Berlin: Robert Lewandowski netted twice as Bayern Munich became the first club to win four German league titles in a row on Saturday with a 2-1 victory at Ingolstadt.
The result means Bayern have now won the Bundesliga title in each of Pep Guardiola’s three years in charge in Munich before he leaves to coach Manchester City next season.
Second-placed Borussia Dortmund’s 0-1 defeat at Eintracht Frankfurt left Bayern an insurmountable eight points clear at the top of the table with one game left.
“We’ve played brilliantly together. It’s a great achievement to have won this title, particularly as Dortmund were the best runners up in Bundesliga history,” said Bayern’s Germany forward Thomas Mueller.
“To have won four in a row is special. “It has never happened before, despite all the great teams who have played in the Bundesliga. It’s a great relief to have done it.”
Bayern’s title triumph comes just four days after the heartbreak of their Champions League semifinal exit at the hands of Atletico Madrid. “This isn’t a consolation for being knocked out of the Champions League,” added Mueller.
“We can be sad about, but now is not the right time to talk about a Champions League semifinal.” Bayern took the lead at Ingolstadt’s Audi-Sport Park when Franck Ribery was fouled by home captain Marvin Matip in the area and Lewandowski drilled home the resulting spot-kick on 15 minutes.
The Poland hot-shot, the Bundesliga’s leading scorer, then added his second when he drilled home Xabi Alonso’s superb pass from a tight angle for his 29th league goal of the season.
Ingolstadt striker Mathew Leckie was denied by Manuel Neuer but the hosts pulled a goal back on 42 minutes when Moritz Hartmann converted a penalty after a push from behind from Alonso. Meanwhile, Dort-mund suffered their first league defeat of 2016 as they lost at the relegation-threatened Frankfurt.
