AFTER BEating DORTMUND, BAYERN MUNICH RETAINS THE TOP SPOT IN THE BUNDESLIGA.
Bayern Munich reclaimed first place in the Bundesliga after defeating Borussia Dortmund at Allianz Arena on Saturday. What others saw as a victory, we saw as ‘Bavarian Domination.’
The visitors took the lead after Norwegian youngster Erling Haaland scored within the first two minutes of the game. Haaland then doubled his lead in the ninth minute of the game, with help from Belgian Thorgan Hazard.
The visitors became the second team in history to score two goals before the 10-minute mark against Bayern, following MSV Duisburg in 1977, when Ronald Worm scored two goals.
The visitors had a chance to triple their score, but Thomas Meunier squandered it. Soon after, Robert Lewandowski tied the game in the 26th minute with a goal assisted by Leroy, Sane.
Similarly, the Polish striker equalized just before halftime by converting a penalty. A possible comeback appeared to be on the horizon.
Then, for the first time in the game, Hansi Flick’s men took the lead when Leon Goretzka scored from the d-box to make it 3-2.
Finally, Lewandowski sealed the victory against his former employers with a hat trick assisted by Alphonso Davies.
With this win, Bayern reclaims the top spot in the German Bundesliga, 2 points ahead of RB Leipzig in third and 10 points ahead of VFL Wolfsburg in third.
Here are some game-related takeaways:
Dortmund is in Trouble
For the first ten minutes of the game, Dortmund appeared to be the superior team, with Haaland scoring twice to give the visitors an unexpected lead.
They had a chance to go up 3-0, but Thomas Meunier blew a golden opportunity that proved costly. The host was back in the game with a 2-1 lead shortly after the miss.
Although BVB had been on a roll, they couldn’t maintain their form against Bayern, and they conceded another goal on the stroke of halftime.
Terzic’s men struggled from the start of the second half because they couldn’t come up with another strategy. In the end, Dortmund only had four shots on goal throughout the game.
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Bayern is Superior
After falling behind 2-0 in the first ten minutes, Hansi Flick’s men realized they needed to stay focused and perform at their best to equalize and take control of the game.
Robert Lewandowski was clinical throughout the game, but we shouldn’t overlook Goretzka, Sane, and Alphonso Davies, whose contributions were equally important in the comeback. The Bavarians appear to be more confident than ever in successfully defending their title.
Mr. Fixed Halland
Even though he was on the losing side, the Norwegian sensation was ready to put on a show from the start.
It made an incredible start by scoring two goals before the 10-minute mark, posing a challenge to Lewandowski and his Bavarians.
Even though the hosts accepted the challenge and succeeded, Erling’s performances continue to astound the world, regardless of how the rest of Dortmund performs.
Excellent Lewandowski
Robert took nearly the entire first half to get going. The ex-BVB star tore into the heart of his former club, and once he gets going, there isn’t much anyone can do to stop him.
The Bavarian Empire
Lewandowski was named the match’s MVP after scoring three goals on nine shots, which was more than the total number of attempts made by Dortmund.
The Munich Reds or the Leipzig Reds?
With the result giving Bayern the league lead, the race for the winner is effectively a two-horse race. The only team close enough to challenge the record champions is RB Leipzig, while VFL Wolfsburg is third with a 10-point difference.
With this defeat, Borussia Dortmund is now 16 points behind the leaders and will struggle to compete for a UEFA Champions League automatic qualification spot, let alone the title.
Other teams in the top four, such as Bayern Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt, have suffered significant losses.
What Next for Dortmund’s Rising Stars?
With results like this, the future of young stars like Haaland, Jadon Sancho, and Gio Reyna raises eyebrows around the world, as they are not guaranteed to play in Europe next season.
A new coach, Marco Rose, may suggest that the Black and Yellow team can improve.
As previously stated, players such as Sancho and Gio Reyna, who were absent from the Munich game, remained in the squad after the season ended. Before a painful rebuild, more than one exit is likely.
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