Bayern Munich have secured their spot in the Champions League after crushing St. Pauli 8-1, a defeat which sent the Bundesliga's bottom club back to Germany's second division.

Bayern's decisive victory on Saturday closes the gap with second-place Bayer Leverkusen who lost steam and drew 1-1 against Hamburg. Bayern, who have been lackluster all season, have gained momentum and now could finish second before the Bundesliga season ends next Sunday.

Bayern can rest relatively easy now after Hanover's 2-1 loss against Stuttgart. The loss guarantees Bayern's place in third.

"We can enjoy our third place now," said Bayern's interim coach Andries Jonker. "Maybe we will even get the chance to finish higher."

Champions humbled

Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund – who secured the title of champion last week – were humbled with a 2-0 defeat against Werder Bremen. That guarantees Bremen a spot in the Bundesliga next season.

Borussia Mönchengladbach defeated Freiburg 2-0, securing them another victory in what is now a three-game streak.

The win puts Mönchengladbach in 16th place and makes them level with the 2009 champions Wolfsburg who are in a relegation struggle after losing to Kaiserslautern 2-1.

Eintracht Frankfurt dropped to 17th place after 2-0 defeat against Cologne, provoking some 150 angry Frankfurt fans to storm the pitch at the end of the game. Police had to use teargas to disperse them.

Mainz 05 clobbered Schalke 04 with a 3-1 victory, ensuring them a spot in the Europa League, while Hoffenheim won 2-1 against Nuremberg.

Author: Spencer Kimball (Reuters, AFP, AP)
Editor: Kyle James