By James Ellingworth, The Associated Press on April 14, 2024.
LEVERKUSEN, Germany (AP) – Bayer Leverkusen has won the Bundesliga for the first time, ending Bayern Munich’s 11-year run as champion. Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen beat Werder Bremen 5-0 Sunday to secure the club’s first-ever German league title with five games remaining. Leverkusen leads second-place Bayern Munich by 16 points. The final whistle brought delight to the sellout crowd of 30,000 at Leverkusen, which finally shed its reputation as perennial runner-up after five second-place finishes in the league and one in the Champions League. ___ AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer 6