Before the last round of matches, Bayern Munich lead Schalke 04 by three points, but with an inferior goal difference.
As the news spread quickly at the Parkstadion, most Schalke supporters believed their team had won their first championship since 1958.
Referee Markus Merk thus awarded an indirect free kick for Bayern about eight meters from the Hamburg goal.
Discussions and protests led to a further delay before Patrik Andersson eventually scored the decisive equaliser, the only goal of his Bayern career, on a Stefan Effenberg tip pass.
[3] Title combatants Bayern and Schalke both qualified for the 2001–02 UEFA Champions League while Borussia Dortmund and Bayer 04 Leverkusen achieved qualification round spots for the same competition.
European qualification was rounded out by Werder Bremen, VfL Wolfsburg and 1860 Munich, who entered the 2001 UEFA Intertoto Cup.
On the bottom end of the table, SpVgg Unterhaching, Eintracht Frankfurt and VfL Bochum had to face relegation to the 2.
In European competitions, Bayern Munich won the 2000–01 Champions League after beating Spanish sides Valencia CF on penalties.