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With a bow to Thomas Müller, coach Hansi Flick expressed his respect for his FC Bayern’s performance in the top 3-2 German Bundesliga game against Borussia Dortmund. “That’s true of the whole team,” Flick commented on his unusual gesture, “they have an outstanding mentality. That’s why we are where we are.” The joy of victory was also mixed with concern for the failed Joshua Kimmich.
>> Match report: Borussia Dortmund vs. FC Bayern Munich
Valid findings on the DFB national team player’s injury should only provide more detailed medical examinations on Sunday in Munich. But neither Kimmich’s sore face nor the compassionate reactions of his teammates on the field bodes well. In Flick’s view, Bayern would be hit hard by a prolonged failure: “They are a key player in this position and that would not be easy to bear.”
10th consecutive mandatory win
But even in this case, the one in Munich would be ready. They showed it in an impressive way in Dortmund. Even without Kimmich, who had already been replaced in the 36th minute, the record champions coldly fought back after BVB captain Marco Reus’ 0: 1 (45th minute). Goals by David Alaba (45th + 4) from a free kick, Robert Lewandowski (48th) and Leroy Sane (80th) helped win the 10th consecutive competitive game and extend the lead. “We deservedly won the game because we were one step faster and a bit more ripped off at the right time,” said midfielder Leon Goretzka, “these games are doubly important.”
It remains to be seen in the coming weeks if the victory is truly a hint of a new course for the season with Munich dominance. After all, the Munich team increased their lead over BVB to three points and put themselves on a psychological advantage. Flick did not want to exaggerate his fourth win in Game 4 as head coach against Dortmund: “The Bundesliga is currently very close. This is not to say that we did it after Matchday 7.
Despite all the frustration, Dortmund defender Manuel Akanji saw no reason to give up prematurely in the title fight: “We saw that we can keep up. He can take that positively. It’s only matchday seven.” . However, all of Borussia would have loved to save themselves from this deja vu. Once again, they had to face a knockout in competition from the industry giants. But unlike the last, sometimes significant defeats in Munich, the BVB professionals do not have to endure a nasty debate about lack of mind this time. Eventually, they put up bitter resistance to the triple winner. Even Leon Goretzka from Munich found words of praise: “The Dortmunders today showed a different face than many previous games. They played bravely.”
Dortmund was on par
However, to Mats Hummels’ chagrin, his former Munich team once again proved insensitive in the decisive moments. Although BVB only fired one shot on goal (15) less than Bayern in the fast-paced match, they came away empty-handed, as in both games last season. “Bayern were very strong offensively, but openly defensively. It was almost clear that it would be a game in this direction, where effectiveness decides,” commented the Dortmund defense chief.
However, even Hummels couldn’t see a big difference in performance between the two teams. “Today luck was not on our side. The three goals that we conceded were deflected,” complained the 2014 world champion. And added bitterly: “But probably little is said about that. It’s just that luck and bad luck, about everything in the main parties, they are often decisive. “
Even Marco Reus’ 1-0 lead (45th) did not pave the way to the first victory over the record champions in two years. It was with the history of a lingering Bayern curse that the BVB captain missed a great opportunity to equalize after Erling Håland’s 3-2 (83) when he threw the ball over the goal while free.
It remains to be seen whether, despite the brave appearance, the discussions about coach Lucien Favre will never get louder. After all, Favre’s longtime critics should feel confirmed in their view that you can’t win big games with such an attentive soccer teacher. The verdict of the Swiss driver, on the other hand, was as calm as ever: “As a coach, I am disappointed by the defeat. But we play football.”
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