Bayern wins after a controversial penalty at BVB: an almost perfect script

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Thomas Müller's Bayern won for the seventh time in a row against BVB

Photo: Martin Meissner / AP

The excitement of the game:

It could have been so beautiful. Two highly talented football teams who dueled each other for the top of the table with fearless, somewhat naive offensive football at eye level - wasn't that what the Bundesliga fans have been longing for for so long? For 75 minutes, the game between Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern offered exactly that, before modern football shrunk the spectacle bureaucratically: A corner ball sailed into the BVB penalty area, BVB captain Mats Hummels fell unhappy on the arm. Referee Felix Zwayer initially let go, but then received a signal from his video assistant and gave the penalty. The »classic«, which is highly jazzed every six months, tipped again in favor of the record champions, but the last act in the script of this success has a sobering aftertaste.

The result:

FC Bayern Munich won the top game of the Bundesliga against Dortmund 3-2 (2-1), the gap between first and second place is again four points. Here is the message.

First half:

BVB, who had been able to gain new self-confidence since the return of their steamroller-like exceptional striker Erling Haaland from the injury break, seemed to be able to pose a threat to Bayern that evening. Julian Brandt (5th) took the lead in an initial phase that was unsteady on both sides after letting Alphonso Davies get out with a fine hook. Robert Lewandowski equalized almost immediately (9th). Afterwards, Bayern had more of the game - but also their dear effort to defend the fast BVB counterattack via Haaland after losing the ball, and a little luck that Kingsley Coman's deflected shot was enough to lead the break (44th).

Two veterans:

Mats Hummels and Thomas Müller returned to the national team together for the European Championship, since then national coach and top game grandstand guest Hansi Flick has only nominated the Munich player. Superficially because Hummels was plagued with patellar tendon problems. But there are still a number of arguments in favor of Müller in terms of sport, while there have been many potholes in Hummels' season so far - also before the equalizer: The otherwise masterful player opener was put under pressure by Müller, a blocked pass became for BVB Boomerang - and on the counterattack, the 32-year-old didn't catch up quickly enough to defend the situation against Müller and Lewandowski who moved up.

Second half:

Similar to the first round, it started with Dortmund pressure - and with Haaland, as one hardly knew him otherwise: The massive left foot showed that he can flip with the weak right hand very sensitively and still hit the goal (48. ). Because Lewandowski converted the controversial penalty, it was not enough to win the point - even if Corentin Tolisso let BVB live briefly in the eighth minute of stoppage time when he missed the empty BVB goal. Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel rushed forward for a corner.

Ballon d'Eutsche Bundesliga:

Lewandowski continues to have an incredible goal balance against his ex-club. After all, BVB is the second force in Germany. Nonetheless, the striker, who last came second behind Lionel Messi at the prestigious Ballon d'Or, has never met a club more often - and now for the eighth time at least twice. At the same time Lewandowski set a new record away goals in the Bundesliga, with his goals 117 and 118 he left Klaus Fischer (117) behind. Internationally, Lewandowski may only be a 1B player, nationally he remains the ultimate.

The shocking moment of the game: The

fact that the Bundesliga top

did not turn into the next demonstration of power in Munich for 65 minutes, but became an entertaining back and forth, was also due to a player who was already considered a failed talent: BVB professional Julian Brandt not only impressed as a goal scorer , but also set numerous accents as a creative passing player between ten and eight positions.

There was great concern when the on-off international was lying down after a collision with Dayot Upamecano, had to be treated for minutes and had to be transported from the field on a stretcher.

After all: after the final whistle, the BVB camp gave the first all-clear about Brandt's health.

"He's fine," said coach Marco Rose

Black and yellow annoyed, seen red:

BVB coach Marco Rose was also not there until the final whistle.

The coach, who was able to win both home games against FC Bayern in Gladbach's time, felt that he was being treated unfairly - and made this clear to Zwayer in a way that resulted in a referral to the stands.

"I pointed out to him relatively emotionally that he was wrong in several situations," said Rose after the game.

“And then in the end you get a yellow-red card.

That's stupid. "In fact, there was no more or less comparable" optional penalty "for BVB in the first half after Lucas Hernández allegedly fouled Marco Reus.

Emre Can was also served: "It's just a shame that the game ends for Bayern because of such a decision."