Leverkusen blew it on the final day to let Bayern win again

The 1999-2000 Bundesliga title race went down to the wire, with Bayer Leverkusen taking command of first place with four games remaining in the season.

Leverkusen needed just one point in their last game away at Unterhaching, with Bayern knowing that a win over Werder Bremen may not have been enough.

However, Unterhaching pulled off a surprise victory as Bayern won 3-1 at the Olympiastadion to return to the top of the table thanks to a better goal difference than their title rivals.

Both Schalke and Borussia Dortmund never challenged at the top of the table, with Hamburg and 1860 Munich taking the final two Champions League spots, while Kaiserslautern and Hertha Berlin qualified for the UEFA Cup.

CHANGES

After failing to make a big impact at Bayern Munich, Iran international Ali Daei left the club a year after his arrival. He moved to Hertha Berlin, with Roma’s Paulo Sergio and Paraguay attacker Roque Santa Cruz joining to provide extra firepower.

Bayern legend Lothar Mattheus played his last game for the club, moving to Major League Soccer to join New York/New Jersey MetroStars. Defender Patrik Andersson and midfielder Michael Weisinger were added as veterans Thomas Helmer and Mario Basler made way.

Borussia Dortmund had three different managers during the season, with Michael Skibbe lasting until February before Bernd Krauss was sacked after two months. Udo Lattek finished the campaign strongly to ensure the club’s survival, having previously managed the club from 1979 to 1981.

Once again, Leverkusen had a big turnover in their squad during the off-season. Michael Ballack and Oliver Neuville were the two marquee German signings, with Brazilian midfielder Robson Ponte moving to the Bundesliga from Guarani. Ponte was an exotic addition, with his signing prompting a techno group to release a single called ‘Robson Ponte.’

Croatian teenagers Jurica Vranjes and Marko Babic were signed from Osijek as long-term prospects for the club, where they would learn from…

Source link : https://www.footballcritic.com/season-reviews/when-leverkusen-blew-it-on-the-final-day-to-let-bayern-win-again-bundesliga-in-1999-00/136

Author : [email protected] (Ronan Murphy)

Publish date : 2024-07-20 14:00:00

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