France star Franck Ribery hit a 90th-minute winner on Saturday as Bayern Munich poached a 2-1 win at Werder Bremen to delay Borussia Dortmund's title celebrations.
Dortmund will be confirmed as German champions for the second season running if they win at home to Borussia Moenchengladbach later on Saturday, but they almost won the title without kicking a ball before Ribery's late winner in Bremen.
Bremen's Brazilian defender Naldo was hero and villain for his team as his 51st-minute strike from a Claudio Pizarro header put the hosts ahead before an own goal just 14 minutes later allowed Bayern back in the game.
With Bayern pushing forward, Ribery came off the bench with 25 minutes left to hit the winner with time almost up to save Bayern's blushes and keep Dortmund's champagne on ice prior to the game against fourth-placed Gladbach.
With Bayern due to visit Real Madrid in the second leg of their Champions League semi-final on Wednesday with a 2-1 lead from last week's first leg, coach Jupp Heynckes decided to rest a host of stars.
Striker Mario Gomez and wingers Ribery and Arjen Robben were among those who started on the bench to keep the Bavarians fresh for Madrid.
The build-up to the Bremen game was over-shadowed by reports in the German media that Ribery has been fined 50,000 euros ($66,000) for a dressing-room bust-up with Robben during half-time in Tuesday's win over Madrid.
German daily Bild reported that the France international lashed out at Robben after an argument over a first-half free-kick.
At the other end of the table, Kaiserslautern had their relegation confirmed even though they managed a 2-1 win at Hertha Berlin.
Kaiserslautern raced into a 2-0 lead before Hertha pulled a goal back with 60 minutes gone, but it was too little, too late.
Berlin look set to join Kaiserslautern in the second division next season and are locked in a battle with Cologne for 16th place in the league, which gives the chance of survival via a relegation play-off at the season's end.
The side finishing third from bottom of the Bundesliga faces the third-best team in the second division in a two-legged play-off.
Cologne were held to a 1-1 draw at home to Stuttgart, while Hamburg look to have avoided relegation after their 1-1 draw at Nuremberg.
Source: AFP
