Mueller targets farewell title as Bayern exit looms

Thomas Mueller could seal a record-extending 13th Bundesliga title on 3 may when Bayern Munich travel to RB Leipzig, with the club icon set to depart this summer after 25 seasons.

Bayern sit eight points clear of defending champions Bayer Leverkusen with just three matches remaining. A win in Leipzig — where Bayern haven't won a league game since 2021 — would confirm the title. Even if they slip up, the crown could still be theirs should Leverkusen fail to beat Freiburg on 4 may.

For Mueller, lifting the Meisterschale one final time would be a fitting send-off. The 34-year-old, who joined Bayern at the age of 10, made his 500th Bundesliga appearance last week and will leave at the end of the season after the club chose not to offer him a contract extension.

"It sounds good, doesn't it?" Mueller said in an interview with the Bundesliga website on 30 april when asked about the possibility of a 13th league title. "I won my first title in 2010. You're holding something heavy in your hands and it gives you the feeling that it's not really easy to win the thing. There's always a lot of work and you have to perform over a long period."

Mueller has won 32 trophies with Bayern, including two Champions League titles, but says the Bundesliga carries a unique satisfaction.

"That's why the satisfaction when you win the league trophy is greater than the Champions League or the German Cup," he explained.

No player has ever won 13 Bundesliga titles. Across Europe's top five leagues, only Ryan Giggs has matched that tally with Manchester United.

Despite being celebrated at home and away since the news of his impending exit, Mueller has made it clear he's not on a farewell tour. "On the topic of pride, I'm someone who lives life looking forward rather than looking back too much. Looking back is nice and then you can toast to it and ask: 'What are you doing tomorrow?'"

At the other end of the table, Bochum could become the first team to be relegated this season if they lose at Heidenheim on 2 may. Despite notable victories over Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, Bochum have only won twice in their past 14 games, and their struggles have mostly come against mid-table and relegation-threatened sides.

Veteran coach Dieter Hecking urged his players to embrace the occasion, saying: "It's a final and one we're hugely anticipating. We should have no fear."

Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund centre-back Niklas Suele is enjoying a late-season revival. Once a key figure for both Bayern and Germany, Suele's form dipped following his 2022 move to Dortmund. But under new coach Niko Kovac, he has re-emerged as a dependable presence at the back.

Having started just three games between october and april, the 29-year-old has now featured in Dortmund's last four matches in all competitions — a run that has yielded three wins and a draw.

With Germany defenders Nico Schlotterbeck and Antonio Rudiger both nursing injuries, Suele is now firmly in contention for a place in the squad for the UEFA Nations League finals in june.