Bundesliga 2018-19: 3 Things we learned from Der Klassiker

The pressure mounts on Kovac
The pressure mounts on Kovac

#1. Borussia Dortmund are a serious force to be reckoned with

Reus has been sublime this season
Reus has been sublime this season

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.

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