Borussia Monchengladbach hosted Bayern Munich in the final Bundesliga game of the season, but it showed no signs of being an end-of-season game.
It could not have started better for the hosts, as inside four minutes they were 2-0 up courtesy of a Martin Stranzl header and a placed finish from Mike Hanke.
Bayern got a goal back almost immediately through Javi Martinez, but Gladbach restored their lead through Havard Nordtveit, who finished off a quick break.
In the 18th minute Franck Ribery made it 3-2 and in the second half he added another to go with Arjen Robben's winner as Bayern came back to win 4-3.
Read how the action unfolded with Sports Mole's live text commentary below.
Hello everyone and thanks for joining me for what is the final day of the Bundesliga season. Live today we have Gladbach against champions Bayern.
First things first, I'll get the team news right over to you.
GLADBACH XI: Ter Stegen; Brouwers, Wendt, Jantschke, Stranzl; Herrmann, Nordtveit, Arango, Xhaka; Hanke, Hrgota
BAYERN XI: Neuer; Dante, Boateng, Lahm, Alaba; Schweinsteiger, Martinez; Ribery, Muller, Robben; Mandzukic
So just as he has done the last few weeks, Jupp Heynckes names about as strong a lineup as he could. He obviously wants his team to keep up their form into the upcoming Champions League and DFB-Pokal finals, which means Mario Mandzukic starts up front as has been the case for the majority of this season.
Arjen Robben, who has worked himself back into the team, continues on the right, alongside Thomas Muller and Franck Ribery.
For the hosts, it's an unusual two up top as they look for the win that could possibly see them into the top six, depending on other results. Mike Hanke and Branimir Hrgota are both selected for them.
All 18 teams are in action today, and there are still relegation and European places up for grabs. Near the top, Freiburg play Schalke with the winner qualifying for the Champions League. At the other end Augsburg, Dusseldorf and Hoffenheim are all battling for that 15th spot that will provide safety.
Just as a reminder: you can follow live score updates and all match reports with us this afternoon as Europe's most exciting league comes to a close for this season.
So we're five minutes away from kickoff in this afternoon's games; I suppose I should make a prediction. Let's face it, you'd be a fool to bet against Bayern in 95% of their games, so I fancy a stroll in the park and a 2-0 away win tonight.
Of course, I could be very wrong so I wouldn't advise you take my word for it. But looking at the two teams it's very hard to see beyond the visitors.
Heynckes is getting a huge applause here and receives a lovely frame from his old club. That's a nice touch. However, we're nearly ready for business now.
KICKOFF: It's the hosts to get us underway this afternoon.
An early free kick comes in from Bastian Schweinsteiger and Javi Martinez is almost on the end of it, but it just sneaks out of play. Bayern, as expected, are settling into a rhythm of possession football.
GOAL! Gladbach 1-0 Bayern (Stranzl)
GOAL! Gladbach 2-0 Bayern (Mike Hanke)
Well I never! What a start for the hosts! Firstly, a Juan Arango free kick to the right of the box and Martin Stranzl got ahead of a static Bayern defence to nod them into the lead. Then, before they could catch their breath, Hanke was played through and drilled into the bottom corner. Unbelievable stuff here!
GOAL! Gladbach 2-1 Bayern (Javi Martinez)
Oh come on now! Ribery drives forward and picks out the run of Martinez, who slots it in neatly from the edge of the box. Suddenly Bayern are right back in it. What a ridiculous start to this game.
GOAL! Gladbach 3-1 Bayern (Nordtveit)
What is happening?! This is a brilliant goal - Arango fires a superb pass on the outside of his boot to Herrmann on the right flank. It's two-on-one for the hosts, as Herrmann cuts across to Havard Nordtveit, who slots in for our fourth goal of the afternoon!
No goals to report in the last few minutes. I know, shocking. These players are meant to be entertaining us. It's far from the Bayern onslaught since the third goal, in fact it was Herrmann who had the best chance since with a slices effort from just outside the box.
Bayern now have settled things down and are passing it around nicely. However, there's an absolute wall of white in front of them now - Gladbach want this scalp!
GOAL! Gladbach 3-2 Bayern (Franck Ribery)
I thought there had been too long without a goal. Ribery is in a little bit of space just inside the box and he drills low at the near post, wrong-footing Ter Stegen who should have done better.
They're 3-2 down, yet you still can't look beyond Bayern winning this. Gladbach haven't ventured forward for some time now and Bayern continue to press. A shot from range is fired in from Alaba, but it flies over.
I make that seven minutes without a goal, which is just not good enough. Gladbach now come forward, and only good defending from Alaba stops Herrmann having a chance to cross.
CHANCE!. Great play from Muller there as he pulls two defenders to the byline before cutting back to Lahm, who skies his effort from eight yards.
It's a really high pressing game from Bayern now, as the white shirts panic. Ribery works it to Schweinsteiger, who cuts on to his left before slicing his shot high and wide.
SAVE! Bayern have set up camp for the night in the Gladbach half. Martinez finds Muller, who had broken the offside trap but his shot from slightly wide is well saved by Ter Stegen.
UPDATE: It's 1-0 to Schalke in the race for fourth. Julian Draxler has scored on his return to the side to give Schalke the edge in the hunt for the Champions League.
Despite their dominance, it's been just the one glorious chance that Bayern have had to equalise. Gladbach are managing to hang on at the moment - can they get to the break at 3-2?
Really calm defending there from Tony Jantschke. Robben worked some space to put in a right-foot cross and the defender chests it back to his keeper. At the other end Hanke drills a shot from outside the box, but it's too close to Manuel Neuer.
It has slowed down a bit in the last few minutes, which not much action to speak off. Mandzukic sets Ribery away with a lovely backheel, but the Frenchman's cross is easy for Ter Stegen.
Now Gladbach have a chance, but Arango's cross in space on the left is in the general direction of Hanke, but straight at Neuer. At the other end Bayern win a corner with three minutes of the half left.
The corner is deep to Mandzukic, who heads it back towards goal but Martinez at the far post goes for the spectacular bicycle kick and it goes into the side netting. Ribery is then allowed space on the edge of the box but his effort is clipped wide courtesy of a deflection.
HALF-TIME: Gladbach 3-2 Bayern
Hanke wastes a good possession right at the end of the half, but so ends a breathtaking half of football. The cynic in me is upset that there hasn't been a goal since the 18th minute, but there were five in a frantic start and it's a brilliant game so far.
It couldn't have started better for the hosts, as they notched twice before Bayern could find their rhythm. In truth Heynckes would have reason to complain about the defending on both early goals, as firstly they were static defending a free kick before Dante gave the ball away in the build-up to the second. Take nothing away from Hanke's finish for the second, though.
Then back came Bayern. Schweinsteiger found Ribery, who flicked instantly into the path of Martinez, whose finish was low and true. Before that had time to settle, however, Gladbach countered - Arango found Herrmann, who cut to Nordtveit to make it 3-1.
Ter Stegen must take fault for Bayern's second as he left his near post completely open for Ribery's effort, however he did make up for it with a good stop from Muller not long after.
In all, the defensive errors have helped towards what has been largely an end-to-end game. Certainly up until Bayern's second; after that the visitors started to get on top and I expect to see the same in this half. The players are coming back out of the tunnel, so we're almost set for the second half.
KICKOFF: Bayern kick us off for the second half. No substitutions from either coach.
Gladbach start the half nicely. Granit Xhaka pings a superb angled ball to Herrmann, but there's no-one attacking the cross and it's easy for Neuer to gather.
Good effort there from Hrgota, who turned on the edge of the box and fired not too far wide with his left. Gladbach have come out brightly.
Bayern have given away a couple of niggly fouls to start this half and Muller has also been called offside - they're a little sluggish out of the blocks.
GOAL! Gladbach 3-3 Bayern (Franck Ribery)
Wow. Just wow. Muller cuts back to Lahm on the byline. The skipper puts in a cross that looks to be going nowhere - but drops at the left boot of Ribery on the edge of the box who catches it perfectly on the volley and the ball flies into the top corner. I can safely say that will be the goal of the match! Incredible hit.
SAVE! Arango fires in a free kick from distance. It's quite central but the swerve on it means Neuer can only flap at it with the rebound being poked wide from Hrgota. The hosts are not out of this yet.
As it stands Augsburg are beating Greuther Furth 1-0 and both Dusseldorf and Hoffenheim are losing - which means Augsburg would be safe, Hoffenheim down and Dusseldorf in the playoff. Ter Stegen makes a strong save from a Mandzukic header.
GOAL! Gladbach 3-4 Bayern (Arjen Robben)
The pressure is just too much for pretty much every team in Europe. Ribery bends a cross right to the far post, where Robben had got in from the flank to sidefoot home from close range. He's not done anything so far, but has just put his side 4-3 up. What a comeback.
It could be any number now for Bayern, as Lahm gets away down the right, but Ter Stegen is alert to the high cross towards Ribery and keeps it out.
The movement is so fluid. Robben and Mandzukic switch places to break, with the Croatian pinging a sublime angled ball across to Ribery, but the chance eventually leads to nothing.
GLADBACH SUB: Lukas Rupp comes on for Hrgota, who has been awful in fairness.
I can't think of many other teams that even at 3-1 down would probably still be favourites. Surely not even Borussia Dortmund can stop them in their march towards the treble.
SAVE! Stranzl, who opened the scoring, is alert at the near post to stop Ribery getting his hat-trick. From the resulting corner Alaba drills toward goal and Ter Stegen does superbly to tip it wide.
A rare foray forward for Gladbach, who have seemingly forgotten what to do when they get there. In the end, Ribery blocks a cross with his arm and the hosts have a free kick which Arango will take.
The cross is half-cleared by a Neuer punch, and Bayern break but it's Xhaka who heads behind after racing back to keep up with play.
The hosts try to break through Herrmann, but he just misread the bounce which allowed Martinez back in to win possession back for the visitors. If it had fallen more kindly, the winger would have been through. At the other end Ter Stegen keeps out a Mandzukic header with his feet - bizarre piece of goalkeeping.
BAYERN SUB: Mandzukic makes way after that effort and none other than Mario Gomez comes on for him.
SAVE! That's a very good save indeed from Ter Stegen. A shot from outside the box comes in and the keeper makes himself big to parry away.
Herrmann goes down under no contact at all in the box and the referee waves him up - it probably warranted a booking. Ter Stegen is again, this time diving left to stop Ribery's hat-trick, and Younes comes on for Herrmann for Gladbach.
BAYERN SUBS: After that frantic few minutes, the action has just died down a little. Gladbach don't seem to have enough in them. Claudio Pizarro and Xherdan Shaqiri are on for Robben and Muller.
Unsurprisingly, there's a lack of pace in this one now. The frantic nature of the game up to this point plus many new subs has made it a little disjointed in the closing stages.
GLADBACH: Hanke departs in his last game for the hosts, with Luuk de Jong coming on for him. He has done himself proud in his last appearance.
Just as an aside: Max Kruse is coming in for Hanke, so you have to say they've replaced him with a better player. Back to the game ans Bayern are passing it around patiently but there has been no goal threat in the last few minutes.
Dusseldorf are 3-0 down now in Hannover, which has all-but sealed their fate. Hoffenheim are now beating Dortmund 2-1, with Augsburg still safe! Amazing happenings at the bottom.
Just one minute will be added on now. The season is almost over.
FULL-TIME: Gladbach 3-4 Bayern
So Bayern end with yet another win in this record-breaking season. They conceded three for the first time, but the attacking talent once again played magnificently. Up next is the Champions League final in a week's time, followed by the DFB-Pokal for the potential treble.
That's your lot from me. Thanks for joining me today and throughout the season - I'll be back next for hopefully another equally good year of Bundesliga final. Do stick around for the results coming on site now. Goodbye!
Written by
Matt Domm
Matt Domm
