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Bayern Munich produced a clinical display at the Westfalenstadion last night and managed to defeat Borussia Dortmund in a five-goal thriller, despite having two goals ruled out through offside by VAR.
In the highly entertaining Bundesliga fixture, that ended 3-2 in favour of the visitors, both sides looked dangerous on the counter and responded with vigour every time they went behind. Marco Reus broke the deadlock in the 45th minute following an evenly contested first half but the lead was shortlived as Bayern Munich's David Alaba found the back of the net from a free-kick right at the edge of the box with a little help from a deflection off Meunier.
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Bayern Munich set the tone for the second half after they took the lead from Robert Lewandowski's header in the 48th minute. They threatened to go two goals clear but Kingsley Coman's striker just a couple of minutes later bounced back of the near post.
Leroy Sane, who came on as a substitute in the 69th minute cut inside brilliantly and scored the third Bayern goal in the 80th minute. Borussia Dortmund responded almost immediately as Erling Haaland pulled one back after timing his run to perfection to meet Raphael Guerreiro's looped pass in the 83rd minute.
So, there were five great goals scored in the game and Die Schwarzgelben will be wondering how they failed to share points with their fierce rivals in the game. As Bayern Munich go two points clear at the top of the Bundesliga standings here we take a look at the five talking points from their win.
#5 Joshua Kimmich's injury a concern for Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich lost Joshua Kimmich to injury at a time when the game was still goalless in the 36th minute. His absence was clearly felt in midfield as they ended up conceding a goal just nine minutes after his departure. He has been one of the standout players for the Bavarians this season and they could not afford to lose him to an injury, given their tight schedule.
Fortunately, Bayern Munich do not have a game for the next two weeks, thanks to the international break which would give the midfielder ample time to recover if its just a knock. He will most probably spend his time with the club only undergoing recovery sessions and will be safe from any further injuries on account of international duty.
#4 Borussia Dortmund will be kicking themselves over missed opportunities
Though Borussia Dortmund scored two goals against Bayern Munich tonight if they would have been a little more decisive in front of the goal the scoreline could've been different. Striker Erling Haaland's hesitance proved costly tonight as the player repeatedly made the wrong call in promising positions.
He did manage to get on the scoresheet but with his finishing ability and speed, he should've added one or two more to his tally tonight. The player who is usually so confident in front of the goal was a bit unsure of himself and too often looked for a team-mate in the Bayern Munich half, as a result, even his shots suffered as the goal was the only one of his four shots to hit the target.
Captain Marco Reus also volleyed over from Guerreiro's cross in the final stages of the game.
#3 Bayern Munich maintain their supremacy in Der Klassiker
Bayern Munich showed Borussia Dortmund who's the boss yet again in Der Klassiker. It was the third meeting between these sides in 2020 and the visitors ensured that they took all three points from the game.
Bayern are now five games unbeaten in the fixture across all competitions against Dortmund. The result of the fixture often ends up playing a big role in determining Bayern's lead in the title race and with this win they have made a statement for retaining their title early on in the season.
#2 Robert Lewandowski loves scoring in the fixture
Robert Lewandowski extended his tally as the top scorer of all-time in Der Klassiker after he found the back of the net in the 48th minute of the game. The Polish striker could've had a hat-trick, if not for the crucial intervention from VAR, which rightly ruled out two of his efforts as being made from offside positions, in either half.
The striker had to wait until the second half to get his goal, but that was his 13th in his past eight Bundesliga games against his former employers. He also bagged an assist for Sane's third which was just as crucial, as it gave Bayern Munich a decisive lead that helped them keep the hosts at bay.
It was his 24th goal in the fixture and he has now scored 11 goals in the league already, which is a record in itself.
#1 Substitutions were key for both teams
Though Bayern Munich were forced to make an early substitution in the game due to an injury to Kimmich, they utilised their next two substitutions wisely. Borussia Dortmund too saw one of their substitutes in Jude Bellingham providing a lot of energy in the final third for them.
Leroy Sane also added an edge to Bayern Munich's attack after coming on and as a result, found the back of the net on a brilliant counterattack that yielded the game-winner for the former Manchester City star.
Bayern Munich's depth came in handy as they had Corentin Tolisso on the bench raring to go after Joshua Kimmich limped out of the game in the 36th minute.
