5 Key Games Which Won Bundesliga Title for Bayern Munich

Well, that will be that then. Bayern Munich have wrapped up another Bundesliga title with a mere four games left to play, and once again Pep Guardiola's squad can call themselves the very best in Germany. 

Fresh off the euphoria of a Champions League turnaround that woke up the entire continent and reminded the world of football just how good this team can be, Bayern set about Hertha Berlin on Saturday afternoon with one goal in mind: 'If the opportunity should arise, we're going to win this title today!'

Alas today's victory ultimately came from Wolfsburg's inability to pick up all three points at the home of Borussia Moenchengladbach. How ironic it would be that two teams that have caused so much havoc to the Bavarian giants would ultimately lend a hand in their clenching of the Bundesliga trophy. 

In reflection we now take a look at the top-five games that truly turned this campaign in Guardiola and Bayern's favour. 

Bayern Munich 2-1 Wolfsburg

Kerstin Joensson/Associated Press

We, of course, start at the beginning with the very first game of the Bundesliga season back in August, which offered a surprisingly enticing game of football between Dieter Hecking's Wolves and Guardiola's champions to be. 

Nobody was quite sure what Wolfsburg had to offer at the start of this season—having finished fifth last year—yet this new-look side made their intentions perfectly clear on a cold Friday night at the Allianz Arena. 

Thomas Muller and Arjen Robben grabbed the goals for Bayern on the night, but a late charge from the visitors via a return goal for Ivica Olic in the 52nd minute offered a solid half hour of nerves and worry for the German champions. 

Bayern Munich 1-1 Schalke

Kerstin Joensson/Associated Press

The next notable game of Bayern's current campaign came against Schalke in early February, in a match that seemed all too alien to many of the Allianz Arena faithful. 

Under new coach Roberto Di Matteo, the Royal Blues had reverted back to an uber-defensive system that played out like something of a 3-5-2, which in turn caused Bayern problems. Yet nobody was quite ready for what happened so early on in the game—a red card for Jerome Boateng. Suddenly Bayern became the underdogs in their own back yard. 

Benedikt Howedes would grab a goal for Schalke late on in the second half but not before Robben once again stepped up and made the difference.

Although this game will go down as two points lost to many, it was a match that showed Bayern's resilience. They played that game a man down for 73 minutes and for not one moment did they contemplate losing it. Two points dropped but a whole load of confidence gained in the process. 

Bayern Munich 8-0 Hamburg

Matthias Schrader/Associated Press

There are certain moments in a season when it feels like a team just click. On January 14, 2015 that is exactly what happened when Hamburg travelled to Munich in the hope of avoiding any embarrassment to Guardiola's men. Unfortunately that proved near-enough impossible. 

The side as a whole were boosted by the return of Holger Badstuber—who had just returned from 20 months on the injury bench—but also welcomed superb goals from Robbem, Muller, Mario Gotze, Robert Lewandowski and Frank Ribery on a day that just seemed to go right for the Bavarian giants. 

"It was a great surprise for all of us," joked Bastian Schweinsteiger at full-time to the press. Yet for many this kind of result was a long time coming for the German champions to be. 

Borussia Dortmund 0-1 Bayern Munich

Martin Meissner/Associated Press

Although Borussia Dortmund offered little in terms of genuine competition throughout this season (at least in the Bundesliga), Bayern's 1-0 win over them just a few weeks ago in the heart of Western Germany was a notable scalp on their way to the title. 

Jurgen Klopp's side looked better than they had earlier in the season, when flirting with relegation, and coming off a rather damaging 2-0 defeat to Gladbach in the previous match. However, this was a game that Guardiola simply had to win. 

Although it only came down to one goal—from Lewandowski of all people—it was a goal that confirmed one thing: Bayern had managed to jump one of their remaining hurdles toward the title. 

Bayern Munich 1-0 Bayer Leverkusen

Frank Augstein/Associated Press

Although victories against some of the best teams in the Bundesliga have been featured in this slideshow, Guardiola's side have at times been rather subpar in clashes at the top of the German top division. 

Such troubles have never been more notable than against Roger Schmidt's stubborn Bayer Leverkusen side, who put up a strong fight against the German champions in early December. 

The Bavarian side pulled ahead eventually in the 50th minute through a wonderful Franck Ribery volley, which proved to be the only goal of the game. Perhaps not the most vital three points of the campaign but a game that meant a lot to a team that were intent on winning all their matches this year.