Borussia Dortmund travels to FC Bayern as leaders, that’s special. BVB leave Munich with a hearty defeat, that’s a bitter habit. The Bundesliga table on this 26th matchday looks exciting. But only one decides about the master.
What happened at the stadium in Munich?
There are good reasons why “The Classic” or “The German Clásico” never really caught on as nicknames for top Bundesliga games between FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund. Because in the real Clásico, the eternal duel between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, sometimes one wins and sometimes the other. But when BVB travels to Munich, they always take a defeat home with them. Often a hearty one. So also this time, for the ninth time in a row and with a total of 8:37 goals. Today it’s a flattering 2:4 (0:3) on this 26th matchday, on which Dortmund could have pulled away with a win to four points in the table.
had. But then after just 23 minutes it was already 3-0 for FC Bayern. Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel made two serious mistakes. The first time when he sabered past Dayot Upamecano’s through ball, who then tumbled into the goal without touching. The second time when he let a tight shot from Leroy Sané hit the front. To where Thomas Müller lurked, who only had to push in. In between, Matthijs de Ligt had extended a corner to the back post, and Müller lurked here too, this time with his thigh. Game over after the first half.
The Dortmunders had arrived with such great, deserved self-confidence. Unbeaten in the Bundesliga after the World Cup break, with an impressive winning streak at 1. FC Union, Freiburg, Leipzig and Frankfurt. They had used FC Bayern’s phase of weakness to avoid jumping into first place so late in the season. Forget everything. Because the record champions only needed 23 minutes to make the balance of power clear, to show Borussia who will prevail when it counts. That sounds drastic, but it is simply the reality of the Bundesliga: In the end, FC Bayern always wins. Much clearer on this groundbreaking Saturday evening than the bare result of 4:2 would suggest.
Teams & Goals
Munich: Summer – Pavard, Upamecano, de Ligt, Davies (79th João Cancelo) – Kimmich, Goretzka (86th Gravenberch) – Coman (79th Musiala), Thomas Müller (69th Gnabry), Sané – Choupo-Moting (69th Mane ) – Trainer: Tuchel
Dortmund: Kobel – Wolf, Süle, Schlotterbeck (Hummels 44), Ryerson (Özcan 46) – Can – Bellingham, Guerreiro – Brandt (Malen 46), Reus (Moukoko 61) – Haller (Dahoud 61). – Trainer: Tercic
Referee: Marco Fritz (basket)
Gates: 1: 0 Kobel (13th, own goal), 2: 0 Müller (18th), 3: 0 Müller (23rd), 4: 0 Coman (50th), 4: 1 Emre Can (72nd, penalty kick), 4:2 painting (90th)
Viewers: 75,000 (sold out)
Yellow cards: Upamecano (5) – Can (6)
Our detailed match report can be found here.
How bad was it?
Very bad, at least for all those who sympathize with Borussia Dortmund. BVB captain Marco Reus should have summarized their view of the game when he was substituted after 60 minutes. He angrily threw his bottle on the floor, hitting the canopy of the substitutes’ bench. Although Emre Can and Donyell Malen reduced the lead from 0: 4 to 2: 4 in the final phase, Dortmund were lucky not to concede the fifth or sixth goal.
And who will be champion now?
FC Bayern. As always. Sure, the short time with Borussia Dortmund at the top of the table was nice, all the hustle and bustle surrounding Julian Nagelsmann’s dismissal was exciting. And it’s kind of nice that after all these years of Munich dominance, there’s still hope that this time it could really be different. But let’s be honest: The question of who will be the German soccer champion is decided solely by FC Bayern. The 17 other Bundesliga clubs are allowed to guess a bit and occasionally make suggestions, but that’s about it.
But Dortmund are only two points behind?
Yes, theoretically, BVB would just have to get three more points than FC Bayern on the remaining eight matchdays – an additional one because the Black and Yellows’ goal difference is 29 goals worse – and Munich would be trumped. In practice, however, it is not in the power of Dortmund to push the super club off the throne. As sad and sobering as this recurring realization may be.
So is Thomas Tuchel the savior?
That would be a bit too much, Julian Nagelsmann’s successor only had his whole team together for a day. Incidentally, Bayern boss Oliver Kahn and Sky expert Lothar Matthäus argued live on television before kick-off about the process of his dismissal, but that’s another topic. But the first ideas of the Tuchel football were already recognizable, the counter susceptibility of Munich was not an issue today. Certainly also because all the important questions about his premiere were clarified after just 23 minutes. Perhaps the football public will know more on Tuesday when Tuchel is about to play another game where losing is not an option: in the DFB Cup against SC Freiburg.
How was it in the stadium, Stephan Uersfeld?
“For the city and the club!” should Bayern play, the fans in the southern stand called for a large banner and threw confetti in the air. In the Dortmund corner it remained empty until a few minutes before kick-off. Only then did the BVB Ultras storm the block. They only had a few minutes to prepare for the game. After a bustling moment, “Hurrah, hurrah, the Dortmunders are here” echoed through the arena.
When entering, some, the Bavarians, waved their red and white and the others their black and yellow flags. Dortmund in particular were optimistic despite the starting position, the eight league defeats in a row in Munich. “Fight Borussia” and “Together we win every fight” was written on their memorabilia. A strangely miserable Telekom-T formed on the opposite stand. The first April storm blew in front of the stadium, and Gregor Kobel stepped next to the ball in the arena. “Only FCB will be German champions,” the fans chanted, and that’s the way it was and will always be.