Borussia Dortmund secured their first win at the Allianz Arena in almost a decade on Saturday night as they further dented Bayern Munich’s hopes of catching Bayer Leverkusen at the Bundesliga’s summit.
Bayern were playing catch up from the outset after Karim Adeyemi handed Dortmund an early lead in Der Klassiker. The hosts missed several chances in the opening period, but their second-half performance was bereft of attacking cohesion and Dortmund always looked more likely to score the second.
Julian Ryerson’s pinpoint effort doubled BVB’s lead and sealed a memorable triumph. The result crushed Bayern’s already fading title hopes and emboldened Dortmund’s cause for a top-four finish.
How the match unfolded
Dortmund entered the arena which has been their perpetual burial ground for the past decade knowing they were facing an uncharacteristically vulnerable Bayern side.
Yet another Bayer Leverkusen late show meant Bayern’s deficit to the league leaders extended to 13 points before kick-off and their attempt to close the deficit got off to the worst possible start.
A swift Dortmund transition was rounded off by the speedy Adeyemi, who was always going to beat Matthijs de Ligt in a running race. The hosts have often had to fight from behind this term and should have restored parity on several occasions before the break.
Harry Kane missed a gilt-edge chance midway through the first half, while Mats Hummels somehow denied Eric Dier on the line.
It was a chess match of a contest with both teams aiming to access their playmakers in the half-spaces as much as possible. Bayern sought to change tempo in possession to overwhelm the visitors, while Dortmund focused on hurting the hosts on the counter. Both had success, but Die Roten failed to restore parity before half-time with the visitors defending stoutly.
There were no signs of BVB having to hold on at the start of the second half, with Terzic’s side gaining the upper hand after the restart. Felix Nmecha came ever so close to doubling their lead, but the midfielder was denied superbly by Sven Ulreich.
Thomas Tuchel rotated his attacking force on the hour, but the new arrivals failed to ignite a shift in momentum. Dortmund grew in comfort as the contest wore on, and their second goal, scored by the excellent Ryerson, was richly deserved.
Kane thought he’d halved the deficit in the closing stages, but his header was ruled out for offside following VAR intervention. That decision allowed Dortmund to coast through the final few minutes.
GK: Sven Ulreich – 5/10 – The steady Ulreich provided a pair safe of hands after he failed to keep Adeyemi’s opener out.
RB: Joshua Kimmich – 7/10 – Enjoying his return to right-back and was a handy outlet for much of this contest. Quality provider of crosses.
CB: Matthijs de Ligt – 6/10 – Beaten for pace by Adeyemi in the goal sequence, but De Ligt recovered to produce a fine defensive performance. Excellent from set pieces.
CB: Eric Dier – 5/10 – Looked pretty uncomfortable throughout and wasn’t on the same page as his left-back during the build-up phase.
LB: Alphonso Davies – 4/10 – A flat performance from Davies, but his recovery pace did come in handy.
CM: Leon Goretzka – 7/10 – Among Bayern’s standout performers in the first half. Goretzka did an excellent job at stopping Dortmund’s transitions at source and did provide some quality in possession – just not from crosses. Nowhere near as effective in the second half.
CM: Konrad Laimer – 5/10 – Counter-pressed to good effect in the opening period, but struggled after the restart.
AM: Leroy Sane – 6/10 – Started brightly and is so difficult to slow down when he shifts through the gears. Eventually frustrated by Dortmund’s excellent backline.
AM: Thomas Muller – 6/10 – Typically crafty in and around the box, with his movement making him easily accessible. Slowed things down at times on the counter.
AM: Jamal Musiala – 5/10 – Certainly wasn’t Musiala’s day and was withdrawn just after the hour.
ST: Harry Kane – 4/10 – As profligate as you’re ever likely to see Kane. The striker was off target all day, with his late effort being ruled out.
Substitutes
SUB: Kingsley Coman (63′ for Musiala) – 6/10
SUB: Mathys Tel (63′ for Muller) – 5/10
SUB: Serge Gnabry (63′ for Sane) – 6/10
SUB: Noussair Mazraoui (73′ for Laimer) – 6/10
SUB: Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (84′ for Davies) – N/A
Subs not used: Daniel Peretz (GK), Dayot Upamecano, Kim Min-Jae, Bryan Zaragoza, Noussair Mazraoui.
Manager
Thomas Tuchel – 4/10 – Bayern were fine in the first half but got worse as the contest wore on. Too compact at times in possession, with Tuchel failing to ignite a turnaround despite making several changes.
GK: Alexander Meyer – 7/10 – Bayern racked up plenty of xG, but their poor finishing meant the Dortmund keeper was rarely tested. Meyer was dominant in the air.
RB: Julian Ryerson – 9/10 – Impressive down the right. An industrious character who reads the game well. Bayern didn’t get much change out of him and he sealed a memorable victory for the visitors.
CB: Mats Hummels – 10/10 – Timeless. Imperious. Euro 2024, anyone? This was one of the best centre-back performances of the season.
CB: Nico Schlotterbeck – 9/10 – Produced a couple of emphatic standing challenges which set the tone in the first half. Progressive in possession, too. Superb alongside his standout partner.
LB: Ian Maatsen – 7/10 – Kimmich’s surges from full-back caught him out once or twice, but the Chelsea loanee was otherwise impressive. Almost scored a superb goal following a driving run in the second period.
CM: Emre Can – 7/10 – The midfield enforcer had a tough task covering Bayern’s playmakers, but he stuck to his task and offered plenty of protection.
CM: Felix Nmecha – 6/10 – On his first start since November, the leggy Nmecha grew into the contest after a rusty opening. Should have doubled his side’s lead.
CM: Julian Brandt – 6/10 – Teed up Adeyemi’s early goal, but Brandt didn’t do a good enough job at tying things together in transition thereafter.
RW: Jadon Sancho – 7/10 – There’s a spring in Sancho’s step once more. This wasn’t a dazzling performance as such, with Sancho having few touches, but he often sparkled when he did get the ball.
ST: Niclas Fullkrug – 6/10 – Worked off scraps, but his effort was tireless and he did shackle Bayern’s backline with his physicality.
LW: Karim Adeyemi – 8/10 – Silenced a few critics with his performance on the big stage. Adeyemi turned on the jets to give Dortmund an early lead.
Substitutes
SUB: Marco Reus (67′ for Brandt) – 5/10
SUB: Salih Ozcan (67′ for Nmecha) – 5/10
SUB: Sebastien Haller (74′ for Fullkrug) – 5/10
SUB: Marius Wolf (84′ for Sancho) – N/A
SUB: Jamie Bynoe-Gittens (84′ for Adeyemi) – N/A
Subs not used: Marcel Lotka (GK), Julien Duranville, Marius Wolf, Youssoufa Moukoko, Niklas Sule, Jamie Bynoe-Gittens.
Manager
Edin Terzic – 8/10 – A victory that could prolong his stay in Dortmund. This was a huge win and Terzic’s pragmatic plan laid the foundations.
Player of the match: Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund)
READ THE LATEST BUNDESLIGA NEWS, RUMOURS & GOSSIP
Read More: World News | Entertainment News | Celeb News
90 Mins
