The defending champions took a massive step towards claiming a historic eight consecutive championship title by dispatching off the challenge of Lucien Favre’s men with a one-nil victory at a deserted Signal Park on Tuesday evening.
Der Klassiker produced a very thrilling half-hour of football filled with several clear-cut chances, a few goal-line clearances, a disallowed goal, and some decent saves from the goalkeepers before Joshua Kimmich handed the visitors the lead just before the break.
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It was a brilliant goal from the German international midfielder who spotted Borussia Dortmund’s Burki off his line and lifted a delicious chip over the goalkeeper into the top-left corner.
The home side could have felt hard done by that terrible end to the first half, having been the better team for most of it.
Knowing that a defeat could spell the end of their title aspirations, BVB returned after the break with a renewed purpose and urgency but could not capitalize on chances created with Dahoud, Hazard, and Haaland the guilty parties in the opening twenty minutes of the second interval.
The introduction of Jadon Sancho and Reyna gave the hosts a bit more bite up front, but Die Roten’s defence – marshalled by David Alaba – stood firm in the face of constant BVB pressure.
Dortmund sent on ex-Bayern man Gotze, and moments later, Dahoud tested Neuer with a fierce shot, which the shot-stopper did well to parry.
Lewandowski had the chance to make the victory a comfortable one with seven minutes left to play, but the Polish striker could only watch as his low curler deflected off Hummels and against the post. Gnabry then hacked the rebound over the top.
But a man-of-the-match performance from Kimmich and a solid defensive display from the visitors mean Bayern won’t rue any missed chances in their biggest game of the season.
Bayern were 4-0 winners when these teams met in Bavaria earlier in the campaign, and there would be no revenge for Dortmund as the Bundesliga trophy is seemingly heading back to Munich for the eighth time in as many years.
