Borussia Dortmund showing resilience despite nine-point gap to Bayern Munich
Borussia Dortmund continue to show mental resilience by giving Bayern Munich something to think about at the top of the Bundesliga table after their 3-2 comeback win over Hamburg on Matchday 27.
A few weeks ago, Dortmund trailed Bayern by only three points and appeared well placed to reach the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League after a 2-0 play-off round first-leg victory over Atalanta.
However, a 2-2 draw with RB Leipzig followed by a 4-1 defeat against the Serie A side in the second leg saw them knocked off their stride Despite pushing the Bavarians all the way in Der Klassiker three days later, a 3-2 reverse left them 11 points adrift of the league leaders with just 30 still on offer.
Watch: Borussia Dortmund 3-2 Hamburg - highlights
It would have been easy for Dortmund to feel sorry for themselves at that point, but they have responded fantastically. They immediately bounced back from Der Klassiker with a 2-1 triumph in Cologne, before downing Augsburg 2-0 at Signal Iduna Park.
Against Hamburg, they were 2-0 down by half-time but provided a spirited second-period comeback. Ramy Bensebaini twice showed brilliant composure from the penalty spot either side of a Serhou Guirassy header to seal a third consecutive Bundesliga win.
While they have exited the cup competitions earlier than they would have wished, Dortmund's league performance has been impressive. Their haul of 61 points after 27 games is their best since 2018/19, while their only two league defeats have come against the irresistible Bavarians.
Watch: Cologne 1-2 Borussia Dortmund - highlights
Discussing his side's Matchday 27 comeback, head coach Niko Kovač said: "In the second half, this stadium showed an energy that helped us. I liked the way we played. That's what I would have liked from the first minute. After that, Signal Iduna Park did the rest."
In regards to what his team still have left to play for, Kovač added: "We will continue to push hard. We will try to win every game and get the maximum out of it."
BVB, at least, are still in with a chance of breaking their all-time points record from the 2011/12 campaign, when they lifted the title under Jürgen Klopp.
They would need to win all their remaining seven games to do so, but nobody would be surprised to see Kovač's troops finish the season with a flourish.
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