A Season to Forget for Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich was unable to maintain their hold on the second place in the Bundesliga, closing a dismal season with a 4-2 defeat against Hoffenheim, in which Andrej Kramaric scored a hat-trick. This loss resulted in Bayern conceding the runner-up spot to Stuttgart, who achieved their best position since winning the title in the 2006/2007 season.
Thomas Tuchel's men have nothing to celebrate this year. Gradually, since August, they have lost all their titles. They were defeated by Leipzig in the German Super Cup; knocked out by third-division Saarbrücken in the DFB-Pokal's round of 16; thwarted in the Bundesliga by Bayer Leverkusen; and eliminated by Real Madrid in the Champions League semifinals.
Adding to the trophy room void, this Saturday's setback with the loss of the runner-up position marks another disappointment. Since the 2010/11 season, Bayern has always finished in one of the top two positions. That distant 2011 was the last time they did not finish as champions or runners-up, ending third behind Dortmund and Leverkusen. They followed that with a second place and eleven consecutive titles.
Now, under Tuchel's leadership, Bayern has recorded their worst finish in thirteen years in the Bundesliga, marking a bad year that breaks their near-decade-and-a-half dominance of German football. Additionally, this result means they will not be able to compete in the German Super Cup next season.