As Borussia Dortmund bid farewell to two of their key players, Julian Brandt and Niklas Süle, the atmosphere at Signal Iduna Park was laden with emotion during the club’s final home game of the season. The match concluded with a thrilling 3-2 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt, solidifying Dortmund’s position as runners-up in the Bundesliga.
The match started on a disappointing note for BVB as they fell behind to an early goal from former midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud. However, they quickly turned the tide with goals from Serhou Guirassy, Nico Schlotterbeck, and Samuele Inacio, taking a commanding 3-1 lead. A late goal from Jonathan Burkardt for Eintracht ensured a tense finish, but Dortmund ultimately held on for the win, marking their 52nd Bundesliga victory against Frankfurt, the highest against any opponent.
For Brandt and Süle, this match held particular significance as both are set to depart the club as free agents at the season’s end. Reflecting on the occasion, Brandt expressed his mixed feelings. “When you’ve played your last home game, it’s certainly special,” he told Sky Sports. “There’s been a lot going on over the last few days. We’ve still got one game left, but of course, a sense of melancholy does start to set in. You only really realize what you’ve had here over the years once it’s truly gone for good. We’re trying to finish the season on a high. That’s not like BVB, so our aim is to get another win in Bremen [against Werder next week].”
300 – Dortmunds Niklas Süle läuft zum 300. Mal in der Bundesliga auf. Spartaner. #BVBSGE pic.twitter.com/oig5lyDN9N
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) May 8, 2026
Süle also marked a personal milestone in this match, celebrating his 300th Bundesliga appearance. The centre-back received a standing ovation from the fans when he came on as an 88th-minute substitute for Luca Reggiani. He expressed his gratitude for the support: “It was a lovely day, a lovely setting. It was unbelievably nice to see how the fans reacted! And the fact that the manager gave me a few more minutes for my 300th game was just brilliant. My whole family was here. I’m going to enjoy the last few days and try to have a bit of fun with the lads. We’ve now secured second place, which makes us absolutely delighted.”
Head coach Niko Kovac praised his team’s resilience after a shaky start. “We were caught off guard right at the start, but we had the game under control after 15 minutes and also scored the goals before half-time, which was of course very important,” he said. “The second half was an open game from both sides, with the better outcomes for us. I liked the way the team performed, apart from the first 15 minutes, and I’m also glad we’re finishing the season in second place. You can be very satisfied with 70 points.”
