In a clash of two German giants, it was the away team that threatened to go ahead first. A fourth minute free-kick executed quickly by Gonzalo Castro found Raphael Guerriero on the left side of the 18-yard-box. The Portuguese took the cross first time and found a streaking Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who’s uncharacteristically poor touch prevented Dortmund from going ahead early.
After getting away with some risky play out of the back, disaster finally struck for Bayern. In the 19th minute, a throw-in by Dortmund landed at the feet of Javi Martinez, who’s ensuing back pass was intercepted by Raphael Guerriero. Guerriero’s shot, though initially saved by Sven Ulreich, hit the post and bounced right to the feet of Marco Reus, who had no trouble slotting the ball into the back of a goalkeeper-less net.
It only took Martinez 10 minutes to make up for his mistake, though. After winning a corner, Xabi Alonso’s corner found Martinez inside the box, and the Spaniard headed the ball through the legs of Roman Bürki and into the back of the net.
In the 38th minute, Bayern’s good set piece play continued, as the second of two corners once again met the head of Martinez, though he was only able to redirect the cross onto the post.
Just three minutes later, Bayern’s consistent pressure and danger finally paid off. After Xabi Alonso sent a gorgeous ball across the entire field to Franck Ribery, Ribery’s cross found the foot of Mats Hummels near the penalty spot, who calmly hit the ball past Bürki into the bottom corner against his former team to put Bayern ahead 2:1. For those wondering, Hummels did not celebrate.
In the last action of the half, Bayern were unlucky to not go into the break up by 2. In stoppage time, Robert Lewandowski found himself all alone running at Bürki, but the BVB goalie did well to make himself big, deflecting Lewandowski’s shot away from the net.
After some back and forth between the two teams to begin the second half, a Roman Bürkis pass out of the back was intercepted by Thiago, who squared the ball to Lewandowski. Lewandowski subsequently found Arjen Robben open at the back post, but his shot was deflected off the post and crossbar by Sven Bender, in what may have saved the game for Dortmund.
Though Bayern had been the better team, Dortmund was first to strike in the second half. In the 69th minute, Ousmane Dembele found himself open a touch inside of Bayern’s box, and he proceeded to hit a beautiful cross right onto the head of Aubameyang, who this time made no mistake and leveled the score at 2 all.
Five minutes later, things went from bad to worse. Philipp Lahm lost the ball near midfield, and Dortmund were quick to jump onto the counter. The ball once again found Dembele inside the box, and the French international smashed it bar down into the back of the net past a helpless Sven Ulreich.
Not much occurred until the 86th minute, when some beautiful interplay between Robben, Müller and Lewandowski saw Robben with a chance to equalize. Unfortunately, Bürkis outstretched right arm kept the ball out of the back of the net in what was Bayern’s final chance of the game.
Bayern XI: Ulreich; Lahm, Martinez, Hummels (Boateng 62’), Alaba; Alonso (Müller 79’), Vidal; Robben, Thiago, Ribery (Costa 86’); Lewandowski
Dortmund XI: Bürki; Piszczek (Pulisic 80’), Sokratis, Bender, Schmelzer; Dembele, Castro (Durm 45’), Weigl, Guerreiro; Aubameyang, Reus (Ginter 91’)