MUNICH, Germany — Bayern Munich rolled past Borussia Dortmund in the most electric edition of Der Klassiker in years, led by a Thomas Müller brace en route to a 4-2 win.
BVB traveled to Munich hoping to preserve or build upon their one-point lead on the Bundesliga table, while Bayern were looking to rebound from the turmoil amid the sudden firing of manager Julian Nagelsmann last week during the international break.
Bayern’s new head coach, Thomas Tuchel, found a way to earn the decisive 4-2 win over his former club in his first appearance at Allianz Arena. Bayern dominated their rivals in all areas of the game and not only took back the lead in the Bundesliga but also made the statement that the record champions will very likely celebrate their 11th consecutive title in May.
Rapid reaction
1. Bayern Munich play trademark Tuchel football
Even though Bayern’s new manager had only a few training sessions with the core of his team, Tuchel managed to put his stamp on the game and start his new stint in Munich on the right foot.
Bayern played with more structure against Dortmund on Saturday than under Nagelsmann in the weeks leading up to his sacking. The hosts showed some of the elements that have defined Tuchel’s teams in the past, specifically versatile wing plays and switch passes to the far side.
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Tuchel also seemed to specifically target Dortmund midfielder Emre Can. So, Leon Goretzka, who was on paper a centre midfielder in Bayern’s 4-2-3-1, moved forward and distracted Dortmund’s holding midfielder on many occasions. Goretzka roamed through the left half-space and opened room for Müller on the right-hand side.
It sounds rather simple, but Tuchel found the tactical tools he needed to outsmart his former team.
2. Kobel mistake puts Dortmund under pressure
Up until the 12th minute, Dortmund looked capable of being a team that could make this Klassiker an even battle. Then Emre Can, who looked erratic against his former team early on, committed a foul and was booked by referee Marco Fritz. Moments later goalkeeper Gregor Kobel tried to clear the ball outside his penalty area, but completely missed it.
What is usually a mistake we see in Sunday leagues clearly rattled Dortmund, as pressure mounted on the guests not to put a foot wrong to keep their lead in the Bundesliga.
