What the papers say: 'Bayer's crazy Berlin party'

The Bild am Sonntag reports: "Precision landing on the Champions League spot! Bayer Leverkusen win 5-1 in Berlin and finish fourth in the table for the first time this season in the final game. … Leverkusen coach Peter Bosz (55) has picked up 34 points, including 13 in the last five games, since taking up his post in the winter."

The Express says: "You haven't seen Bayer Leverkusen pros and fans like this for a long time: The Werkself players boisterously hopped and danced around the huge Olympic Stadium in front of the travelling fans to celebrate qualification for the Champions League.… The Werkself match-winner was Lucas Alario. The Argentinian – on the bench a lot this season – flourished during the run-in. This time he found the target – three times in total!"

The online edition of the Rheinische Post describes the mood in the Bayer 04 camp after the final whistle: "The first Champions League qualification since 2016 not only made Bayer fans' hearts beat faster. The players and management from Leverkusen also celebrated in style the successful chase in the second half of the season that ended suitably with a 5-1 in Berlin. CEO Fernando Carro ran round the team areas in the Berlin Olympic Stadium with a bottle of Bavarian beer in his hand and hugged anybody he met. Sporting director Simon Rolfes was already in the pool in the changing room at this point – soaked by the players who didn't miss the chance to include their sporting director in the jolly and liquid celebrations. A few weeks ago it was hard to imagine the Werkself would go ahead of Borussia Mönchengladbach on the last day to qualify for the champions league. After 28 games, the gap to the Champions League places was ten points. But the team were not distracted even after a run of three defeats – winning five of their last six games."

The Kölner Stadt Anzeiger observes: "Bayer 04 produced an outstanding performance overall in an incredibly important game. There was a lot of pressure on the team under coach Peter Bosz but the Werkself knew how to handle it. A defensively solid as well as offensively focused and effective performance produced a deserved win in the end."

The Frankfurter Allgemeinen Sonntagszeitung records: "Bayer Leverkusen had an easy game in the end. The team coached by Peter Bosz, who were in ninth place at the winter break, achieved a highly deserved 5-1 win at Hertha BSC Berlin to go into the Champions League is the fourth-placed team at the very end of the campaign."

The Frankfurter Rundschau highlights: "Ahead of the game in Berlin, Leverkusen were never once in a Champions League position during the whole season. Bayer (58 points) knocked Borussia Mönchengladbach (55) off the Champions League spot on the last day of the Bundesliga campaign. Head coach Bosz, who took over the Werkself at the beginning of the year, breathed new life and passion into Bayer."

The Berlin newspapers naturally focus, above all, on Hertha BSC. The BZ am Sonntag writes: "It was a good job there was nothing for Hertha to play for in this last game.… Leverkusen brushed the Berliners aside with a 5-1 win in front of 59,287 fans at the Olympic Stadium to qualify for the Champions League. Bayer were on the front foot from the start and took the lead after 27 minutes through Havertz. Nevertheless, there was a great atmosphere at the stadium. The fans celebrated the departing coach Dardai - and the game didn't get in the way."

The verdict in the Berliner Kurier reads: "First, there was the usual hammering at the end of the season and then huge applause! Hertha BSC lost the home game against Leverkusen 5-1 on the final matchday. But that was completely incidental on this particular day. It was all about the big farewell for coach Pal Dardai and Fabian Lustenberger."