It was a breathtaking clash between the Bundesliga champions Bayern, and the league leaders Dortmund. With thousands of Dortmund fans flooding the signal iduna park with their overwhelming Yellow colours, the host couldn't have wished for a better motivation and support. For years Bayern Munich have dominated the German Bundesliga, and as a sports enthusiast, I grew weary of their untrammeled victories. Seeing them pick up silverwares without much competition makes the whole stuff a bit boring to me.
Every new season, I always prayed a team will arise to give them a run for their money, and I think Dortmund has gotten themselves back into the league, and have showed resilience and determination to snatch the Bundesliga from Bayern. Though Burussia Dortmund few years ago, especially during the days of Jurgen Klopp(the current Liverpool manager), were a force to reckon with in the German League, the departure of their tactical boss and some of their key players affected the team's performance. They also saw one of their best forwards Abumayang depart to Arsenal, it hasn't been easy. Bayern, I will say, have been having a rollercoaster ride, but it seems the New Dortmund Coach is no toddler to mess around with.
Not so many believed any team will be able to stop Bayern's dominance, I at least didn't see it coming. But with the current statistics and performance of Dortmund as compared to Bayern this season, I think it's high time we cut The Yellow guys some slack. From what I saw in yesterday's clash, I have no heaviness in concluding that Dortmund will not be playing second fiddle to Bayern this season. Their win yesterday against the champions is a pointer that Bayern is no more invincible, and could as well be taken down by any team that discovers their code. Niko Kovac will be under serious pressure as he watches the once glorious Bayern wane in strength under his care. I just hope he finds his spark back, and boost the team to revolve around his instructions.
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Interesting Drama, As Dortmund Came From Behind To Snatch A Win.
Signal Iduna park was lighted up by the evening drama between the two heavyweights, as they played for both points and pride. It's as if Marco Reus and Lewandoski had preplanned to come against each other in the game, as both players netted a brace in the game. The match saw Reus canceal out the Polish strikers two goals, before the magical Alcacer came from the bench to put an end to Bayern's hope of grabbing a point from the game. The Former Barcelona guy seems to be a specialist at coming from the bench to win a game for Dortmund, and the coach is really making use of his gift at times when it mattered the most. This wasn't the first or second time Alcacer is putting up such stunts this season, and trust me, Bayern crew knew he would leave a scar when brought in.
Burussia Dortmund had four points gap against the champions before their Saturday clash, some may have been looking forward to see Bayern slice down the rift, but this current Dortmund team is not just willing to drop points for anyone now. With the win yesterday, the guys from iduna park have extended their gap to seven points, and if things continues like this, Bayern may lose sight of their back. This win now gives Dortmund a real hope of title challenge, and they aren't doing bad in the Champions League too. They really needed a breathing space from Bayern, I think it will go a long way to boost their confidence.
It took the assistant referee's late time flag to stop Bayern from sharing the points with Dortmund, as Bayern saw their six games unbeaten run in all competitions brought to an abrupt end. Niko Kovac before the match never admitted being under pressure, but the loss on Saturday will remind him that his job is under threat, as he risks being kicked out. It hasn't really been easy for Kovac trying to fit into the shoes of Pep Guadiola, and a club like Bayern may not have the patience to condone the decline.
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Dortmund Must Have Cleared All Doubts.
Bayern drew the first blood of the game in the 26th minute, as a slack Dortmund's defense inability to clear a right wing cross from Serge Gnabry saw Lewandoski head in the first goal to put Bayern ahead. The score remained like that till halftime whistle sent both teams to the dressing room. The second half display by the host showed that the Dortmund Coach had talked to his boys on how to turn the table against Bayern. And just four minutes into the second half saw Dortmund equalise the goal via a spot kick by Marco Reus, thanks to Manuel Neuer's foul. Neuer has conceded the last eight shots fired on target against him in the Bundesliga.
However, it didn't take long for Bayern to restore the lead as a cross found the dangerous polish striker again, and of course, the goal poacher made no mistakes in executing his duty. He also had a possible hat-trick goal ruled out by the Linesman. Dortmund waited till the 66th minute to level the game again, all thanks to Marco Reus. And then that moment of magic came. When I saw Alcacer warming up to enter the game initially, my tommy made some rumbling sound. Deep within, I knew he would pull a stunt as usual, and behold he did. A piercing pass from Axel Witsel saw Alcacer pick it up to fire home the winner. It was a tough night, and I enjoyed the swing.
The win would have cleared a lot of doubts as regards Dortmund's sterlin performance this season. Most critics had said they were lucky with some easy fixtures at the start of the season, but the boys from Signal Iduna park have maintained consistency, as they have come from behind many times to drive home a win. Funny enough Dortmund have scored 18 goals by substitutes this season, you just have to give some accolades to the Dortmund coach.
Have you noticed that Bayern have only managed to pick up just 8 points in their last 7 Bundesliga matches this season? Hahaha... Trust me, it's not getting any easier for the champions. Well, while Bayern may not be shaking the records positively, Dortmund is pushing the inks in their favour. This is the second time in the history of Bundesliga that Dortmund are going unbeaten in their first Eleven games, winning 8 and drawing 3, not a bad score for me. I think the last time something like that occurred was in the 2002-2003 season, when they also went 11 games without defeat.
Do You Still Have Doubts About Dortmund's Readiness To Pick Up The Crown? For Me, I Think They Are Ready To Go All The Way.
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