BERLIN (AP) — Bayer Leverkusen postponed Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga title celebrations on Saturday, leaving the Bavarian powerhouse on the verge of winning the trophy without top-scorer Harry Kane.
Kane was shown his fifth yellow card of the season during Bayern’s 3-0 win at home over Mainz, meaning the England captain will be suspended for Bayern’s next match at Leipzig — where Bayern will likely win its 34th German league title.
Kane has famously failed to win any major trophy in a career of individual awards and runner-up medals. The first looks set to come while he's watching from the stands.
Bayern needed a win over Mainz and favor from Augsburg against Leverkusen to be crowned champion on Saturday, but goals from Patrik Schick and Emiliano Buendia gave Leverkusen a 2-0 win and kept the defending champion eight points behind Bayern with three rounds remaining.
Leverkusen can still theoretically defend its first ever Bundesliga title by winning its last three games if Bayern loses its final three, but even a draw against Leipzig next weekend should be enough for Bayern, which has a far superior goal difference.
Bayern needed patience against Mainz, with Leroy Sané opening the scoring in the 27th followed by Michael Elise in the 40th.
There was still time before the break for Kane to get booked for failing to release the ball after committing a foul.
Goalkeeper Jonas Urbig denied Nadiem Amiri a Mainz response before Sané hit the post at the other end. Eric Dier sealed the result late with a header to Olise's corner, seconds after Thomas Müller went on for his 500th Bundesliga appearance.
Frankfurt nears Champions League
Eintracht Frankfurt closed in on Champions League qualification with a 4-0 win over Leipzig, for which last defender El Chadaille Bitshiabu was sent off early in the second half for denying Ansgar Knauff a clear goal chance.
Knauff scored before the sending off — and again after it, with Hugo Ekitiké and Robin Koch completing the rout as third-placed Frankfurt stretched its advantage over fifth-placed Leipzig to six points.
Only the top four qualify for Europe's premier competition.
Dortmund drama
Waldemar Anton scored in the fifth minute of stoppage time to give Borussia Dortmund a 3-2 win at Hoffenheim, but the result was marred by arguments because Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann was struck in the head by Carney Chukwuemeka’s knee before Anton scored. Referee Benjamin Brand allowed the goal after a VAR check found it was an accidental clash.
The win lifted Dortmund to sixth, three points behind Freiburg in fourth. Freiburg moved into the last place for Champions League qualification with a 1-0 win at Wolfsburg, for which captain Maximilian Arnold was sent off for a bad foul in the first half.
There was also stoppage time drama in Kiel, where Japanese forward Shūto Machino scored his second goal in stoppage time to give Holstein Kiel a 4-3 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Gladbach came from 2-0 down and again to level the score 3-3 before Machino's late winner.
It lifted Kiel off the bottom, three points behind Heidenheim in the relegation playoff place.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Ciarán Fahey, The Associated Press
