Former European champions Hamburg beat Schalke 2-0 yesterday to avoid direct relegation from the Bundesliga and snatch a play-off spot for the second consecutive year as Paderborn and Freiburg went down.
Surprise package Augsburg secured fifth place and will play in the Europa League after coming from a goal down to crush 10-man Borussia Moenchengladbach 3-1.
Last season’s runners-up Borussia Dortmund also secured a Europa League spot after a 3-2 home win over rivals Werder Bremen in coach Juergen Klopp’s last home match.
Borussia Dortmund are seventh in the standings and are guaranteed a place in Europe’s second tier competition, either as German Cup winners, if they beat Wolfsburg in next Saturday’s final, or as seventh-place finishers, as second-placed Wolfsburg will play in the UEFA Champions League.
Third place Gladbach will also play in Europe’s premier club competition while Bayer Leverkusen finished fourth and will start their Champions League campaign in the last qualifying round after a 2-1 loss at Eintracht Frankfurt.
Hamburg avoided direct relegation after beating Schalke 2-0 in their last match, yesterday.Second-half goals from Ivica Olic and Slobodan Rajkovic lifted Hamburg, the only team to have played in the Bundesliga every season since its creation in 1963, to 35 points in 16th place.
They will now face a play-off against the third best team in the second division, which will be decided today.
Paderborn, who were promoted last season, lost 2-1 to Stuttgart, who moved up to 36 points and safety in a dramatic Bundesliga finale.
Freiburg scored a late consolation goal in their 2-1 loss to Hanover 96, who also pulled clear of danger on the final day.
Champions Bayern Munich, who clinched a 25th German league title with four games to play, ended the campaign with a convincing 2-0 victory over Mainz 05.
Bastian Schweinsteiger was on target in his 500th competitive game for the club.
Robert Lewandowski had put the hosts ahead in the first half with a penalty.
Injured Eintracht Frankfurt forward Alex Meier finished as the Bundesliga’s top scorer with 19 goals.
Results
Bayern Munich vs Mainz - 2-0
B. Dortmund vs W. Bremen - 3-2
B. M’gladbach vs Augsburg - 1-3
E. Frankfurt vs B. Leverkusen - 2-1
Cologne vs Wolfsburg - 2-2
Hamburg vs Schalke - 2-0
Hanover vs Freiburg - 2-1
Hoffenheim vs Hertha Berlin - 2-1
Paderborn vs Stuttgart - 1-2
Final standings
| P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts | |
| B. Munich | 34 | 25 | 4 | 5 | 80 | 18 | 79 |
| Wolfsburg | 34 | 20 | 9 | 5 | 72 | 38 | 69 |
| B. Mgladbach | 34 | 19 | 9 | 6 | 53 | 26 | 66 |
| B. Lev’kusen | 34 | 17 | 10 | 7 | 62 | 37 | 61 |
| Augsburg | 34 | 15 | 4 | 15 | 43 | 43 | 49 |
| Schalke | 34 | 13 | 9 | 12 | 42 | 40 | 48 |
| B. Dortmund | 34 | 13 | 7 | 14 | 47 | 42 | 46 |
| Hoffenheim | 34 | 12 | 8 | 14 | 49 | 55 | 44 |
| E. Frankfurt | 34 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 56 | 62 | 43 |
| W. Bremen | 34 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 50 | 65 | 43 |
| Mainz | 34 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 45 | 47 | 40 |
| Cologne | 34 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 34 | 40 | 40 |
| Hanover | 34 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 40 | 56 | 37 |
| Stuttgart | 34 | 9 | 9 | 16 | 42 | 60 | 36 |
| Hertha Berlin | 34 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 36 | 52 | 35 |
| Hamburg | 34 | 9 | 8 | 17 | 25 | 50 | 35 |
| Freiburg | 34 | 7 | 13 | 14 | 36 | 47 | 34 |
| Paderborn | 34 | 7 | 10 | 17 | 31 | 65 | 31 |