Borussia Dortmund clinched a place in next season’s UEFA Champions League on the final day of the Bundesliga season, with a key assist from Algerian international Fares Chaibi playing a crucial role in the dramatic reshuffling of the top four.
Dortmund secured a comprehensive 3-0 home victory over Holstein Kiel, a result that alone would not have guaranteed their place in Europe’s top-tier competition.
However, events unfolding simultaneously in Freiburg tilted the balance in their favour.
Eintracht Frankfurt, Dortmund’s direct rival for Champions League qualification, travelled to face SC Freiburg in a match that would ultimately prove decisive.
Freiburg, who started the day in fourth place, opened the scoring and appeared on course to secure the final Champions League slot.
But just before the interval, a well-orchestrated move involving Chaibi shifted the momentum.
The midfielder delivered a deft double-headed assist to set up Ansgar Knauff’s equaliser for Frankfurt in the dying moments of the first half.
The goal proved a turning point in the match, reinvigorating Frankfurt and throwing Dortmund a lifeline. Chaibi, who had started the game, finished the season with three assists, his contribution on Saturday arguably the most influential of all.
After the break, Frankfurt capitalised on their newfound energy, scoring two more goals to defeat Freiburg 3-1.
The result not only dashed Freiburg’s Champions League hopes but also saw Frankfurt overtaken by Dortmund, who leapt from fifth to third place on goal difference.
The sequence of results confirmed Dortmund’s place in next season’s Champions League, completing a tense final-day turnaround.
At Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund took care of their own business efficiently. Ramy Bensebaini once again featured at left-back in the team’s established three-man defensive setup, helping keep a clean sheet against Kiel.
The home side struck early and maintained control throughout, ensuring they were well-positioned should results elsewhere fall in their favour — which they ultimately did.
Fares Chaibi’s performance stood out not just for the technical quality of his assist but also for its timing and impact. In what has been a challenging season for the Algerian, ending the campaign with such a pivotal contribution will offer a measure of personal satisfaction and highlight his potential going into the next term.
While Freiburg will now turn their focus to the UEFA Europa League, having missed out on a top-four finish, Eintracht Frankfurt’s defeat sees them drop out of the Champions League positions on the final day — a bitter blow after a promising campaign.
For Borussia Dortmund, however, the final whistle brought relief and celebration. A season marked by inconsistency has ended with a place among Europe’s elite.
Thanks in no small part to Fares Chaibi’s timely intervention, the Black and Yellows will return to the Champions League stage next season.
