Euro race decided on final day | OneFootball

European places decided on the final day of the 2024/25 Bundesliga campaign

On the final day of the 2024/25 Bundesliga season, Eintracht Frankfurt and Borussia Dortmund secured UEFA Champions League football, Freiburg had to make do with a place in the Europa League, and Mainz edged out RB Leipzig in the battle for a Conference League play-off spot.

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They are now the 2024/25 Bundesliga champions, but it was back on Matchday 27 that Bayern Munich guaranteed themselves a top-four finish and Champions League qualification. The outgoing champions, Bayer Leverkusen, followed suit two rounds later.

That meant two spots were still up for grabs on the final day, with Eintracht Frankfurt, Borussia Dortmund and Freiburg all still in the race. Ultimately, Dortmund's 3-0 victory over already relegated Holstein Kiel and Frankfurt's triumph over Freiburg in a winner-takes-all encounter got themselves over the line.

Bayern Munich won the Bundesliga, guaranteeing them a place in the UEFA Champions League in the process. (XX / DFL/GettyImages/Jan Hetfleisch)

That result means Freiburg will play in the Europa League next term, an impressive achievement in Julian Schuster's first season at the helm. They will be joined by the winner of the DFB Cup final between VfB Stuttgart and Arminia Bielefeld, with the two eventual representatives going straight into the competition's league phase.

Meanwhile, sixth-placed Mainz headed into Matchday 34 ahead of Leipzig in seventh as the two went in search of a Conference League play-off spot. In the end, Mainz could only draw 2-2 with Leverkusen, but Leipzig's defeat to Stuttgart meant the 05ers secured their continental berth for next term.

>>> How does European qualification work?

Eintracht Frankfurt Position: 3rdPoints: 60Goals: 68-46 (+22)

It has been a historic campaign for Dino Töppmöller's men. The Eagles have shown they have the strength as a unit to compensate for the loss of top scorer Omar Marmoush in the January transfer window, starting the new year with six matches unbeaten. Hugo Ekitiké has been a dazzling forward presence, ending on 15 goals for the campaign.

A commanding win over fellow top-four hopefuls Leipzig on Matchday 31 put Frankfurt well on course for Champions League football, but back-to-back draws against Mainz and then St. Pauli meant a top-four finish was not yet in the bag ahead of the final day. A draw against Freiburg would have been enough to get them over the line, but they recovered from going a goal down to win 3-1 with a resilient display. While their 2022 Europa League win earned them a maiden Champions League qualification, this is the first time they have booked their place in the tournament via the league.

Freiburg can be proud of their performances in 2024/25, despite narrowly missing out on the top four. (IMAGO/Heiko Blatterspiel)

Borussia DortmundPosition: 4th Points: 57Goals: 71-51 (+18)

Early on, Dortmund had looked largely untouchable at home under former coach Nuri Şahin, but away struggles - with just one win in their first nine on the road - largely led to his departure in January. New boss Niko Kovač needed a little time to settle into the role, but his appointment has had the desired impact.

A run of six wins in their seven games saw them surge up the standings into fifth, level on points with Freiburg in fourth before Matchday 34. They knew a win over Kiel at Signal Iduna Park would see them reach their objective, and they duly delivered, coasting to a 3-0 success.

FreiburgPosition: 5thPoints: 55Goals: 49-53 (-4)

Uncertainty was the overwhelming feeling in the Black Forest before the start of the season as Schuster stepped into the sizeable coaching boots left by Christian Streich and his record-breaking time in charge. Freiburg have looked every bit the same quietly effective outfit under their new boss, however. Results have been up and down all season, but a seven-match unbeaten run during February and March lifted Freiburg up the standings at a crucial time.

Unfortunately for the Europa-Park Stadion outfit, defeat to top-four rivals Frankfurt on the final day meant they could not hold off Dortmund, but a seventh European journey - and a third in four years - will soften the blow somewhat.

MainzPosition: 6thPoints: 52Goals: 55-43 (+12)

Mainz have upset the traditional domestic order to play in Europe before, doing so under the tutelage of Thomas Tuchel. Bo Henriksen is the latest man making waves in the Mainz hotseat - and what a season they had under the Dane.

Wins against Dortmund and Bayern formed part of a 10-match unbeaten home run that put the 05ers right in the European conversation. The Carnival Club spent plenty of time in the top four and, although a stumble towards the end of the season ended their Champions League hopes, a 2-2 draw with Leverkusen on the final day - coupled with Leipzig's 3-2 loss to Stuttgart - means they will be in the Conference League play-offs.

RB LeipzigPosition: 7thPoints: 51Goals: 53-48 (+5)

A mainstay of the UEFA Champions League places since the 2017/18 season, Leipzig certainly lived up to their high standards at the start of the season. However, an extensive injury list that included a long-term layoff for star playmaker Xavi sent them on a bit of a downward spiral.

Zsolt Lőw was pleced in charge until the end of the season after the dismissal of Marco Rose at the start of April, but he couldn't prevent Leipzig from finishing outside the top six for the first time since their promotion to the top flight in 2016.

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