Jude Bellingham has been named the Bundesliga’s player of the season.

The England midfielder won the award just two days after his club Borussia Dortmund missed out on the Bundesliga title to Bayern Munich on goal difference.

Bellingham has made more than 130 appearances since joining Dortmund from Birmingham for just over £20million three years ago.

“Every year or half year that I’ve played at the club, my responsibility in the team has increased,” Bellingham was quoted as saying on the official Bundesliga website.

“I have to continue to be everywhere on the pitch and try my best to contribute going forwards and backwards and try and control games, try to dominate the midfield.

“My teammates, the coaches and the staff have helped me to develop.

“I came to the club as a talented lad, but I have added elements to my game that have taken it to the next level and I think that’s down to them, mainly.”

Bellingham, who turns 20 next month, captained Dortmund this season to become the club’s youngest-ever skipper and scored 14 goals in all competitions.

He has been strongly linked to a move away from Germany this summer, with Real Madrid reportedly leading the race for his signature.

In 2000, it was Bayer Leverkusen who suffered final-day heartbreak as Bayern Munich overhauled them to clinch one of their most dramatic Bundesliga title triumphs.

This time around, it was Borussia Dortmund's turn to lament the most galling of near misses, while their rivals lifted the Meisterschale following Jamal Musiala's late winner at Koln.

The most topsy-turvy title race in Europe's top-five leagues this campaign, therefore, ended in familiar fashion, with Bayern maintaining their stranglehold on the German crown.

After Bayern overcame a stern Dortmund challenge to win their 11th consecutive Bundesliga title, Stats Perform looks at the best facts and figures to emerge from their triumphant campaign.

The headline stats

There has never been much doubt regarding Bayern's status as the dominant force in Germany. Their latest title win represents their 33rd overall, and their 32nd since the Bundesliga was founded in 1963. Combined, all other clubs in Bundesliga history have 28.

Meanwhile, Bayern's current streak of 11 consecutive domestic titles is the longest such run in the history of Europe's top five leagues.

However, as the decision to dispense with Julian Nagelsmann's services and bring in Thomas Tuchel in March would suggest, this has not been a vintage campaign for Bayern.

Having edged out Dortmund on goal difference after both teams finished with 71 points, Bayern's class of 2022-23 collected the fewest points of any Bundesliga-winning team since 2009-10, when Die Roten were crowned champions with 70.

Bayern's tally of 21 victories this term was actually bettered by Dortmund (22), who became just the second team in the three-points-for-a-win era to boast the most wins in a Bundesliga season and not win the title (after Leverkusen in 1996-97).

Tuchel takes the prize

While Tuchel's Bayern did not get close to the incredible point tallies recorded under Jupp Heynckes, Pep Guardiola or Carlo Ancelotti, the new boss did enough, rallying his team to collect 12 from their final five matches and pip his former employers at the last.

Tuchel became only the second coach to take over a Bundesliga club during the second half of a season and lead them to the title, after the legendary Franz Beckenbauer did so with Bayern in 1993-94.

While Beckenbauer took the reins from matchday 21 of that campaign, Tuchel did so from matchday 26 this term, making it the latest managerial change from a Bundesliga-winning team.

Muller extends his record, Musiala the main man

Bayern's last-gasp triumph also ensured several key players kept up their own incredible records of domestic success.

While attacking stalwart Thomas Muller won a record-extending 12th German title, Kingsley Coman – who opened the scoring in Bayern's final-day win at Koln – preserved his record of finishing every season of his professional career as a domestic champion.

Having won Ligue 1 twice with Paris Saint-Germain and Serie A as a Juventus player in 2014-15, Coman has now lifted the Meisterschale eight times during his spell in Bavaria.

Those records, however, owe everything to Musiala's intervention against Koln, with the 20-year-old stepping off the bench to fire into the bottom-right corner as stoppage time loomed.

That strike was his 12th of the Bundesliga campaign, one more than he had managed in 57 combined appearances in the competition before this season.

It was a fitting way for Musiala to cap a season in which only Eintracht Frankfurt's Randal Kolo Muani (26) bettered his tally of 22 Bundesliga goal contributions.

Union Berlin secured Champions League qualification for the first time in their history as Schalke suffered relegation from Bundesliga on the final day of the season.

Rani Khedira's 81st-minute winner at home to Werder Bremen saw Union pip Freiburg to fourth place in the German top flight, with Urs Fischer's side booking their spot in UEFA's top club competition for next season.

There was no such good fortune for Schalke, though, as they dropped back down to 2. Bundesliga following a 4-2 defeat to third-placed RB Leipzig on Saturday.

As Bayern Munich celebrated edging out Borussia Dortmund for the title on goal difference, Stuttgart will be left to fight for their top-flight status in a play-off after a 1-1 draw at home to Hoffenheim.

Stuttgart will face either Hamburg or Heidenheim, with whoever finishes third in the German second division due to battle with Sebastian Hoeness' men for a place in Bundesliga next term.

Had Stuttgart won, Augsburg would have been in that play-off after a 2-0 final-day defeat at Borussia Monchengladbach, while Bochum pulled clear of danger with a 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen.

Borussia Dortmund suffered final-day heartbreak as they missed out on a first Bundesliga title for 11 years on goal difference, despite fighting back for a 2-2 draw against Mainz.

Edin Terzic's side squandered the opportunity to be crowned champions of Germany as Bayern Munich snatched the title with a dramatic 2-1 victory over Koln, as Jamal Musiala hit a late winner for Thomas Tuchel's men.

Dortmund were always playing catch-up after falling 2-0 down to first-half goals from Andreas Hanche-Olsen and Karim Onisiwo, while Sebastien Haller saw a weak penalty saved.

Raphael Guerreiro gave them hope in the second half, but Musiala's late strike for Bayern at RheinEnergie Stadion rendered Niklas Sule's last-gasp BVB equaliser academic.

Borussia Dortmund are one win away from clinching the Bundesliga title after a 3-0 victory at Augsburg.

Bayern Munich’s loss to Leipzig on Saturday opened the door for Dortmund and they seized their opportunity, moving within three points of ending the Bavarian club’s 10-year reign as German champions.

Sebastian Haller – who missed the first half of the season as he battled cancer – scored twice and Julian Brandt once after Felix Uduokhai had been sent off for Augsburg.

Victory over Mainz on the final day of the campaign next Saturday would see Dortmund clinch their first Bundesliga crown for 11 years, but anything less would open the door for Bayern to win an 11th straight title.

Mainz suffered a 4-1 home defeat to struggling Stuttgart on Saturday despite taking the lead, while Lars Stindl scored a 90th-minute equaliser to earn Borussia Monchengladbach a 2-2 draw with Bayer Leverkusen.

In Spain, Real Madrid’s miserable week was compounded by a 1-0 defeat to lowly Valencia.

Four days after their humbling by Manchester City in the Champions League, Real went down to Diego Lopez’s 33rd-minute goal.

The match was soured by more complaints of racist abuse directed at Vinicius Junior, with the game briefly halted after the Brazilian appeared to point out offenders in the crowd.

He was then shown a straight red card for lashing out at Hugo Duro in stoppage time.

The result eased Valencia’s LaLiga relegation fears while Real dropped to third place in the table behind city rivals Atletico Madrid, who defeated Osasuna 3-0 with goals from Yannick Carrasco, Saul Niguez and Angel Correa.

Espanyol gave themselves a lifeline in the battle at the bottom with a 2-1 victory at Rayo Vallecano while the Seville derby ended in a goalless draw between Sevilla and Real Betis, who had Juan Miranda sent off late on.

In Serie A, Inter Milan were brought back down to earth after reaching the Champions League final, falling to a 3-1 defeat against champions Napoli.

The visitors were reduced to 10 men when Roberto Gagliardini was sent off before half-time and Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa put Napoli ahead midway through the second half.

Romelu Lukaku drew the 10 men level with eight minutes to go but Napoli responded emphatically with goals from Giovanni Di Lorenzo and Gianluca Gaetano.

Inter dropped to fourth in the table behind Lazio, who beat Udinese 1-0 thanks to Ciro Immobile’s penalty.

Torino and Fiorentina drew 1-1 while strugglers Lecce and Spezia had to settle for a point each in a 0-0 draw.

Paris St Germain all but wrapped up another Ligue 1 title thanks to an early double from Kylian Mbappe in a 2-1 victory over Auxerre.

The France star scored in the sixth and eighth minutes, with Lassine Sinayoko replying for Auxerre in the second half, to move PSG six points clear of Lens with only two games left and with a far superior goal difference.

Lens ensured it is not yet mathematically over with a 3-1 victory at Lorient. Romain Faivre put the hosts ahead early on but goals from Florian Sotoca and Adrian Thomasson turned the match around before half-time and Seko Fofana made sure of the points late on.

Rennes boosted their European hopes by thumping relegated Ajaccio 5-0. Amine Gouiri scored a hat-trick while Mickael Alphonse was sent off for the Corsican side.

Brest defeated Clermont 2-1 while there were draws between Nice and Toulouse, Reims and Angers and Troyes and Strasbourg.

Sebastien Haller scored twice as Borussia Dortmund moved to the Bundesliga summit with a crucial 3-0 win over Augsburg.

Julian Brandt was also on target at WWK Arena as Edin Terzic's side leapfrogged Bayern Munich at the top, after the champions were beaten 3-1 by RB Leipzig on Saturday.

Haller opened the scoring just before the hour mark and doubled the lead with six minutes remaining, before Brandt capped the win in stoppage time to secure a two-point advantage.

Victory over Mainz next Saturday would secure a first title in 11 years, while 14th-place Augsburg's top-flight future is uncertain with the Fuggerstadter just two points ahead of 16th-place Bochum heading into the final weekend.

Bayern Munich relinquished control of the Bundesliga title race as they collapsed to a 3-1 defeat to RB Leipzig at the Allianz Arena.

The reigning champions had their destiny in their own hands when Serge Gnabry fired them ahead on Saturday, but a terrific counter-attack saw Konrad Laimer level things up in the second half.

A pair of late penalties then stunned Bayern, Christopher Nkunku converting after being tripped by Benjamin Pavard and Dominik Szoboszlai doing likewise following Noussair Mazraoui's handball.

Bayern now need Borussia Dortmund to slip up in one of their remaining games – at Augsburg on Sunday and against Mainz next Saturday – to have any chance of claiming an 11th consecutive title.  

Borussia Dortmund kept the pressure on Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga title race after Sebastien Haller and Donyell Malen starred in a 5-2 thrashing of Borussia Monchengladbach.

Bayern's 6-0 rout of Schalke sent the champions four points clear at the top prior to Saturday's kick-off at Signal Iduna Park, where Dortmund soon sliced that advantage to one again.

Edin Terzic's hosts surged into a 4-0 lead inside 32 minutes as Malen opened the scoring and twice teed up Haller, with Jude Bellingham also on target from the penalty spot.

Ramy Bensebaini pulled one back with a 75th-minute penalty and substitute Lars Stindl also struck for Gladbach, but Giovanni Reyna made sure it was an emphatic Dortmund victory with a stoppage-time strike.

Dortmund needed only five minutes to open the scoring as Malen headed home from point-blank range after Haller's deflected strike left Jan Olschowsky stranded.

A fine Gregor Kobel stop against Bensebaini denied Gladbach an immediate response, with that save proving vital as Dortmund struck a double blow soon after.

Bellingham squirmed an unconvincing penalty past Olschowsky after Florian Neuhaus had needlessly felled Haller, who added a third just two minutes later when flicking Malen's low cross into the bottom-left corner.

Another right-wing centre from Malen brought Haller's second as the Dortmund forward volleyed emphatically into the top-right corner.

A stretching Olschowsky thwarted a fizzing Bellingham drive after the interval.

Bensebaini reduced the deficit with a penalty after a Reyna foul, before Stindl whipped into the bottom-right corner for another consolation goal with five minutes left.

But the Gladbach fightback arrived too late and it was Reyna who had the last word when he tapped home a late Dortmund fifth from an Olschowsky mistake.

What does it mean? Dortmund remain in the hunt

Bayern will remain buoyed by the fact the last time the Bundesliga title race was this close after 31 matchdays, the Bavarian giants ousted Wolfsburg to league glory 14 years ago.

But Dortmund continue to hold their end of the deal in the battle for German top-flight glory, pushing Thomas Tuchel's side all the way after their 17th win in 18 competitive home games against Gladbach.

Home form has been key for Terzic's side this season, too, with no team in Europe's top five leagues scoring more goals on their own soil than Dortmund's 53 in 2023.

Marvellous Malen

Malen may have turned provider in a delightful display of selfless creativity against Gladbach but his rich vein of scoring form also continued.

The Dortmund forward has scored eight goals in his last eight league matches, while he has found the net in each of his last six home Bundesliga outings.

Grim Gladbach struggle on road again

A trip to Dortmund was always likely to prove a troublesome task, given Terzic's men had won a club-record 10 home league matches in a row before this visit.

The nature of Gladbach's crumbling came as no surprise as well, with Daniel Farke's side having now just won one of their last 16 top-flight away games this season (D6 L9).

What's next?

Dortmund visit Augsburg on Sunday May 21, which is also when Gladbach travel to Bayer Leverkusen.

England international Jude Bellingham scored twice as Borussia Dortmund hammered Wolfsburg 6-0 to stay firmly in the Bundesliga title race.

Bellingham bagged both of his goals in the second half as Dortmund moved to within a point of Bayern Munich at the top of the table.

Karim Adeyemi also scored a brace, with Sebastian Haller and Donyell Malen getting on the scoresheet in the first half.

Napoli showed no after-effects of their wild Serie A title celebrations as they beat Fiorentina 1-0.

Luciano Spalletti’s side sealed their first title success in 33 years in midweek and the celebrations were long, but Victor Osimhen’s 74th-minute penalty ensured there was no hangover.

They remain 17 points clear of Juventus, who strengthened their second-place hopes with a 2-0 win over Atalanta.

Second-half goals from Samuel Iling-Junior and Dusan Vlahovic moved them two points ahead of third-placed Lazio with four games of the season to go.

Karim Adeyemi and Jude Bellingham starred as Borussia Dortmund maintained the pressure on Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich with a commanding 6-0 victory over Wolfsburg.

Adeyemi struck twice and provided an assist for Sebastien Haller, though a missed penalty denied him a hat-trick at Signal Iduna Park.

Bellingham joined Adeyemi in grabbing his brace while Donyell Malen completed the scoring, moving Dortmund to within a point of Bayern following their 10th straight home league win.

Meanwhile, seventh-placed Wolfsburg suffered only their second defeat in 10 games as they missed the opportunity to climb into the top six.

Dortmund broke through in the 14th minute when the unmarked Adeyemi headed in Julian Ryerson's deflected cross.

After Patrick Wimmer and Jakub Kaminski were denied in quick succession, the hosts doubled their lead as Adeyemi turned provider with an inviting cross for Haller to tuck away inside the six-yard box.

Dortmund made it 3-0 eight minutes before the break, Julian Brandt springing the offside trap before squaring for Malen to slot into the empty net.

Bellingham got in on the act nine minutes after the restart. The England midfielder embarked on a strong run individual run before his powerful 25-yard strike was brilliantly tipped onto the crossbar by Koen Casteels, only for the looping ball to spin back over the line.

Adeyemi grabbed his second soon after, sliding into the empty net after Haller intercepted Sebastiaan Bornauw's loose back pass and put the ball on a plate for his team-mate.

But the winger was unable to complete his hat-trick from the penalty spot on 65 minutes, blazing over after Kilian Fischer felled Bellingham. 

Nevertheless, Dortmund did get their sixth goal four minutes from time, Brandt neatly flicking a long ball into the path of Bellingham, who made no mistake from close range.

Harry Kane's future continues to be a hot topic of debate, with a number of heavyweight clubs lining up to sign the prolific striker should he indicate he wants to leave Tottenham.

Following strong links with the likes of Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United, the England international is also now reportedly on Chelsea's list of targets.

The Blues have struggled for goals this term, despite a huge outlay on attacking talent over the past two transfer windows, and need to address that issue ahead of next season.

With Kane's contract due to expire at the end of next season, Tottenham's hand may be forced somewhat should a huge bid come in when the window reopens for business.

TOP STORY – POCHETTINO HOPING TO REUNITE WITH KANE

Not only are Chelsea on the lookout for new recruits – while also offloading plenty of deadwood from their squad – they are searching for a new permanent head coach.

Mauricio Pochettino is thought to be the frontrunner to take over, and the Daily Mail suggests the former Tottenham coach is hoping to work with Kane again at Stamford Bridge.

Spurs would be reluctant to sell to a fellow Premier League side, especially fierce rivals Chelsea, but it is claimed Kane would jump at the chance to reunite with Pochettino.

ROUND-UP

– Brighton and Hove Albion have a club-record £30million deal in place with Watford to sign forward Joao Pedro, while Liverpool midfielder James Milner is another target, according to The Athletic. 

– Marca suggests Real Madrid are ready to hold talks with the representatives of in-demand Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham over the next week. Liverpool recently pulled out of the race for the England international.

– Juventus could turn to Marseille coach Igor Tudor should they choose to sack Massimiliano Allegri, Italian outlet La Gazzetta dello Sport claims. Tudor previously spent time at Juve as both a player and assistant coach.

– L'Equipe reports striker Jonathan David is likely to leave Lille at the end of the season and could be on his way to the Premier League. Manchester United, Chelsea and Tottenham are said to be interested.

Marco Reus committed to a new one-year contract with Borussia Dortmund on Thursday as the captain targeted Bundesliga glory.

The 33-year-old Dortmund stalwart wants to begin next season with a championship to defend, having agreed to stay on to the end of the 2023-24 campaign.

It will be his 12th season as a Dortmund first-team player, and possibly his last.

Dortmund-born Reus emerged through the club's ranks before spending six seasons away at Rot Weiss Ahlen and Borussia Monchengladbach, but since rejoining BVB in 2012 he has been a pivotal figure.

As Dortmund noted when announcing his extension, Reus is 16 short of Adi Preissler's record of 177 goals for the club, which may be a target.

Reus sent a message to supporters, saying: "As a team, we – just like all of our fans – have a big goal on our minds right now which our full focus is on: we want to become German champions; to do that, we'll need every single Borusse.

"But beyond that, I still really want to do my best for the club I've spent over half my life with. There's still nothing better for me than scoring goals in front of the best fans in the world in the most beautiful stadium in the world and celebrating victories together.

"That's why I'm happy I've extended my contract for another year, because I've always said there's no other club I'd prefer to play for over BVB in my career."

Dortmund top the Bundesliga by one point from Bayern Munich, with five rounds of games remaining.

Reus has been unlucky with injuries at times in his career, never more so than when he missed Germany's triumphant World Cup campaign in 2014 due to an ankle injury sustained just days before the tournament began.

Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke described Reus as "supremely ambitious to lead our BVB to its greatest objectives", while sporting director Sebastian Kehl was delighted to get the deal over the line.

Kehl said: "As a player and a role model, Marco is enormously important for this club – among our fans in the South Stand and in this city, but also beyond the borders of Dortmund and to BVB fans all over the world, too.

"As a long-time BVB player and a Dortmund native, he will not only continue to play an active role in enjoying success on the pitch, but will also use all his experience to advance the development of the younger generation within our squad."

Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jude Bellingham vowed to "give absolutely everything" in the club's pursuit of Bundesliga glory.

A 4-0 thrashing of Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday moved Dortmund to the top of the standings, holding a one-point lead over Bayern Munich after their 3-1 defeat at Mainz.

Having lost 4-2 to Bayern at the start of the month, Dortmund's title dreams looked dead in the water, but Edin Terzic's side are unbeaten in the league since (W2 D1).

Meanwhile, Bayern have won just one of their three Bundesliga matches in that time (D1 L1) to flip the title race on its head and put Dortmund in the driving seat.

BVB top the Bundesliga table after 29 games for the first time since the 2011-12 campaign, the last time they won the title.

Bellingham, heavily touted for a mega-money transfer away from Signal Iduna Park at the end of the season, is ready to put it all on the line in pursuit of clinching the title.

"To be honest, it would mean everything. It would mean the world to me," he told Sky Sport Germany.

"I don't want to get ahead of myself and talk about it too much, to end up feeling like I've already won it, as there's five really tough games to come.

"But it would be massive, I would love more than anything to win the league with this club, after everything it's given me. I'll give absolutely everything to try and make that happen."

Manchester City are reportedly keeping a close eye on Chelsea midfielder Mateo Kovacic as a potential replacement for Ilkay Gundogan.

Kovacic, 28, has been a regular starter since arriving from Real Madrid in a £40million transfer back in 2019, but significant upheaval has seen him fighting for his spot in Chelsea's best XI.

With nine substitute appearances among his 23 Premier League outings this season, Kovacic's future at Stamford Bridge is up in the air as he prepares to enter the final year of his current contract.

While City are said to be serious about their pursuit of Borussia Dortmund star Jude Bellingham, it may not stop them making a move for Kovacic, who they purportedly believe could slide in seamlessly in Gundogan's place.

TOP STORY – CITY CONSIDER KOVACIC AS BELLINGHAM REMAINS THE PRIORITY

According to GiveMeSport, City are closely monitoring Kovacic's contract situation, and if no extension arrives he could be a prime candidate for Chelsea to ship off.

Further reporting from the Evening Standard adds that Chelsea are planning a "major overhaul" of their squad before June 30 in a race to comply with financial fair play rules.

That newspaper does not mention Kovacic as one of the likely departures, instead naming Christian Pulisic, Hakim Ziyech, Kalidou Koulibaly, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Conor Gallagher, Romelu Lukaku, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Mason Mount.

City are reportedly not dissuaded by Dortmund's asking price of around £125m for English super-prospect Bellingham, but there has been no indication the teenager would sign off on the move among interest from the world's biggest clubs.

ROUND-UP

– Calciomercato is reporting Napoli have marked 21-year-old Atlanta United winger and World Cup winner with Argentina Thiago Almada as their top transfer priority.

– According to Sport, Barcelona and Inter are in favour of a potential swap deal that would send 26-year-old midfielder Franck Kessie to Italy in return for 30-year-old Marcelo Brozovic.

– David de Gea is on the verge of signing a contract extension with Manchester United, per Forbes.

– Gazzetta dello Sport is reporting Chelsea, United and Paris Saint-Germain target Victor Osimhen will require a €150m (£132m) bid to pry away from Napoli.

– According to TalkSPORT, Aston Villa have renewed their interest in 22-year-old Arsenal talent Emile Smith Rowe after having a £30m bid turned down in 2021.

Edin Terzic wants his Borussia Dortmund players to capitalise on their position in the Bundesliga title race, saying they are "closer than ever".

Since Dortmund claimed two successive league titles between 2010 and 2012, rivals Bayern Munich have dominated, lifting the trophy for 10 straight campaigns.

However, an excellent run of form since the start of 2023 in which they have lost just one Bundesliga game, against Bayern, means Dortmund sit just two points behind the Bavarian side with six matches to play.

With a real chance of finally ending Bayern's string of titles, Terzic hopes his team can take advantage, telling reporters ahead of Saturday's game against Eintracht Frankfurt: "We're closer than ever to the championship trophy, and we don't want to miss this chance.

"We should start grabbing this chance with everything we have as soon as possible, to make it come true.

"If we want to be successful, we all have to be willing to go the extra mile. We have to invest everything to take advantage of our starting position. To do that, we need a home win on Saturday."

Dortmund would be level on points with Bayern if not for conceding a 97th-minute equaliser away at 10-man Stuttgart last time out, and Terzic feels his players are heading into the final stretches of the campaign "with a portion of anger".

Terzic also revealed there was a "question mark" over the availability of Niklas Sule, Nico Schlotterbeck and Anthony Modeste for the clash with European-chasing Frankfurt, though he said: "They were already able to increase the intensity in training, so we have to wait and see."