Dortmund, Frankfurt Secure Champions League Spots on Bundesliga Final Day

Borussia Dortmund secured a dramatic return to the UEFA Champions League by clinching fourth place in the Bundesliga on the final day of the 2024-25 season with a decisive 3-0 home victory over already-relegated Holstein Kiel. Under coach Niko Kovac, Dortmund staged an unprecedented comeback in the last seven matchdays, winning six of those games and climbing from 11th to fourth, overtaking Freiburg who lost to Eintracht Frankfurt. The match featured an early penalty converted by Serhou Guirassy and a quick red card to Kiel’s Carl Johansson, which Dortmund capitalized on with goals from Marcel Sabitzer and Felix Nmecha. This turnaround followed a difficult season that saw Dortmund change coaches in February, replacing Nuri Sahin with Kovac, whose pragmatic style and emphasis on team spirit revitalized the squad. Meanwhile, Bayern Munich had already secured the Bundesliga title earlier, and other European spots were claimed by Frankfurt, Mainz, and Bayer Leverkusen. Dortmund’s last-day triumph marked a remarkable reversal of fortune and ensured their participation in Europe's premier club competition next season.