Kane with a Bundesliga novelty
Classic end to the Bundesliga classic: FC Bayern clearly put Borussia Dortmund in their place three days after the embarrassing cup exit. When Munich won 4-0 (2-0) on Saturday evening, BVB once again did not present itself on an equal footing with the record champions. Harry Kane created a novelty in the Bundesliga.
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Bayern, who were scolded after losing 2-1 to third division club 1. FC Saarbrücken, benefited from hair-raising defensive errors by Dortmund, who, seven points behind league leaders Bayer Leverkusen, have lost touch with the top team. Goals from Dayot Upamecano (4th minute) and Kane (9th/72nd/90th+3) ensured Bayern’s tenth win in the last eleven competitive duels with the Westphalians.
Kane became the first Bundesliga player to score 15 goals in his first ten games in the German upper house. BVB’s last win against FCB was almost exactly five years ago.
Just like seven months ago, when the Munich team showed a strong reaction with a 4-2 win against Dortmund after parting ways with Julian Nagelsmann, this time it was once again an immensely important victory. Tuchel’s team remains on Leverkusen’s heels in second place, two points behind.
As is so often the case when Bayern were under pressure, they revealed their entire class. All the explosiveness of this duel, all the pressure that was on the guests, seemed to be gone early in the game. After just 183 seconds, Bayern’s central defender Upamecano easily headed a corner taken by Leroy Sané into the goal. National defender Nico Schlotterbeck and goalkeeper Gregor Kobel, who was strong later in the game and stayed on the line, refused to defend themselves.
Upamecano only returned to Munich training this week. Just six minutes later, Bayern’s new goalgetter Kane also experienced his special sense of achievement in this special duel. The 100 million euro man pushed a Sané preparatory work over the line for his first goal. In the running duel, Sané (27) sprinted away from Mats Hummels, who was seven years older than him, in front of Nagelsmann, who has now been appointed national coach.
The criticism of Tuchel, who was placed on leave as cup winning coach in Dortmund in 2017, suddenly seemed forgotten for the fact that he apparently did not take Bayern any further than Nagelsmann. The discussions about Bayern’s personnel problems, which started the season with a very small squad, also seemed to be forgotten. Upamecano and Leon Goretzka (with a splint on his arm) were fit again in time and were able to replace the suspended Joshua Kimmich and Matthijs de Ligt, who had a knee injury.
Given the excellent Bayern bench in Dortmund, including Serge Gnabry, Thomas Müller and Mathys Tel, the discussions of the past few days and weeks resembled a sham debate anyway. Dortmund fought their way back into the game after the 2-0 defeat, but clear qualitative differences in favor of the Bayern players were unmistakable. It wasn’t until stoppage time in the first half that BVB had their first chance to score through Donyell Malen.
Anyone who had hoped for a reaction from Westphalia after the break was bitterly disappointed. Even with ex-Bayern professional Niklas Süle coming on as a substitute, the BVB defense invited Bayern to great opportunities. At least coach Edin Terzic’s team tried everything they could until the end. Once again it wasn’t enough in the duel with Bayern.
In the 72nd minute, English international striker Kane finally decided the game with his 14th goal of the season and caused unbridled celebration by the entire Munich squad on the pitch, an indication of the huge pressure Bayern were under. The star striker’s next goal made the evening even more bitter for BVB.
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