Stuttgart clinches Champions League qualification in dramatic Bundesliga finale

In a nail-biting conclusion to the Bundesliga season, VfB Stuttgart secured the fourth and final German spot in next year’s UEFA Champions League after a hard-fought 2-2 draw against Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday.

With the result, Stuttgart finished the campaign in fourth place, leapfrogging rivals TSG Hoffenheim and Bayer Leverkusen in the standings. The Swabians now join Bayern Munich (champions), Borussia Dortmund (runner-up), and RB Leipzig in the elite European competition.

A match of high stakes and late drama

The game at Deutsche Bank Park saw Stuttgart take an early lead through Chema Andrès in the 10th minute, followed by a second from Nikolas Nartey in stoppage time of the first half. However, Frankfurt fought back with two penalties converted by Jonathan Burkhardt in the second period, leaving both teams level at full-time.

The point ensured Stuttgart finished on 62 points—one clear of Hoffenheim (61), who suffered a heavy 4-0 defeat at Borussia Mönchengladbach, and three ahead of Leverkusen (59), held to a 1-1 draw by Hamburger SV.

Bayern Munich ends season with record-breaking performance

Elsewhere, Bayern Munich capped off their season in style, thrashing 1. FC Köln 5-1 to finish with a league-high 122 goals. English striker Harry Kane netted a hat-trick, bringing his total to 36 league goals and 59 across all competitions, further cementing his status as the division’s top scorer.

At the bottom of the table, SV Sandhausen and FC St. Pauli were relegated after defeats to Mainz 05 (2-0) and VfL Wolfsburg (3-1) respectively. The latter, currently 16th, will face a relegation playoff against the third-placed team from the 2. Bundesliga.