Bayern Munich fought a grueling (and winning) 3-2 battle against Borussia Dortmund away from home in Der Klassiker. There were several obstacles to the flow of the game was disruptive to build a good rhythm. However, the Bavarians did splendidly to find their winning goal and keep their lead secure under immense pressure. Midfielder Joshua Kimmich summarized how they managed to beat a desperate and determined Dortmund side.
The unrelenting mentality
Bayern arrived in Dortmund with an opportunity to build a big lead in the Bundesliga race. With Dortmund in second place, this fixture was vital in determining who would lift the Meisterchale this season. Understandably both teams brought their full might to the pitch and gave it their all.
After the game, Kimmich opened up about the lead up to this game and what victory meant (FCBayern.com). “It’s up to us, and we’re not going to give it up. To be honest, with what I believe is an eleven-point lead, we’re not going to let it slip away. No one’s ever squandered that, and it’s going to stay that way. Today, mentality was the deciding factor in the end.”
A difficult game to build an advantage
The zealous and physical nature of the game saw constant break in the flow of the game, stopping momentum from building up effectively. Despite the ref being lenient, the rigor of the duels between the players and the pressure led to loss in possession, direction changes and fouls.
“We struggled for a long time. It was a very physical game, especially in the first half, very disjointed, with lots of stoppages, set pieces, and fouls. We couldn’t find a real rhythm,” said Kimmich. With 40 tackles and 30 interceptions in the game, neither team was letting the other have a moment’s time to breathe.
Patience and endurance
Bayern Munich often deals with teams that go all out and try to catch the Bavarians off guard. However, the record champions have had the right strategy to deal with annoying teams that take early leads and sit back. Managing a better pacing of the game than their opponents, the Bavarians have implemented a strategy that exhausts the opponents before pouncing upon openings in the final phases of the game.
Commenting on the change in flow in the second half, Kimmich said, “Things flowed a bit better in the second half. We also knew at halftime that it would be difficult for Dortmund to maintain that tempo for 90 minutes. They’d had a tough few weeks with a lot of games, we hadn’t. So we knew: the longer the game went on, the bigger our advantage would become. Luckily, we managed to capitalize on that advantage very late in the game.”
After multiple turns, the Bavarians preserved their lead and deservedly so. With greater accuracy of shots taken, Bayern edged past Dortmund who failed to crush Bayern at home.
If you are looking for more Bayern Munich and German national team coverage, check out the latest episodes of Bavarian Podcast Works, which you can get on Acast, Spotify, Apple, or any leading podcast distributor…
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