Bayern celebrates title by beating Augsburg

Arjen Robben (right) and Bayern suffered no champion's comedown as they dispatched Augsburg.

Lars Baron/Getty Images

BERLIN (AP) -- Bayern Munich kicked off its Bundesliga title celebrations with a 3-0 win over Augsburg on Saturday, when the club finally received the trophy for its 23rd German championship.

Goals from Thomas Mueller, Xherdan Shaqiri and Luiz Gustavo ensured Bayern - which wrapped up the title with a record six games to spare - scored for the 36th consecutive Bundesliga game, equaling its own record set between May 1973 and May 1974.

"No other team in the history of the Bundesliga has played football the way we've played this year, consistently at a high level. That makes me proud,'' said outgoing Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes, who was doused with the traditional beer showers by his players.

"You know the wheat-beer showers are included at Bayern. At least I avoided pulling a hamstring,'' Heynckes said.

Heynckes, who turned 68 on Thursday, is being replaced by former Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola next season.

Augsburg's loss left the side in the relegation playoff place with one round remaining, level on points with Fortuna Duesseldorf, which lost 2-1 at home to Nuremberg.

Those results meant Werder Bremen secured a spot in the top flight for next season despite being held 1-1 by sixth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt. Bremen is now four points clear of danger.

Second-from bottom Hoffenheim only has a slim hope of avoiding the drop after losing 4-1 at home to Hamburger SV, which is two points behind Frankfurt and can still qualify for Europe.

Schalke missed the chance to secure the last Champions League spot after losing 2-1 to Stuttgart, with Vedad Ibisevic scoring twice for the visitors.

Freiburg took full advantage, coming from behind to beat already-relegated Greuther Fuerth 2-1. Christian Streich's side is all but sure of Europa League football next season.

"We were the luckier side in the end but you couldn't say the win wasn't deserved,'' Streich said.

The loss meant Fuerth became the first side to finish a Bundesliga season without a single home win.

"It's very bitter for us,'' Fuerth coach Frank Kramer said.

Freiburg is just one point behind Schalke ahead of the sides' showdown in Freiburg next weekend.

"We still have Champions League qualification in our own hands,'' said Schalke coach Jens Keller, whose two-year contract extension was announced before the game.

Two late goals from Marco Reus enabled Borussia Dortmund to come from behind and draw 3-3 at Wolfsburg but could not prevent Bayern extending its lead to 22 points with 88 overall - both records.

Bayern and Dortmund meet in the Champions League final at Wembley Stadium in London on May 25.

Elsewhere, Stefan Kiessling claimed his league-leading 24th goal of the season as third-place Bayer Leverkusen beat Hannover 3-1 and Borussia Moenchengladbach won 4-2 at Mainz, with Swedish striker Branimir Hrgota scoring a hat trick on his first Bundesliga start for the visitors.

Bayern made a strong start in Heynckes' last home game in charge, with Alex Manninger pulling off a fine save to deny Mueller's header.

But there was little he could do to stop Mueller in the 69th, when the Bayern winger finally broke the deadlock by meeting Dante's cross.

Franck Ribery did brilliantly to find Shaqiri, who turned and fired to the bottom right corner in the 82nd, despite Augsburg having five defenders in the area.

Ribery was again involved when he set up Luiz Gustavo to round off the scoring with three minutes remaining.

Duesseldorf was made to rue missed chances against Nuremberg after taking the lead through Hanno Balitsch's own goal in the 23rd.

Robert Mak equalized in the 58th and Marvin Plattenhardt scored from a free kick in the 64th as Nuremberg came from behind to win a game for the first time this season.

"We're totally disappointed of course. We lost it completely after the equalizer,'' said Duesseldorf coach Norbert Meier. "But we're not relegated yet. We still have this game (at Hannover) and then we'll see.''

Fuerth got off to a great start in the third minute, when Matthias Zimmermann scored with what proved to be the home side's only shot on target in the first half.

Jonathan Schmid deservedly equalized in the 69th and Max Kruse propelled his side to fifth place with a great individual effort in the 78th.

Fuerth had the chance to equalize from the penalty spot in injury time only for Oliver Baumann to save Nicola Djurdjic's spot kick.

"That was a snapshot of the whole season today,'' Fuerth president Helmut Hack said.