(AP Photo/Martin Meissner, Pool)BERLIN Bayern Munich effectively won the Bundesliga title in November when it appointed Hansi Flick as coach. Bayerns defensive record was its worst since Jrgen Klinsmann was coach in 2008. Kovac had led Bayern to a league and cup double the season before but never had the full backing of the clubs leadership. Bayern is currently on a 14-game winning run including the 3-0 win over Chelsea in London in the Champions League. There are also other reasons Bayern has won an unprecedented eight consecutive title, mostly tied to the clubs financial might.

Thomas Mueller, left, of Munich is challenged by Edmond Tapsoda of Leverkusen during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, June 6, 2020. Alphonso Davies and Thomas Mller have built an effective and affectionate partnership this season, and it's driving Bayern Munich toward a record-extending eighth straight German title. I call him Chef, Davies said in televised comments after Mller broke the German league record with his 20th assist of the season Saturday. Bayern is also eyeing another German double, with Frankfurt again their opponent in the cup semifinal Wednesday, and the Champions League whenever that resumes. The Champions League is set to resume as a mini-tournament this summer.

Dortmund's head coach Lucien Favre attends the German Bundesliga soccer match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern Munich in Dortmund, Germany, Tuesday, May 26, 2020. The German Bundesliga is the world's first major soccer league to resume after a two-month suspension because of the coronavirus pandemic. Its brutally hard, Dortmund coach Lucien Favre said. Asked if he was up to the task of winning trophies with Dortmund, Favre skirted around the question. All three were expensive signings for this season as Dortmund sought to finally break Bayerns hold on the title.

Munich's Leon Goretzka celebrates scoring their first goal with Robert Lewandowski duringh the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt in Munich, Germany, Saturday, May 23, 2020. (Andreas Gebert/pool via AP)BERLIN Borussia Dortmund has to beat Bayern Munich on Tuesday if anyone is to have a realistic chance of stopping the seven-time defending champion from claiming yet another Bundesliga title. The team was right on point.Both Bayern and Dortmund have been in record-breaking form with nine wins from 10 games since the seasons halfway stage. Haaland can be another (Robert) Lewandowski, former Dortmund and Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld told Kicker magazine, referring to Bayerns Polish star who scored 12 goals in his last six games against Dortmund. Dortmund, the last team other than Bayern to win the title in 2012, has consistently come closest in recent years.

MUNICH Bayern Munich chose to part company with coach Niko Kovac on Sunday one day after the seven-time defending German champion slumped to its heaviest Bundesliga defeat in more than 10 years. Bayern lost 5-1 at Kovac's former team Eintracht Frankfurt on Saturday, the team's second league loss and the fifth game from 10 in which it has dropped points this season. Bayern said in a statement that it had "relieved head coach Niko Kovac of his duties" after he had talks with club president Uli Hoene, chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic. The 48-year-old Kovac had been in charge since the beginning of last season, when he led Bayern to a German cup and league double. "It's not a huge surprise what happened," Bayern captain Manuel Neuer said of the defeat in Frankfurt.