Borussia Dortmund 0-1 Bayern Munich: Joshua Kimmich sends leaders seven points clear
by Michael Emons
Borussia Dortmund head coach Lucien Favre admitted it will be "brutally difficult" to stop Bayern Munich retaining their Bundesliga title after Bayern beat Dortmund on Tuesday.
Joshua Kimmich's wonderful chip from 20 yards just before half-time was the only goal at Signal Iduna Park.
Bayern are seven points clear of their second-placed opponents with six matches to go.
"Seven points in six games - it will be very, very difficult," said Favre.
Bayern are aiming for their eighth successive Bundesliga title but boss Hansi Flick insisted there is still a lot of work to do.
"I don't live in the future, the here and now is important," he said.
"We wanted to win and take a big step forward - we did that. We were focused, decisive and courageous at times. I'm satisfied with my team."
Kimmich's goal came after both sides had efforts cleared off the line.
Dortmund brought on England forward Jadon Sancho in the second half, but he could not inspire a fightback from his side.
Robert Lewandowski nearly doubled Bayern's advantage late on but shot against the post. Minutes later, he and the rest of the Bayern players were celebrating what could prove to be a big three points in the title race.
Resolute Bayern do enough to win
Before the game the build-up focused on Lewandowski and Dortmund's Erling Braut Haaland, with both strikers having scored 41 goals in 35 domestic games this season - putting them level as top goalscorers in Europe.
Haaland nearly got his 42nd domestic goal of the campaign inside the opening 35 seconds when he shot through the legs of Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer - making his 400th Bundesliga appearance - but Jerome Boateng was well placed to hack the ball off the line.
Dortmund then had the ball in the net when Thorgan Hazard headed in, but an offside earlier in the move ruled the effort out.
Bayern got more involved in the game and had a number of chances. Serge Gnabry had an attempt backheeled off the line by the retreating Lukasz Piszczek before Kingsley Coman and Leon Goretzka were both denied by home goalkeeper Roman Burki.
However, Burki will be unhappy that he could not keep out Kimmich's lofted effort just before the break as the Switzerland international got his hand to the ball but it still went in.
Dortmund, despite the introduction of Sancho at half-time, struggled to create clear-cut chances in the second half and Haaland was replaced by Giovanni Reyna with 18 minutes remaining.
But the home side had a chance to grab an equaliser when Raphael Guerreiro had a free-kick just outside the penalty area but could only shoot straight at Neuer. Mahmoud Dahoud also had a late effort saved by Neuer on a frustrating afternoon for the hosts.
Dortmund set to miss out on the title again
Dortmund, under the guidance of now-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, won the Bundesliga in 2010-11 and again the following season in 2011-12 but Bayern have won the title every year since.
They are now in pole position to become German champions for a 30th time - and will do so if they win four of their final six matches.
This result continued a remarkable unbeaten run in all competitions that now stretches to 18 matches since they lost 2-1 at Borussia Monchengladbach on 7 December.
Bayern, who are also in the semi-finals of the German Cup and hold a 3-0 advantage over Chelsea after the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, have now won 21 of the 24 matches since Flick moved up from assistant to replace the sacked Niko Kovac in November - when Bayern were fourth in the table.
Before the match, dubbed Der Klassiker and played in front of no spectators because of coronavirus restrictions, he said: "Regardless of the result, nothing will be decided."
However, Kimmich's goal means Bayern have a commanding grip on the Bundesliga and another title is theirs to lose.
Man of the match - Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
Just like Guardiola - the stats
- Flick has won 15 of his first 18 Bundesliga games in charge of Bayern Munich. The only other manager to do that was Pep Guardiola.
- Kimmich has scored three Bundesliga goals this season from outside the penalty area, more than any other Bayern player.
- Neuer was making his 400th Bundesliga appearance. Since his debut (matchday two 2006-07), no player has played as many Bundesliga games as him.
'We have to hope they slip up three times' - what they said
Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels: "I think now it is only up to Bayern to decide the title.
"We're seven points behind and can do nothing more than win our games. But we have to hope they slip up three times. We know how good they are."
Bayern goalscorer Joshua Kimmich: "It was maybe the most beautiful goal of my life and also very important.
"I didn't see him off his line but we were told before the game that Burki stands a bit off his line so I went for it and with a bit of luck it went in."
Bayern attacker Thomas Muller: "That was the big step that we wanted to take. It was a bit of a strange game but after Joshua's goal we tried to work a lot. It was important to win here in Dortmund."
What's next?
Bayern Munich entertain relegation-threatened Fortuna Dusseldorf at home on Saturday, before Borussia Dortmund play the following day - away at bottom-of-the-table Paderborn.
Line-ups
B Dortmund
- 1Bürki
- 26PiszczekSubstituted forGötzeat 80'minutes
- 15HummelsBooked at 13mins
- 16Akanji
- 5Hakimi
- 6DelaneySubstituted forCanat 45'minutes
- 8DahoudBooked at 67minsSubstituted forWitselat 85'minutes
- 13Guerreiro
- 23T Hazard
- 19BrandtSubstituted forSanchoat 45'minutes
- 17HaalandSubstituted forReynaat 72'minutes
Substitutes
- 7Sancho
- 10Götze
- 18Balerdi
- 22Morey
- 27Can
- 28Witsel
- 29Schmelzer
- 32Reyna
- 35Hitz
Bayern Munich
- 1Neuer
- 5Pavard
- 17BoatengSubstituted forHernándezat 85'minutes
- 27Alaba
- 19DaviesBooked at 74mins
- 32Kimmich
- 18Goretzka
- 29ComanSubstituted forPerisicat 73'minutes
- 25MüllerBooked at 66mins
- 22GnabrySubstituted forMartínez Aguinagaat 87'minutes
- 9Lewandowski
Substitutes
- 2Odriozola
- 8Martínez Aguinaga
- 11Cuisance
- 14Perisic
- 21Hernández
- 26Ulreich
- 33Mai
- 34Batista Meier
- 35Zirkzee
Referee:
Tobias Stieler
Match Stats
Home TeamB DortmundAway TeamBayern Munich
Possession
Home51%
Away49%
Shots
Home13
Away11
Shots on Target
Home5
Away5
Corners
Home4
Away3
Fouls
Home9
Away15
Live Text
Posted at
Match ends, Borussia Dortmund 0, FC Bayern München 1.
Full Time
Posted at 90'+4'
Second Half ends, Borussia Dortmund 0, FC Bayern München 1.
Posted at 90'+4'
Attempt blocked. Robert Lewandowski (FC Bayern München) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Leon Goretzka.
Posted at 90'
Foul by Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund).
Posted at 90'
Leon Goretzka (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Posted at 87'
Substitution, FC Bayern München. Javi Martínez replaces Serge Gnabry.
Substitution
Posted at 85'
Substitution, Borussia Dortmund. Axel Witsel replaces Mahmoud Dahoud.
Substitution
Posted at 85'
Substitution, FC Bayern München. Lucas Hernández replaces Jérôme Boateng.
Posted at 83'
Offside, FC Bayern München. Robert Lewandowski tries a through ball, but Serge Gnabry is caught offside.
Posted at 83'
Attempt blocked. Robert Lewandowski (FC Bayern München) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Serge Gnabry.
Posted at 80'
Offside, Borussia Dortmund. Mahmoud Dahoud tries a through ball, but Mario Götze is caught offside.
Posted at 80'
Attempt saved. Mahmoud Dahoud (Borussia Dortmund) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the bottom right corner. Assisted by Thorgan Hazard.
Substitution
Posted at 80'
Substitution, Borussia Dortmund. Mario Götze replaces Lukasz Piszczek.
Posted at 78'
David Alaba (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 78'
Foul by Thorgan Hazard (Borussia Dortmund).
Posted at 77'
Offside, Borussia Dortmund. Emre Can tries a through ball, but Thorgan Hazard is caught offside.
Posted at 77'
Attempt blocked. Mahmoud Dahoud (Borussia Dortmund) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jadon Sancho.
Posted at 76'
Attempt missed. Ivan Perisic (FC Bayern München) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left.
Posted at 75'
Attempt saved. Raphael Guerreiro (Borussia Dortmund) left footed shot from outside the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Booking
Posted at 74'
Alphonso Davies (FC Bayern München) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Posted at 74'
Foul by Alphonso Davies (FC Bayern München).
Posted at 74'
Giovanni Reyna (Borussia Dortmund) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Substitution
Posted at 73'
Substitution, FC Bayern München. Ivan Perisic replaces Kingsley Coman.
Posted at 73'
Foul by Benjamin Pavard (FC Bayern München).
Posted at 73'
Lukasz Piszczek (Borussia Dortmund) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Substitution
Posted at 72'
Substitution, Borussia Dortmund. Giovanni Reyna replaces Erling Haaland because of an injury.
Posted at 69'
Attempt blocked. Emre Can (Borussia Dortmund) right footed shot from outside the box is blocked. Assisted by Jadon Sancho.
Posted at 69'
Foul by Robert Lewandowski (FC Bayern München).
Posted at 69'
Achraf Hakimi (Borussia Dortmund) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Booking
Posted at 67'
Mahmoud Dahoud (Borussia Dortmund) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Posted at 67'
Joshua Kimmich (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 67'
Foul by Mahmoud Dahoud (Borussia Dortmund).
Booking
Posted at 66'
Thomas Müller (FC Bayern München) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
Posted at 66'
Foul by Thomas Müller (FC Bayern München).
Posted at 66'
Manuel Akanji (Borussia Dortmund) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Posted at 63'
Thomas Müller (FC Bayern München) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Posted at 63'
Foul by Achraf Hakimi (Borussia Dortmund).
Posted at 62'
Corner, Borussia Dortmund. Conceded by Serge Gnabry.
Posted at 61'
Foul by Joshua Kimmich (FC Bayern München).
Posted at 61'
Emre Can (Borussia Dortmund) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Show more updates
goal