Toni Kroos, Mario Gotze and Franck Ribery helped Bayern Munich secure the Bundesliga title in record breaking time after seeing off Hertha Berlin 3-1 at the Olympic Stadium. With an unassailable 77 points, Bayern are now on course to break their 91-point record from last season, after blowing away all competition with seven games to spare. The Bavarians were denied their 24th league crown last Saturday despite defeating Mainz, with nearest rivals Borussia Dortmund and Schalke also winning their games. But they retained their title in blistering speed after seeing off Berlin, Toni Kroos putting his side on the brink of glory six minutes in with a far post finish. And the 'salad bowl' trophy was all-but secured eight minutes later, when Gotze headed home Bastian Schweinsteiger's cross. Hertha threatened to spoil the party when they pulled one back through Adrian Ramos, but Ribery made the game safe ten minutes from time, chipping over goalkeeper Thomas Kraft. Bayern are fully deserving of their league triumph, having gone undefeated throughout the current campaign winning 25 of their 27 games so far, scoring 79 goals along the way. And scenes of wild celebrations were sparked by the full-time whistle, with players parading a mocked up version of the Bundesliga and manager Pep Guradiola joining them out on the pitch. The win confirms Bayern's 23rd Bundesliga crown, and 24th German title, while Guardiola collects the fourth league title of his career to go with his three at ex-club Barcelona. The Spaniard, in his first season at the Allianz Arena after succeeding Jupp Heynckes, has already won three trophies at the club having scooped the Uefa Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup. But this comprehensive, runaway success will rank high on the 43-year-old's already-impressive curriculum vitae, particularly given his predecessor's successes last term. Guardiola had big shoes to fill following Heynckes reign, which saw him win the Champions League, Bundesliga, German Cup and DFL-Supercup, the first ever German quadruple. But he could now out-do the revered 68-year-old by winning FIVE trophies. Having won the Bundesliga, Super Cup and Club World Cup, Bayern are also in the quarter-finals of the Champions League and semi-finals of the German Cup. They take on Manchester United in the first-leg of the last-eight on April 1 at Old Trafford and then face Kaiserslautern in the DFB-Pokal on the 16th. Meanwhile, Bayern's nearest rivals Dortmund and Schalke ended goalless at the Westfalenstadion amid a heavy police presence as tempers flared between rival fans ahead of kick-off.
Joseph is an accredited football journalist and has interviewed nearly all of the current 20 Barclay's Premier League managers. He is also a correspondent for Bleacher Report and has written for Caught Offside and Give Me Football.
