10h59 CEST
09/05/2026
Julian Brandt admitted there was a "sense of melancholy" after he and Niklas Sule appeared for Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park for the final time.
Dortmund rounded off their home season with a 3-2 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Friday, guaranteeing they will finish second in the Bundesliga.
BVB fell behind to an early strike from their former midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud, but Serhou Guirassy, Nico Schlotterbeck and Samuele Inacio scored to put them 3-1 up, and they survived a nervy finish after Jonathan Burkardt pulled one back for Eintracht.
Dortmund's victory was their 52nd over Eintracht in the Bundesliga, their most against any club, and it was a particularly meaningful one for Brandt and Sule.
Both players are leaving as free agents at the end of the season, and Brandt told Sky Sports the reality of his departure had not really set in.
"When you've played your last home game, it's certainly special," he said. "There's been a lot going on over the last few days.
"We've still got one game left, but of course, a sense of melancholy does start to set in. You only really realise what you've had here over the years once it's truly gone for good.
"We're trying to finish the season on a high. We'd lost three out of four before this match. That's not like BVB, so our aim is to get another win in Bremen [against Werder next week]."
Only Maximilian Beier (three) created more chances than Brandt (two), who also hit the target with both of his shots and had four touches in the Eintracht penalty area – only Guirassy (six) had more.
300 - Dortmunds Niklas Süle läuft zum 300. Mal in der Bundesliga auf. Spartaner. #BVBSGE pic.twitter.com/oig5lyDN9N
— OptaFranz (@OptaFranz) May 8, 2026
Sule, meanwhile, made his 300th Bundesliga appearance, receiving a standing ovation when he replaced Luca Reggiani as an 88th-minute substitute.
The centre-back said: "It was a lovely day, a lovely setting. It was unbelievably nice to see how the fans reacted!
"And the fact that the manager gave me a few more minutes for my 300th game was just brilliant.
"My whole family was here. I'm going to enjoy the last few days and try to have a bit of fun with the lads. We've now secured second place, which makes us absolutely delighted."
Head coach Niko Kovac, meanwhile, was pleased with the way Dortmund reacted after their slow start.
"We were caught off guard right at the start, but we had the game under control after 15 minutes and also scored the goals before half-time, which was of course very important," he said.
"The second half was an open game from both sides, with the better outcomes for us.
"I liked the way the team performed, apart from the first 15 minutes, and I'm also glad we're finishing the season in second place. You can be very satisfied with 70 points."