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Der Klassiker never disappoints. It is one of the most widely acclaimed and important games in Bundesliga, and tonight's match just proved that yet again. Both Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich took the fight to each other's doorstep, and gifted the audience yet another tale to remember.
Robert Lewandowski helped Bayern Munich take the lead not once, but twice with his brace. But both times Marco Reus equalised, and ultimately it was Borussia Dortmund's loanee Paco Alcacer who came on as a substitute to score the winner.
It was an epic encounter as Bayern Munich tried to dominate proceedings early on, but a resurgent Dortmund side knows how to fight back and kept on pushing Bayern Munich throughout the match. Ultimately, the home team's good performance was rewarded in the second half via a winner by their striker, Paco Alcacer.
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Lets quickly evaluate three major takeaways from this tie.
#1 Borussia Dortmund, not Bayern Munich, are the favourites
This will come as a shock for football fans around the globe, but Borussia Dortmund looks like a major favourite to win the Bundesliga title after a long time. They are 4 points clear on top, with this defeat putting Bayern 3rd on the table, 7 points adrift of the league leaders.
Dortmund's goal difference is staggering, and they are on a league of their own this season. They have scored 33 goals already this season while conceding only 12, which leaves no doubt that they are the team to beat this time around.
Although Borussia Dortmund have been known to falter after promising starts in the past seasons, they have surpassed the challenge from the mighty Bayern, which makes it a different scenario this year. They have won 8, drawn 3, and are undefeated in the Bundesliga at the moment.
Uli Hoeness, the Bayern Munich president, recently suggested that they.are the underdogs for the first time in a long time. And it looks like he was true. Dortmund was beaten 5-0 by Bayern in March this year, but they are a different team now. If there was any doubt regarding that, their recent victory over Bayern Munich cleared all of it.
#2 Lucien Favre is a tactical mastermind
When Lucien Favre took charge this summer, few expected him to bring the glory days back to Signal Iduna Park. After all, they were a mess. Dortmund were consistently failing to find the right manager with predecessors like Thomas Tuchel adding more fire to the flames, but it looks like they have found a cool head on the hot seat now.
It's suffice to say that Lucien Favre turned it all around in the past couple of months. His work with Borussia Monchengladbach may have gone unnoticed, but he is the prominent reason for Dortmund's superb form this season. There is not an ounce of doubt that his superior organisational skills and tactical masterclass has propelled Dortmund into title challengers this season.
His superior tactical ability and game reading is also evident in Dortmund's recent successes this season. Even tonight, Bayern Munich were consistently dominating the ball in the first half but Dortmund managed to hit back in the second half. Lucien Favre made some key changes with substitutes and went all out, which resulted in a well fought win at the end.
Even the hardcore fans did not see this coming. They never expected Dortmund to be serious title challengers so quickly, but Lucien Favre has managed to show his worth with this team. There is a fresh air of positivity and confidence surrounding Borussia Dortmund right now, and credit goes to Lucien Favre for this spectacular turnaround.
#3 The rebirth of Marco Reus
One of the major talking points after this match will be the two goals Marco Reus scored to counter the impact of his old friend, Robert Lewandowski. His staggering form this season as he leads his team's title challenge makes his rebirth more beautiful for football fans around the globe.
Over the years, Marco Reus spent loads of time on the treatment table. His bad luck with injuries seemed like they were never going to stop, but Reus has turned it around with his team. He is the among the rare superstars to have not left Dortmund in times of crisis, although bigger European giants came calling.
Although Reus missed a couple of sitters vs Bayern, his chemistry with Sancho and Paco Alcacer upfront gave the Bayern defenders little rest in the second half. His performances against Bayern Munich resonates the story of this season.
Marco Reus is not getting any younger. He is 29 years old, but his form reminds the football world about the young player they fell in love with, more polished this time around.
Although the likes of Achraf Hakimi, Sancho, and Paco Alcacer have performed superbly, Marco Reus makes Dortmund tick, and is the team's driving force. He proved that once again against Bayern.
