Borussia Dortmund secured a comfortable 3-0 win over already-relegated Holstein Kiel, sealing a fifth consecutive Bundesliga victory and clinching a coveted UEFA Champions League berth on the final day of the campaign.
Despite having dropped only two points across their last seven matches, Dortmund knew a top-four finish was still up for grabs and that they needed one last push to secure it.
The hosts got off to the perfect start in their crucial encounter, with Serhou Guirassy converting a penalty in the third minute after Lewis Holtby brought down Felix Nmecha in the box.
Kiel’s troubles worsened just minutes later when Carl Johansson was shown a straight red card in the ninth minute for bringing down Karim Adeyemi as the last man, leaving the visitors with 10 men for nearly the entire match.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Kiel battled admirably to keep the scoreline at 1-0 before halftime.
They even came close to leveling when Shuto Machino tested Gregor Kobel with a sharp effort near the end of the first period.
But Dortmund responded quickly to the warning, coming out strong after the interval and doubling their lead just two minutes into the second half.
Marcel Sabitzer, stationed at the edge of the area, unleashed a shot that found the net via a slight deflection — his first Bundesliga goal since April 2024.
The Austrian midfielder nearly struck again with a low drive aimed at the bottom corner, but Kiel goalkeeper Thomas Dahne produced a fine save to deny him.
However, Dahne’s resistance couldn’t last forever. Dortmund eventually grabbed a third when Nmecha calmly slotted home a right-footed finish into the far bottom corner, putting the result beyond any doubt.
With this emphatic triumph, Niko Kovac’s men leapfrogged Freiburg to claim fourth place, thus securing their spot in next season’s Champions League.
Meanwhile, Holstein Kiel’s maiden top-flight campaign ends in disappointment as they finish 17th.