The top 10 Bundesliga moments of 2022, featuring Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt
From Bayern Munich's record-extending 10th successive Bundesliga title to Eintracht Frankfurt's historic UEFA Europa League triumph, it's been another year to remember in and around the German top flight. bundesliga.com picks out 10 of the standout moments over the past year...
Record champions by name and nature, May 2022
Bayern won the Bundesliga for the 10th straight season in 2021/22, and 31st time overall. They did so in style, sealing the deal with a 3-1 victory over nearest rivals Borussia Dortmund on Matchday 31. It was the first time a title had been decided in Der Klassiker, and ensured Julian Nagelsmann ended his debut campaign at the helm of Germany's most successful club with a major trophy.
Watch: Klassiker victory secured Bayern a 10th straight title
Frankfurt crack Europe, May 2022
Frankfurt - not Bayern - were the last Bundesliga team standing in European competition last term. Eintracht went unbeaten in the Europa League, accounting for the likes of Barcelona, West Ham United and Rangers on their way to lifting their first continental title since 1980's UEFA Cup success. The Eagles are only the third club to win the competition without losing a single game, from the group stage to the final.
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Richter and Baumgartl beat cancer, September 2022
Marco Richter and Timo Baumgartl celebrated victories of a different kind. Hertha Berlin forward Richter was labelled "a hero" by Jude Bellingham after making his comeback within two months of surgery to remove a testicular tumour. Baumgartl received the same diagnosis in April, but also required chemotherapy in addition to an operation to treat the condition. On Matchday 7 of 2022/23, the Union Berlin defender made his return to first-team action. Hopes are high Dortmund's Sebastien Haller will win his fight with cancer, following two successful surgeries and various rounds of chemotherapy since the discovery of a testicular tumour in July 2022.
Watch: Timo Baumgartl - my story
Stuttgart's great escape, May 2022
Lady Luck was shining on VfB Stuttgart in a dramatic conclusion to 2021/22. Wataru Endo headed home a 92nd-minute winner to give Die Schwaben a 2-1 win over Cologne that, paired with Hertha Berlin's defeat to Borussia Dortmund, kept them in the Bundesliga. Stuttgart survived on goal difference alone, while Hertha were put through the wringer in the play-offs, ultimately claiming a 2-1 aggregate victory against Hamburg.
Watch: Wataru Endo saves Stuttgart's bacon
Leipzig land first trophy, May 2022
Founded as recently as 2009, RB Leipzig underlined their status as one of the most successful modern-day football start-ups by winning the 2021/22 DFB Cup. Die Roten Bullen held their nerve from the penalty spot to beat cup final debutants Freiburg after the contest had ended 1-1 after 120 minutes. Bundesliga and DFB Cup runners-up to Bayern a year earlier, it marked the club's first piece of major silverware.
Schalke bounce straight back, May 2022
Relegated after a dismal 2020/21, Schalke also had reason to cheer 12 months on. There were some bumps in the road - they'd slipped to sixth with nine games remaining - but the Royal Blues powered over the line. With club legend Mike Büskens installed as temporary coach, promotion was secured on the penultimate weekend and the title won - ahead of fellow German giants Werder Bremen - on the final day.
Bremen stun Dortmund, August 2022
Schalke fans were celebrating in true Schadenfreude style on Matchday 3 of the new season. Local rivals Borussia Dortmund appeared to be coasting to victory until Bremen struck three times in the final six minutes to turn a 2-0 defeat into a scarcely fathomable 3-2 win. Substitutes Lee Buchanan, Niklas Schmidt and Oliver Burke did the damage as BVB suffered the ignominy of becoming the first team to leave with nothing after leading by two goals after the 89th minute of a Bundesliga game.
Watch: Relive Bremen's historic comeback in Dortmund
Dortmund's Klassiker comeback, October 2022
Dortmund took a leaf out of Bremen's playbook in the first Klassiker of the 2022/23 Bundesliga season. Trailing Bayern 2-0, Die Schwarzgelben cut the deficit with 16 minutes of normal time remaining through teenager Youssoufa Moukoko. Even better was to come as Bayern had Kingsley Coman sent off, before substitute Anthony Modeste headed in a last-gasp equaliser to send the Signal Iduna Park into raptures.
Watch: Anthony Modeste - Dortmund's last-gasp hero
Union reign supreme, September - October 2022
Taking full advantage of Bayern's mini malaise, Union Berlin went top of the Bundesliga for the first time in their history on Matchday 6 of 2022/23. It's a position they held, on and off, until Matchday 13 thanks in no small part to some memorable results against the likes of Bayern (1-1), Dortmund (2-0), Leipzig (2-1) and Borussia Mönchengladbach - the latter a dramatic 2-1 win secured in the seventh minute of stoppage time.
Palacios wins the World Cup, December 2022
Exequiel Palacios enjoyed a pulse-raising end to 2022. The Bayer Leverkusen midfielder watched from the Argentina bench as Lionel Messi and Co. edged out France to win what many believe to be the greatest World Cup final of all time. Palacios, who made three substitute appearances at the finals, is the 60th Bundesliga player to get his hands on world gold.
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