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The 99th Bundesliga edition of the Der Klassiker ended with Dortmund winning by the odd goal in five. The game had an ebb and flow to it throughout and was arguably the game of the season across Europe.
Bayern dominated the early exchanges and deservedly led through their prolific marksman, Robert Lewandowski. Meanwhile, Dortmund were guilty of spurning a gilt-edged chance when Marco Reus fired straight at Manuel Neuer.
After the break, Dortmund looked a team possessed and threw caution to the wind, earning a penalty and converting it to put Bayern on the back foot. Minutes later, Lewandowski handed the initiative back to Bayern with his second headed finish of the night.
However, Bayern’s joy was short-lived as Reus produced a sumptuous finish to draw parity in the 67th minute. Within six minutes, Dortmund surged into the lead courtesy a perfectly timed run and finish by their super-sub, Paco Alcacer. Racing on to a through ball by Axel Witsel, the Spaniard maintained his composure to dink the ball over Neuer.
With the victory, Dortmund have now opened up a four-point lead at the top, while Bayern sit a further three points behind in 3rd spot. The Der Klassiker at the Signal Iduna Park lived up to its billing and was an enthralling watch for fans around the world.
However, there were also a few things that came to light during the see-saw battle in the industrial town of Dortmund. Through this article, we would look at three things we learned from Dortmund’s sensational victory over Bayern Munich.
#3. Bayern look threadbare in midfield and wide areas
After a strong start to the season, Bayern have fallen away in recent months. Niko Kovac now faces an uphill battle to save his job and salvage the Bavarian side’s season.
Bayern have had rotten luck in terms of injury this season. The likes of Coman, Tolisso and Thiago face an extended spell on the sideline. The injury-prone nature of Robben isn’t aiding their case either. Although they haven’t had the rub of the green, a team like Bayern should be well-equipped to handle such perilous situations.
For quite a while, Muller, Robben and Ribery haven’t been firing, yet the Bayern hierarchy have mysteriously not injected some young blood into their team.
The triumvirate of Robben, Ribery and Muller would have walked into any team in their prime. However, the trio look way past their best these days, thus making Bayern’s decision even more bewildering.
As for their midfield, the pairing of Goretzka and Martinez lacked imagination. When Bayern were chasing the game, the duo failed to provide any thrust from the centre of the park, thus forcing Bayern out wide, where Dortmund had enough cover. Their midfield seems to be sorely missing the passing range of Thiago. Though the likes of Sanches and Goretzka are wonderful box to box midfielders, they hardly possess the exquisite passing abilities of Thiago.
A rocky road lies ahead for the Bavarian outfit and they would hope that Thiago and Tolisso return to the fold as quickly as possible to provide some cover to a threadbare midfield.
Bayern are in a crisis, there’s absolutely no doubt about it. However, for their sake, they know where the problems lie. It is now up to them to address those problems and reclaim their place at the perch of the Bundesliga tree.
#2. Axel Witsel is a contender for ‘signing of the season’
In the summer, Borussia Dortmund signed the Belgian midfielder from the Chinese Super League. At that juncture, not many looked at the signing as an influential one. However, after more than a quarter of the season, it looks like one of the shrewdest pieces of business.
Last season, Dortmund lacked any physicality in midfield. Though Weigl is an elegant player, he doesn’t possess the raw strength of Witsel. With Witsel sitting in front of the back four, the attacking quartet of Dortmund have more freedom to wreak havoc.
Additionally, the Belgian is quite underappreciated as a passer. Against Bayern, he produced the pass of the game to set Alcacer on his way. Moreover, his ability to play around the press places him among the pantheon of the lead defensive midfielders on the planet.
Witsel is a classic Dortmund signing: not flashy, not costly yet equally efficient. If Dortmund are to break the Bayern monopoly this term, a lot will rest on the midfielder’s shoulders. If he comes up with similar performances to the one on Saturday, a first league title since the Klopp era could well be within reach.
#1. Borussia Dortmund are a serious force to be reckoned with
Borussia Dortmund dispatched their title rivals, Bayern Munich in an entertaining and exciting game at the Westfalenstadion. Though they conceded a couple of goals, their attacking play was just breath-taking.
The attacking duo of Reus and Sancho was on fire throughout with the former bagging a brace. If not for his wastefulness, the German could’ve have been on the scoresheet at least four times.
Additionally, Gotze showed glimpses of his quality intermittently. In the midfield, Witsel looked solid and they dominated the second period after the introduction of Dahoud.
The third goal embodied Dortmund perfectly: they crowded out Bayern in their own half, before playing a slick one-two near the half-way line and releasing their star striker, Alcacer. Dortmund have scored goals for fun this season and with such a display against the mighty Bayern, you wouldn’t put it past them to make a real fist of the title race.
In addition to their attacking extravagance, they also possess an astute manager in Lucien Favre. The Swiss has made numerous canny substitutions throughout the season to tilt matches in his team’s favour. The half-time arrival of Dahoud and the introduction of Alcacer on Saturday a testament to the fact.
Borussia Dortmund have faced three big games this term: Atletico de Madrid twice and one Bayern and they have emerged victorious on two of those occasions. If this is not going to be Dortmund’s season, one could wonder if they can actually re-live the Klopp era.
Never since the days of Jurgen Klopp has there been such a sense of optimism around Signal Iduna Park. This young and vibrant Dortmund look like the real deal and it would take a very brave man to bet against them going the distance this season.
