Bayer Leverkusen became the first Bundesliga team to finish a league season unbeaten as their dream of an ‘invincible treble’ remained alive.
Xabi Alonso’s side had already secured their first league title but made more history as Saturday’s 2-1 win at home against Augsburg ensured they finished the domestic campaign undefeated.
Leverkusen season-long unbeaten run is now at 51 games in all competitions – already breaking a 59-year-old Uefa record – and two more wins will secure a remarkable treble.
They face Atalanta in the Europa League final in Dublin on Wednesday, followed by the German Cup final against second-tier Kaiserslautern three days later.
In a party-style atmosphere, Leverkusen were rarely troubled by Augsburg as Victor Boniface opened the scoring after 12 minutes, converting Amine Adli’s pass from inside the penalty area.
The lead was doubled soon after from a close-range effort by Robert Andrich and, despite Mert Komur’s second-half strike in reply, Leverkusen were able to finish a memorable league campaign in winning ways.
Leverkusen have surpassed the 49-game unbeaten run Portuguese giants Benfica enjoyed between 1963 and 1965.
This season they won 28 of their 34 games in the Bundesliga, scoring 89 goals and conceding just 24.
Their last league defeat was at the end of last season, when they lost 3-0 at Bochum.
Should they finish the season unbeaten in all competitions then it will be 53 games they have gone without experiencing defeat.