Bayern crowned champion as Leverkusen held by Freiburg

BERLIN, May 4 (Xinhua) -- Bayer Leverkusen were held to a dramatic 2-2 draw by Freiburg, a result that sees Bayern Munich officially reclaim the Bundesliga title with an unassailable lead and two games in hand after Sunday's 32nd round of matches.

Freiburg, meanwhile, looked set to play its part in the title race. Maximilian Eggestein opened the scoring with a long-range strike on the stroke of half-time, before Piero Hincapie's own goal early in the second half gave the hosts a two-goal lead.

Freiburg played with intensity, forcing Leverkusen into mistakes as the visitors struggled to create anything of note for more than an hour.

Xabi Alonso's side, needing all three points to keep their slim title hopes alive, turned to the bench. A triple substitution brought new energy, and in the 82nd minute, Florian Wirtz produced a moment of individual brilliance to bring Leverkusen back into the game.

The visitors threw everything forward and deep into injury time, Jonathan Tah headed home an equalizer to extend Leverkusen's unbeaten away run to a record 33 matches.

Despite the dramatic finish, the draw wasn't enough. Bayern's slip on Saturday had left the door open, but Leverkusen couldn't walk through it.

Freiburg, meanwhile, missed out on a chance to pull clear of fourth-placed Dortmund, with just one point separating the sides going into the final two rounds.

The result means Bayern has secured its 34th Bundesliga title and 33rd in the modern era, bouncing back from last season's third-place finish.

Under new coach Vincent Kompany, the German giants have dominated their domestic competition, winning 23 of their 32 games and scoring 93 goals. The title is a debut triumph for Kompany and a long-awaited first major trophy for Harry Kane. It was also a sentimental milestone for Thomas Muller, who won a record-extending 13th Bundesliga title in what is likely to be his final season with the club.

"We started well in the first 15 minutes, but then Freiburg took control. We allowed them too much space and made far too many sloppy passes. The first goal gave us a boost, and I think we clearly improved towards the end. Congratulations to Bayern on winning the title. They were the most consistent team this season," said Leverkusen coach Xabi Alonso.

Elsewhere, relegation-threatened Holstein Kiel clinched vital points after beating Augsburg 3-1, and third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt shared the spoils with Mainz following a 1-1 draw. ■