Incredible scenes in Germany as Leverkusen win maiden Bundesliga title

Bayer Leverkusen's record-breaking run to their first Bundesliga title was no fluke, with a 16-month plan coming to fruition.

The team made sure of their first trophy in 31 years with five matches left in the season, snapping Bayern Munich's 11-year stranglehold on the Bundesliga.

Sunday's 5-0 home victory over Werder Bremen further stretched Leverkusen's Bundesliga record unbeaten run to 29 games - 25 wins and four draws to chalk up 79 points.

Xabi Alonso's team have a 16-point lead over Bayern with five matches remaining.

Leverkusen left nothing to chance and sealed their title win at the first opportunity with Florian Wirtz bagging a hat trick in a win that stretched their unbeaten run across all competitions to a remarkable 43 games this season.

They earned a 24th minute penalty and Victor Boniface, who only recently came back after a three-month injury break, stepped up to score his first league goal since December and his 11th of the campaign.

There were more chances to double their lead in a one-sided first half, with Amine Adli also hitting the woodwork for the hosts.

Werder came out fighting after the break, trying to spoil the party, but Granit Xhaka's missile on the hour from 25 metres out sparked wild celebrations in the stands.

They were not yet done with substitute Wirtz adding another eight minutes later.

The Germany international, gearing up for Euro 2024 on home soil in June, bagged another in the 83rd with impatient fans then briefly running onto the pitch. He completed his hat trick in the 90th to cap his team's five-star performance and secure the title in style.

The mood at the club was very different when Alonso took over in October 2022 with the team second-bottom after eight Bundesliga games, having their worst start to a season since 1979.

After a few months it became clear the Spaniard had successfully injected a winning mentality, with his team racing up the table to finish in sixth place.

But it was during that rise in form in late 2022 when Alonso and the club set the foundations for this season's success.

With all eyes on the World Cup in Qatar, club bosses in Leverkusen sat down with Alonso to map out their transfer plans and put them into action early.

Leverkusen are, however, far from done this season, having reached the German Cup final and taken a 2-0 first-leg lead in their Europa League quarterfinal against West Ham United.