick from Florian Wirtz and goals from Victor Boniface and Granit Xhaka extended their unbeaten run to a stunning 43 games in all competitions.
Leverkusen's maiden title, coming after five second-place finishes in their history, keeps their dream of a remarkable treble alive while shedding their unwanted 'Neverkusen' nickname for good.
With 10 minutes to go, the long-suffering fans began making their way to the sidelines and a few jumped the gun, storming the pitch with the match still ongoing.
Leverkusen's players ushered the fans back and some obliged, albeit briefly, with the stands swiftly emptying on the 90-minute mark as tearful fans made their way onto the grass to celebrate with the players.
Leverkusen are now on 79 points -- the best tally after 29 games in German league history -- and are 16 clear of second-placed Bayern and third-placed Stuttgart.
The Leverkusen bus arrived at the stadium 90 minutes before kick-off, wading through a sea of fans clad in black and red on the way to the 30,000-capacity BayArena.
Normally known as Bismarck Street, fans had stuck temporary signs saying 'Xabi Alonso Street' along the main road in honour of the club's coach.
Alonso looked ahead to Thursday's Europa League trip to London to face West Ham, making seven changes to his starting XI and benching stars Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Alex Grimaldo, the latter for the first time in the league this season.
Piero Hincapie, Grimaldo's replacement, had an early effort at goal saved but it would be the fit-again Boniface, making his first start since mid-December, who put the home side in front.
With 22 minutes gone, Jonas Hofmann was felled in the box by Bremen's Julian Malatini, with the referee pointing to the spot after VAR urged him to view the contact again on the monitor.
Boniface stepped up and nervelessly slotted the penalty past a helpless Michael Zetterer to send the home fans into raptures.
Hofmann was almost the provider again shortly before half-time, his pass finding Amine Adli who fired against the crossbar.
Bremen started the second-half strongly but their hopes of spoiling the party were snuffed out on the 60-minute mark, Boniface finding Xhaka who unleashed a long-range rocket before slapping his badge in front of the ecstatic home fans.
Wirtz, who came on at half-time for Adli, replicated Xhaka's effort eight minutes later from almost the same spot on the pitch.
Wirtz added another with seven minutes remaining before sealing his hat-trick in the 90th minute as Leverkusen rid themselves of their nearly men tag in style.
Earlier on Sunday, a 36th-minute goal from Ritsu Doan took Freiburg to a 1-0 win at Darmstadt, pushing the last-placed hosts closer to immediate relegation.
Winless since October and with only two victories all year, the loss leaves Darmstadt dead last, eight points from second-last and 13 points from safety with five games remaining.
F.Dubois--AMWN