PortuGOAL
·29 May 2023
Portuguese Abroad goals round-up: Guerreiro goal not enough for Dortmund; Jota signs off with brace; Bruno on target as United clinch 3rd; Gonçalves fires Copenhagen to Danish title; Tomás scores as Stuttgart face play-off
![Article image:Portuguese Abroad goals round-up: Guerreiro goal not enough for Dortmund; Jota signs off with brace; Bruno on target as United clinch 3rd; Gonçalves fires Copenhagen to Danish title; Tomás scores as Stuttgart face play-off](https://image-service.onefootball.com/transform?w=280&h=210&dpr=2&image=https%3A%2F%2Fportugoal.net%2Fimages%2FDiogo_Goncalves_title_win.jpg)
PortuGOAL
·29 May 2023
Raphaël Guerreiro was hoping to end his Borussia Dortmund career with the Bundesliga title this weekend, but despite the Portuguese getting on the scoresheet BvB contrived to blow their chance at glory in Germany.
Elsewhere, there were final-day goals for Diogo Jota and Bruno Fernandes in the Premier League, while Diogo Gonçalves (pictured) celebrated two league titles in the space of 48 hours as Copenhagen were crowned champions of Denmark. In the German fight for survival, Tiago Tomás struck for Stuttgart, who will enter a play-off to decide their fate.
Guerreiro goal not enough on disastrous finale for Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund took to the field on the final day of the Bundesliga knowing a victory over Mainz would make them German champions for the first time in 11 years. The visitors arrived on a four-match losing run and Dortmund were widely expected to get the job done, but BvB instead threw away the opportunity to end Bayern Munich’s grip on domestic football.
Dortmund fell behind after 15 minutes to Andreas Hanche-Olsen’s near-post header, after which Sebastien Haller missed the chance to equalise when his penalty was saved. A nightmare first quarter of the game was concluded when Karim Onisiwo put Mainz 2-0 up at a stunned Westfalenstadion in the 24th minute.
With three goals needed to ensure the title, Dortmund were more purposeful and incisive after the break, but the fightback was a little long in arriving. Raphaël Guerreiro halved the deficit with a rare right-footed goal on 69 minutes, but the league leaders were unable to find another breakthrough until Niklas Sule’s 96th-minute consolation to make it 2-2 at the final whistle.
Bayern made hard work of their trip to Cologne, relying on Jamal Musiala’s 89th-minute strike to give them a 2-1 win and move one point clear of Dortmund in the final standings. For Guerreiro, who announced his departure the following day, the chance of a winning send-off disappeared as Bayern were crowned champions for the 11th straight season.
Diogo Gonçalves celebrates double league title
An incredible 48 hours for Portuguese forward Diogo Gonçalves saw him crowned champion in both Portugal and Denmark. Having left Benfica midway through the season, Gonçalves qualified for a Primeira Liga winners’ medal, ahead of his FC Copenhagen side wrapping up the Danish Superliga on Monday evening.
Fittingly, Gonçalves scored one of the goals as the Copenhagen won 2-1 at Viborg on the penultimate day of the season, after which nearest challengers Nordsjælland were hammered 5-1 at Brøndby. Therefore, Gonçalves and his teammates moved four points clear with one match remaining, clinching a double after their Danish Cup win earlier this month.
Gonçalves was the scorer of the winning goal in the Danish Cup final and he found the net again - at the second attempt following a saved penalty – to put his side two goals up at Viborg. Having made ten appearances for Benfica in their title-winning campaign, Gonçalves spoke to the Portuguese media about a memorable double triumph.
“What a fantastic week! We only thought about beating Viborg and then we would see what happened [in the other game]," he said.
“I am very happy with this achievement. It's been an amazing day, but also a lot of work. Now we can enjoy.
“Of course, being champion also for Benfica is an immense happiness. Being able to add that title to these two conquered here [in Denmark] is something that will stay with me forever. I am very happy and proud to be able to say that, in addition to being a Danish champion, I was also a Portuguese champion.”
Fernandes, Jota sign off with goals in Premier League
Diogo Jota and Bruno Fernandes have both ended the English Premier League season in style, albeit with differing reflections on their collective seasons with Liverpool and Manchester United respectively. As the curtain came down on England’s top flight, Liverpool missed out on Champions League football and settled for 5th place, while United secured 3rd as they prepare for next week’s FA Cup final with rivals Manchester City.
Jota ended with a brace in the Reds’ remarkable 4-4 draw at Southampton on Sunday. The former Porto forward scored the first goal to put Liverpool 1-0 ahead with an opportunistic finish from slack defensive play, before later getting the final goal of the day to earn his team a point with a lethal drive to make it 4-4. Jota has seven goals from his last nine appearances for Liverpool.
Bruno Fernandes, meanwhile, scored the winner as Manchester United came from behind to beat Marco Silva’s Fulham 2-1 at Old Trafford and make sure of 3rd place. Fernandes’ winner was a brilliant piece of play by the Red Devils, with Brazilian midfielder Fred finding the Seleção man’s run with a precise reverse pass and Fernandes beating Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno with a deft finish.
The goal means Fernandes has three goals and two assists from his last eight matches, ending the season with 8 goals in the Premier League. Diogo Dalot was also given a start at right-back, having been dropped for the last four matches as Erik ten Hag favoured Aaron Wan-Bissaka for the position.
The rest: Tomás strike fails to lift Stuttgart out of play-off spot
VfB Stuttgart face a relegation play-off against Hamburg to decide their fate in Germany after failing to beat Hoffenheim on Saturday. Stuttgart were held to a 1-1 draw by mid-table Hoffenheim, learning after the match that a win would have seen them secure safety. On-loan Sporting striker Tiago Tomás scored Stuttgart’s goal, coming off the bench to grab an equaliser with a vicious left-foot drive.
Elsewhere, Qarabag were recently crowned champions of Azerbaijan and they finished the campaign by cruising to a 3-1 win over Turan, with former Olhanense midfielder Leandro Andrade among the scorers. In Cyprus, Rafael Lopes struck for AEK Larnaca as they secured European qualification with a 2-0 win at Omonia, while Miguelito was on the scoresheet as Nea Salamis overcame Olympiakos Nicosia 3-2 at home.