VfB heads to Champions League despite loss to Bayern

Fortune smiled on VfB in the final day of the season as despite a 2-1 loss to Bayern München they advance to the qualifying round the Champions League thanks to a KSC's 4-0 upset of the Hertha Berlin.

With the day being played out at top speed, the hosts took that lead sixteen minutes in as Franck Ribéry's cross was turned in as a own-goal by Khalid Boulahrouz. Die Schwaben turned up the heat but each chance came up empty and the match went to the break with Bayern maintaining its one goal lead. Just before the hour Ribéry was the architect of the second goal as he fed Mark van Bommel a perfect through ball which he sent past Jens. VfB quickly launched forward and only four minutes later Mario Gómez gave his side hope with a brilliant one man effort, maneuvering between the statuesque Bayern defenders to score from inside the area. Markus Babbel's side continued to pour forward but the day would end on the wrong side of the score.

It has been a remarkable year or better-said, two seasons. The pre-Babbel era and then under the leadership of the thirty-six year old coach. As VfB is now securely in the Champions League it can plan its road to the height of Football with one of the sports most promising young coaches.