ESPN’s top Bundesliga commentator, Derek Rae, expects an exciting dispute between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, which he summoned to US viewers on ABC and ESPN + (U.S. fans can stream the match replay HERE ), opens new eyes to German football. Here’s your instant reaction column.
In preparation for the 104th edition of the Bundesliga of a game that came to be known as Der Klassiker, many wondered if it could end up being another demolition job. Bayern played down Dortmund in the last league games at the Allianz Arena and the portents were far from positive for the visitors.
Friday’s news that two of the BVB’s most effective players, Raphael Guerreiro and Jadon Sancho, had been excluded, looked like a hammer blow before a ball was kicked. Could Dortmund handle the situation, playing infrequent games lately, like Dan-Axel Zagadou, Nico Schulz and Thorgan Hazard?
With their new look for the previous three years, they started brilliantly, showing life, initiative, enthusiasm and a plan. It was to press, win the ball, move Bayern players and change the game quickly.
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When Erling Haaland saw his second minute of kick hitting the net with the help of a deflection from Jerome Boateng (his first successful Bundesliga goal from outside the box), you could almost feel the question being asked across the football world: Was this the day for Dortmund to make the best of a faltering Bayern defense? The truth is that Bayern are statistically as weak as they have been defensively since the difficult 1991-92 campaign, when they went through three different coaches.
That feeling only intensified with Haaland’s second goal, which was seen significantly at the end of a play involving the aforementioned Schulz and Hazard on the left. Bayern had overloaded on the opposite flank, giving left-back Schulz the freedom of the Allianz Arena. Boateng was caught on the wrong side of the deadly Haaland.
The Norwegian international had never scored in the first quarter of an hour of any Bundesliga game. Now he had done this twice in Der Klassiker. On second thought, Dortmund had never scored twice in the first 10 minutes against Bayern. What the hell was going on?
While at the microphone with broadcast partner Taylor Twellman, I couldn’t help thinking about a Bayern game that I had commented on for the Bundesliga world feed in January. Mainz had galloped to a 2-0 lead, but Bayern came around the top and a little more, registering a 5-2 victory. It is true that Dortmund is not Mainz, but Bayern is Bayern.
The truth is that the progress of the rest of the game saw Bayern ahead with the exception of a few isolated moments. I wrote in my notebook for about 20 minutes “Dortmund looking compact and looking for quick counterattacks.” Marco Reus escaped Bayern center-back Niklas Sule and, shortly after, midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud matched well with BVB full-back Thomas Meunier on the right. But Bayern was now blocking Haaland.
The tide was about to change considerably. Schulz made the mistake of giving Leroy Sane too much space and, with his skillful footwork, scored a goal for Robert Lewandowski. The Polish striker, the best scorer in this game, was just getting warmer.
A key moment came just before the break. When Dahoud clumsily entered Kingsley Coman into the box, referee Marco Fritz saw no transgressions. But we all learned to say “it will be checked” and as fast as a flash, Fritz was on his TV monitor taking a second look. The more we watched, the more we thought, a penalty kick was inevitable.
Lewandowski’s penalty shootout is very much his: a few steps to the side, then that little moment of delayed action before the blow itself. He was recently denied by Hertha’s Rune Jarstein, but this time, confidently, passed by Marwin Hitz to tie the dispute.
Perhaps because of that unlikely failure in Berlin, Bayern coach Hansi Flick chose to look away when his attacking star took the penalty kick, relying on the acoustics to confirm he had actually entered.
It was Lewandowski’s 30th goal of the season, marking the fourth time he reached that milestone.
In fact, it was no more than Bayern deserved to be tied 2-2 at halftime. The first two attempts at the game were goals from Dortmund by Haaland. The next 12 (!) Were all from Bayern.
As at the beginning of the first half, Dortmund started the second half with great confidence. Once again, we saw the Schulz-Hazard combination in the foreground, with the latter shooting over the crossbar.
After that, Bayern became the team with a lot to say about themselves, especially on the left side, where Coman, one of their best players this season, was a constant threat.
It was a question of whether Dortmund would be able to keep the score, even if it fell deeper and deeper – too deep, as coach Edin Terzic later admitted. Hitz got in the way of a shot by Joshua Kimmich that ricocheted right in front of him, but escaped without concession.
But Dortmund’s prospects dwindled when the Haaland talisman, which had already been hit, was replaced at the hour mark. On 77 minutes, Terzic made the five substitutions, the last of which saw captain Reus, with just 32 touches throughout the game, make way for young Brazilian Reinier.
Tension levels increased with each passing minute, but the real drama was yet to come. In many ways, it had to be provided by a man who is always improving.
Leon Goretzka emerged from the shadows to become one of Bayern’s best. In the comment, when I saw Meunier clear only as far as he was concerned, did I put it as a question? “Is there a chance for Goretzka, perhaps?” The question has been answered. Bayern goal. 3-2.
Dortmund questioned the goal, feeling that there had been a lack in formation. After reviewing it several times, I haven’t seen any Sane offense in Emre Can and I still don’t see it. This was not a clear and obvious mistake.
To be sure, Bayern scored again to seal Lewandowski’s hat trick, leading him to 31 goals this season and nine of the 40 goals of all time in a single campaign established by the legendary Gerd Muller in 1971-72.
The defeat was especially bitter for Dortmund, as a two-goal lead turned into a defeat in the Bundesliga for the first time in more than 25 years. Qualifying prospects for the Champions League remain at stake.
But there is no denying that the best team prevailed.
What a game. Grasping the tension until very close to the end and I believe that through transmission, we have won more than a few converts for the Bundesliga cause.