B-V-Briefing: The Bundesliga season concludes but Borussia Dortmund have an exciting road ahead

Champions League final, Bundesliga promotion/relegation roundup and more

In less than two weeks, Borussia Dortmund will travel to Wembley to face Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League final. The Spanish side will be the favourites to come out on top, having already eliminated Manchester City and Bayern Munich from the tournament. They are also the most successful side in Champions League history, and BVB will be the clear underdogs in the final.

But BVB have shown time and again under Edin Terzic that they play their best football when they’re the underdogs. Nobody expected Dortmund to escape the group of death but they won it. Overcoming Atletico Madrid was no easy feat, and two clean sheets against PSG had pundits’ heads spinning. Everyone expects Real Madrid to win the final, but that’s exactly why Borussia Dortmund have a shot!

Meanwhile, in the Bundesliga, Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen were crowned German Champions this past weekend. They became the first non-Bayern Munich title holder in over a decade, and they did so without losing a single match. They have the chance to win a treble while staying unbeaten this season, as they are in the finals of the DFB-Pokal and Europa League.

VfB Stuttgart were another surprise package this season, and they finished as the runners-up on the final matchday, pipping Bayern Munich.

At the bottom of the Bundesliga table, Darmstadt's relegation had already been confirmed. Joining them in the 2. Bundesliga next season will be FC Köln, who were unable to pull off the unlikely feat of avoiding relegation on the final day.

Union Berlin, however, left it late to secure safety. Janik Haberer ensured another season of Bundesliga football for the struggling capital club with his goal in the 92nd minute. Borussia Dortmund's neighbours Bochum will now play a two-legged playoff against Fortuna Düsseldorf with a place in the Bundesliga on the line.

While Düsseldorf finished third in the 2. Bundesliga, it was a dramatic final matchday at the top, with St. Pauli coming from behind to win 2-1 and clinch the title by one point over Holstein Kiel, who defeated Hannover 2-1 to finish their season. St. Pauli will be a welcome return to the Bundesliga, and Kiel will make their top flight debut next season.

Kiel were aided this season by BVB loanee Tom Rothe, who was one of their top performers. He was ever-present in the left wing-back role and showcased his quality at the 2. Bundesliga level. Rothe is a very promising player and could provide the BVB squad with some much needed depth next season.

With the domestic seasons concluding, Euro 2024 is just around the corner, and Niklas Füllkrug and Nico Schlotterbeck are the only BVB players in the Germany squad. I’m certainly disappointed that Mats Hummels and Julian Brandt did not receive call-ups. I think Karim Adeyemi had a case as well. Still, I’m happy for Schlotterbeck in receiving his first call-up under Naglesmann. In addition, Donyell Malen and Ian Maatsen have been picked in the Netherlands squad, so there will be more BVB players going to the Euros.

Stay positive, keep the good vibes rolling, we’ve got this! Let’s win the UEFA Champions League!