European football: Dortmund reach Champions League, Leipzig out of Europe

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Borussia Dortmund cruised past relegated Holstein Kiel 3-0 to finish fourth and snatch the last Champions League spot for next season, in the best comeback of the last seven matchdays in Bundesliga history. Niko Kovac’s Dortmund won six of their last seven matches to climb from 10th to fourth in the standings and finish on 57 points, two ahead of Freiburg, who lost 3-1 at home to third-placed Eintracht Frankfurt and drop into the Europa League.

Dortmund, needing a three-goal win to be guaranteed a top-four finish irrespective of results in the other games, got off to a dream start when Serhou Guirassy converted a third-minute penalty for the lead. Kiel were then left with 10 players when Carl Johansson was sent off with a straight red card but the hosts could not make the extra man count until the break.

They did, however, score two minutes after the restart, with Marcel Sabitzer slotting in from the edge of the box to make it 2-0 and Felix Nmecha added another in the 72nd minute to seal their European spot.

RB Leipzig, meanwhile, missed out on European football completely after finishing seventh. They lost 3-2 at home to German Cup finalists Stuttgart, while Mainz drew 2-2 at home to Bayer Leverkusen to finish sixth by a point and reach the Conference League. Bayern Munich, who had secured the title two weeks ago, beat Hoffenheim 4-0. Heidenheim finished in 16th after losing 4-1 at home to Werder Bremen to go into a relegation/promotion playoff.

Xabi Alonso salutes Bayer Leverkusen’s supporters after his final game as their coach

Leverkusen, last season’s champions, came from 1-0 down at Mainz but led 2-1 as they handed Xabi Alonso another record as they went two league seasons without an away defeat. Alonso is leaving after two and a half years in charge – including a sensational domestic league and Cup double last season without one defeat – with reports linking him to a move to Real Madrid.

Mainz went in front through Paul Nebel in the 35th minute but Leverkusen struck twice in five minutes through Patrik Schick in the 49th and 54th to get back into the driving seat. Mainz levelled with a penalty from Jonathan Burkardt in the 63rd minute.

They almost spoiled the Leverkusen record when Stefan Bell stabbed in for what looked like the winner in stoppage time but his effort was overruled for handball after a lengthy video review.