Bayern Munich thrash Borussia Dortmund to regain control of Bundesliga title race
Bayern Munich swept aside Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker to move a point clear of their title rivals at the top of the Bundesliga standings.
Bayern Munich 5-0 Borussia Dortmund
Goals: 1-0 Hummels (10’), 2-0 Lewandowski (17’), 3-0 Martinez (41’), 4-0 Gnabry (43’), 5-0 Lewandowski (88')
Mahmoud Dahoud struck the woodwork for Dortmund early on, but it was one-way traffic from the moment Mats Hummels headed in Thiago’s 10th-minute corner. The floodgates opened as Robert Lewandowski - having picked off Dan Axel-Zagadou’s errant sideways pass - dinked over the advancing Roman Bürki and scissor-kicked into the open net for his 200th Bundesliga goal. Bürki repelled further efforts from Thomas Müller and Hummels, before an ingenious Thiago free-kick paved the way for Javi Martinez to get in on the act from 18 yards. Serge Gnabry powered in Müller's clipped cross to cap an unerring first-half display.
The second period became an exercise in damage limitation for Dortmund as coach Lucien Favre sent on Julian Weigl for Zagadou. Bayern didn’t play with quite the same urgency, but still managed to carve out presentable opportunities for Lewandowski, who was a fraction away from turning in Kingsley Coman’s low cross, and Gnabry, who was unable to find the target following another laser-guided Thiago set-piece. Lewandowski met Gnabry's cross for his second of the night, the defending Bundesliga champions back in charge of their own destiny - a point clear and 14 goals better off than Dortmund - with only six rounds of fixtures left to play.
Match stats
- This was the 100th meeting between these two sides in the Bundesliga.
- Lewandowski has scored 15 Klassiker goals: 14 for Bayern and one for Dortmund; only Gerd Müller has more, with 14.
- Lewandowski has scored 201 Bundesliga goals (127 for Bayern, 74 for Dortmund) in 284 games.
- Gnabry scored his eighth Bundesliga goal of the season, and the third headed effort of his Bundesliga career.
- Martinez has scored three Bundesliga goals this season, all in 2019. It matches his career-best Bundesliga haul of 2012/13.
- Hummels opened his account for 2018/19, and has now scored at least once in 11 consecutive Bundesliga seasons.
Line-ups
Bayern: Neuer (c) – Kimmich, Süle, Hummels, Alaba – Martinez (Goretzka 72'), Thiago – Gnabry, Müller (Sanches 80'), Coman (Ribery 68') – Lewandowski
Unused subs: Ulreich, James, Rafinha, Boateng
Out: Davies (knee), Robben (calf), Tolisso (knee)
Coach: Niko Kovac
Dortmund: Bürki – Piszczek (Wolf 69'), Akanji, Zagadou (Weigl 46'), Diallo – Witsel, Delaney – Sancho, Dahoud (Götze 62'), Bruun Larsen – Reus (c)
Unused subs: Hitz, Philipp, Schmelzer, Toprak
Out: Alcacer (arm), Guerreiro (unknown), Hakimi (metatarsal), Pulisic (thigh)
Coach: Lucien Favre
Watch: Kovac: “today was the benchmark”
