Bayer Leverkusen wins first Bundesliga title, ending Bayern Munich’s 11-year reign

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.

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