Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski heaped praise on the German team’s “huge achievement” after they won their 10th consecutive Bundesliga crown with three games to spare on Saturday.

Bayern defeated Borussia Dortmund 3-1 in front of a sold-out home crowd to go 12 points clear at the top of the table. First-half goals from Serge Gnabry and Lewandowski put the hosts 2-0 up before Emre Can cut the deficit with a 52nd-minute penalty. Jamal Musiala got Bayern’s third goal seven minutes from the end.

They have now won 31 Bundesliga titles since the introduction of the top division in 1963, and 32 German league crowns in all.

“It’s not always easy to be consistent and play great football throughout the campaign,” Lewandowski said.

“Perhaps in a couple of years, people will realise what a huge achievement 10 titles in a row is.”

Forward Thomas Mueller, who became the first player to win 11 league titles, said nothing could beat the feeling of winning the Bundesliga.

“You don’t have that situation often enough, to win the championship against your direct rivals in a home game. We really wanted to do that,” Mueller said.

Coach Julian Nagelsmann breathed a sigh of relief when he crowned a challenging first season at the German powerhouse with his first Bundesliga title.

“It felt great. I know how important it was to win it today,” Nagelsmann, who had joined from RB Leipzig, said. “It moves the season into a better light. It is my first major title as well so it feels great.

“It was not an easy season I have to say,” said Nagelsmann who at 34 became the second youngest coach to win the Bundesliga.

“I am not one to complain but a lot of things happened and we had setbacks. So I am happy to have won it.”

The Bavarians had suffered a shock Champions League quarter-final exit to Villarreal earlier in the month and had also crashed out of the German Cup second round with their heaviest ever defeat, a 5-0 thrashing by Borussia Moenchengladbach.

That made winning the league mandatory.