Bayern Munich clinched a statement result in the Bundesliga on matchday 24 as they scored late to defeat Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park. It is a monumental victory, as Bayern have now opened an 11-point lead over their closest title rival.
Vincent Kompany went with his strongest available options in midfield and defense. The Belgian coach decided to go with Serge Gnabry in the number ten role as they continue to use Jamal Musiala from the bench.
Bayern started the game positively and piled the pressure on Dortmund. The hosts were struggling to get hold of the ball, but they defended well to ensure Die Roten got minimal good chances in the final third. Marcel Sabitzer blocked Harry Kane’s shot in the 11th minute, which was Bayern’s biggest chance in the early exchanges.
Michael Olise forced a strong save from Gregor Kobel in the 16th minute after cutting inside from the right flank. Bayern had a strong case of having a man advantage in the 20th minute when Nico Schlotterbeck went in with a dangerous tackle on Josip Stanisic. The German defender was lucky to get a yellow card despite VAR intervention.
Even though Bayern kept pushing for the opening goal, it was Dortmund who first got on the scoresheet through their first shot on target. Daniel Svensson delivered a good free kick in the 26th minute, which was brilliantly headed home by Schlotterbeck, further rubbing salt on the wounds of Bayern players and fans.
Dortmund grew in confidence after scoring the first goal. They had a couple of good chances to increase the lead. Meanwhile, Bayern looked shell-shocked after conceding the goal, making mistakes in and out of possession until the half-time whistle.
Bayern come out all guns blazing in second half
After a timid end to the first half, Bayern came back in the game early in the second half. They created chances from the word go. Harry Kane came to Bayern’s rescue in the 54th minute to level the score. Kimmich plays a deft chip pass to find Serge Gnabry in the box. The German forward headed the ball in the path of Harry Kane. The English striker calmly slotted the ball past Kobel.
Bayern dominated the possession after scoring the equaliser, but Dortmund had a chance to restore the lead just before the hour mark as Maximilian Beier was inches away from converting a swift team move. The Bavarian club eventually got the chance to go ahead in the 69th minute. Stanisic was brought down in the box by Schlotterbeck after a clever bit of skill by the Croatian defender. Kane stepped up and converted from the spot to score his 30th goal in the Bundesliga and crucially give Bayern a 2-1 lead in Der Klassiker.
The visitors were in complete control over the next 12 minutes of the game as they kept the ball and didn’t allow Dortmund to create chances in the box. However, Dortmund dug in and eventually scored the equaliser in the 83rd minute. Former Bayern midfielder Marcel Sabitzer delivered an inviting cross in the box. Svensson managed to convert the cross into the goal with a clever bit of finishing. It was all level going into the final 10 minutes of the game.
Bayern took next to no time to get ahead in the game after Dortmund’s equaliser. In the 87th minute, Michael Olise delivered a brilliant cross in the box, but it was cleared by a Dortmund defender. However, Joshua Kimmich pounced on the loose ball and expertly deposited it into the net.
The defending Bundesliga champions saw out the rest of the game to clinch all three points. Bayern have a healthy lead over Dortmund going into a busy schedule. It was not pretty, but Kompany’s men showed grit and determination to take all three points to Munich.