The official confirmation from UEFA is still pending, but Borussia Dortmund's victory against Paris Saint-Germain combined with Bayern Munich's draw against Real Madrid means that England and France can no longer move past the Bundesliga in the race for the so-called "European Performance Spots".

The two best-placed nations in this ranking – Italy are ahead of Germany – will receive an additional Champions League place beyond their quota. "It's great that we were able to secure the fifth spot for Germany," said BVB's delighted sporting director Sebastian Kehl. "We're happy that we've qualified for the Champions League again," added Mats Hummels.

With three rounds of matches of the Bundesliga season remaining, Borussia Dortmund are in fifth place and cannot finish any lower either. Fourth position is still possible, but the gap to Leipzig currently stands at five points. (br)