Dortmund vs Bayern: The international reaction
Munich – The much-anticipated Matchday 13 Klassiker definitively went FC Bayern München's way in the end as they ran out 3-0 winners at great rivals Borussia Dortmund on Saturday evening.
United Kingdom
The showdown between this year's two UEFA Champions League finalists was followed live by a massive audience in 207 countries worldwide and bundesliga.com has compiled some of the international press reactions, with one particular subplot inevitably at the fore...
The Mirror:Götze scores on Dortmund return
At the final whistle on a bitterly cold evening in Borussia Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park, the home players looked stunned, deflated by a brutal late burst of Bayern Munich quality that definitively settled a match that was in the balance for most of the afternoon. The loyal fans standing behind the south goal making up the mighty Yellow Wall were still singing, of course, but Jurgen Klopp's normally ebullient side are in real need of a lift. Andy Brassell
The Guardian:Bayern stretch lead as Mario Götze haunts Dortmund
Mario Götze scored on his return to Borussia Dortmund, the club he left last summer, to set their bitter rivals Bayern Munich on the way to a 3-0 win in the much-anticipated clash of Germany's top two sides on Saturday. Götze stabbed the ball home in the 66th minute, only 10 minutes after coming on as a substitute to a resounding chorus of jeers, as the Bavarians enjoyed their first league win over Dortmund since 2010.
Spain
El País:Guardiola's tactical masterclass
Pep Guardiola pulled off a veritable transformation, converting a for the most part average FC Bayern side into a great one by the end of the encounter. He reconfigured the team bit by bit, change by change, until the proud Jürgen Klopp finally had to bend the knee in submission. The Catalan tactician won the game and took a huge step towards securing the Bundesliga title in the process, with Dortmund now trailing Bayern by seven points
France
L'Equipe:Robben – anything but your average stand-in
Playing down the left in place of Franck Ribery, ruled out with a broken rib, Arjen Robben took the opportunity to show he’s anything but your average stand-in. He often got the better of Kevin Großkreutz and delivered some dangerous crosses, even if no one was on hand to convert them. He scored Bayern’s second and was at the heart of their third, feeding the overlapping Philipp Lahm to pick out Thomas Müller in the 87th minute. It was harsh on Borussia Dortmund, who otherwise conceded few chances, first-half efforts from Toni Kroos and Mario Mandzukic aside.
Switzerland
Neue Zürcher Zeitung:Guardiola's substitutions decisive
At the seventh attempt, and for the first time since February 2010, FC Bayern have managed to get the better of Dortmund in a Bundesliga game and the win takes them seven points clear of their Ruhr district rivals. Going into the pre-season Supercup meeting at this same venue in July, Guardiola was taken aback by the “fear in the eyes” of his players. That is not something he will have to be concerned about any longer.
