Schalke was eliminated from the title race with a 3-3 tie against Bayer Leverkusen. Schalke, in second place, fell 11 points behind Bayern with three games to play.

The Bayern players waited to see if Schalke scored a late goal, then ran onto Kaiserslautern's field.

From nowhere, huge two-litre glasses were produced and the Bayern players spent the next hour alternately gulping down Bavarian wheat beer and pouring it over themselves, coach Felix Magath and even the presenter of the TV coverage.

The league title comes in Magath's first season in charge at Bayern and represents his first major honour as a coach.

``It's a real relief, a real joy to finally win a title,'' said Magath.

Bayern coasted to its sixth straight win after Michael Ballack scored on a low shot in the 19th minute off Makaay's backheel pass. Makaay added goals in the 35th, 48th and 68th minutes.

This was Bayern's 19th German title. It won in 1932 before the Bundesliga was formed for the 1963-64 season.