Borussia Dortmund overcame Bayern Munich 2-1 at the Allianz Arena to take bragging rights in the latest instalment of Der Klassiker. Grit, determination, and Mats Hummels prevented a rather wasteful Bayern side from taking at least a point, as BvB reclaimed fourth place in the Bundesliga table.
However, this is, in truth, the poetic irony of Dortmund’s performance today. Die Schwarzgelben had lost all of their previous nine visits to the Allianz Arena in the Bundesliga prior to kickoff, a stat that has ultimately cost them the Meisterschale on a number of occasions.
Last season it was 4-2, in 2019 it was 5-0, and in 2015 it was 5-1. When the Bundesliga title was on the line, BvB did not just lose in Bavaria; they crumbled in phenomenal fashion.
In all three of those seasons, it appeared as though the Black and Yellows would be the side to dethrone Bayern and end their dominance over Germany’s top flight. Nevertheless, the dreaded trip to Munich was the season-defining and title-ending moment during each campaign.
Nevertheless, now Dortmund can finally claim to have ended Bayern’s stranglehold on the Bundesliga, but this time, ironically, it will not be them to lift the Meisterschale. While Bayer Leverkusen were bound to be crowned champions of Germany regardless of the result in Der Klassiker, a 13-point lead now practically ensures that they will be the side to dethrone Bayern after eleven years.
Whether it be that this is the year that Bayern have been their most vulnerable or whether they have just failed to take their chances, one thing can be certain: Dortmund, for once in the Allianz Arena, were fantastic.
Far from eye-catching but undeniably effective, other than the few chances presented to Harry Kane, Dortmund kept Bayern considerably quiet. At the back, BvB were compact, and when the occasional ball did slip through, the commanding figure of Mats Hummels was in the way.
In transition, Dortmund were quick and direct, countering Bayern in devastating fashion. While the two goals from Karim Adeyemi and Julian Ryerson were taken in style.
With the title not on the line, Dortmund proved they could go to Bayern and take all three points. Many may say that the one time Dortmund beat Bayern was the one time it did not matter.
However, perhaps in the future, BvB will now have the confidence to take the title with them too.
GGFN | Will Shopland
