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Sunday, May 14, 2006

Bayern Munich celebrate the title

Roy Makaay's team got a 3-3 draw against Borussia Dortmund on the last match of the season but the result was not enough to stifle the celebrations as the Bayern Munich received the Bundesliga trophy for the 20th time.

Michael Ballack was on the scoresheet in almost certainly his last match for Bayern. However, that was no fond farewell as the Bayern fans continued to boo him.

His 50th-minute goal put Bayern 3-1 up but Dortmund earned a point after a late fightback, thanks to Jan Koller who scored a 76th-minute equaliser.

As we know, the Czech striker is also expected to move in the summer and bowed out with a brace in his first game back since sustaining a cruciate ligament injury in September.

His first goal silenced the home fans after just 60 seconds. But Roy Makaay levelled matters within five minutes.

What's more, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Ballack scored just after the break before Dortmund responded with goals from Philipp Degen and Koller.

However, Dortmund stunned Bayern in the opening stages when Koller, the tallest player on the field, ghosted past one of the smallest, Bixente Lizarazu, to reach Nuri Sahin's cross and head the ball in goal.

But Borussia's defensive frailties were revealed just five minutes later as Lucio burst forward to set up Makaay, who finished from 10 yards.

The Dutch player should have had a second within three minutes when he beat the offside trap to reach Ballack's throughball but he fired wide.

In one of the most important moments of the night, Jens Jeremies and Lizarazu, who were playing their last game before retirement, were given standing ovations by the Bayern crowd before the game but after Ballack was heckled for the opening 15 minutes, Bayern's general manager Uli Hoeness left the dugout appealing for the home crowd to stop.

A second Borussia goal almost happen before the half-time whistle but Oliver Kahn pulled off a stunning save to divert Ebi Smolarek's shot wide of the post.

The game opened up in the second half with Schweinsteiger finding the back of the net in the 48th minute.

Space opened up in front of the Germany international and he found the net with an excellent 25-yard strike.

After two minutes, it seemed like the floodgates were opening as Ballack fired in from the edge of the area.

But Dortmund were not beaten and Degen took advantage of a mix-up between Lucio and Lizarazu in the 64th minute to pull the visitors back into the game.

The Swiss midfielder still had work to do inside the penalty area, but he made it look easy as he fired into the roof of the net past half-time substitute goalkeeper Michael Rensing from an angle.

The Westphalians were then level with Sahin again the provider for Koller, lifting the ball into the area where Koller's unchallenged header from 10 yards beat Rensing at his far post.

In the end of the game, the celebrations began as captain Kahn received the Bundesliga trophy for Bayern Munich, the 2005-06 German champions.