Daily Schmankerl: The aftermath of Bayern Munich’s 3-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund; a 4-way race for David Alaba; Zlatan to extend his deal with AC Milan?; and MORE!

Die Folgen: Bayern’s 3-2 victory BVB (Bavarian Football Works)

Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund engaged in a sometimes thrilling (what a match!), sometimes scary (Joshua Kimmich injury), and sometimes frustrating (two Robert Lewandowski goals disallowed) contest, but the Bavarians once again proved their mettle with a 3-2 victory. Here are some quick hitters on the match:

• Lewandowski might have had two goals disallowed, but he still notched a goal and an assist — proving once more why is the best player on the planet.
• The symbiotic relationship between Lewandowski and Thomas Müller is soooooo hard to play against and defend. I thought the ESPN broadcast team did a good job of highlighting that at times, but to those of us used to watch that magic on a regular basis, it still remains impressive no matter how many times we see it. Müller picked up the assist on David Alaba’s goal for good measure.
• Alaba’s goal was certainly the product of some cheeky work from Müller, Lewandowski, and the Austrian defender.
• I am going to say it...and maybe I’ll get roasted, but I love that Hansi Flick is opting to frequently start Leroy Sané on the bench. Sané might be a great player, but he is walking on to the best team on Earth with a capable set of dynamic wingers...he should have to earn his place. Plus, Sané can absolutely impact a game immediately with his legs when coming in as a substitute. Right now, Flick is pushing all the right buttons with his wing players as proven once again by Sané’s ability to immediately affect Der Klassiker.

• Lucas Hernández has aptly filled the void at left-back that was left when Alphonso Davies went down. Not only has his defending been quality, but his ability to bomb forward is a constant compliment to the team’s stunning array of forwards and midfielders. Against Dortmund, Hernández was once again very good on both ends of the pitch and picked up an assist on Lewandowski’s 48th minute goal.
• Kimmich’s injury was obviously the worst part of the match. As of now, the speculation is that it is an LCL injury. An LCL injury that does not require surgery can typically keep an athlete out of action for six-to-eight weeks. If Kimmich does require surgery, it could be even longer depending on the rehabilitation. Hopefully, this is not a severe case, given Kimmich’s importance to the squad. Corentin Tolisso, Javi Martinez, Marc Roca and Tanguy Nianzou are all fine in their own right, but they are not Kimmich.
• Erling Haaland is a monster...and a problem. His unique blend of size, speed, strength, and skill just makes him a constant threat. He probably wants that opportunity he received from Gio Reyna in the 20th minute back, however. After the game, Haaland acknowledged just how difficult a task it is to face the Bavarians:

• No matter what his age is, Marco Reus is still the heart — and the engine — of that Borussia Dortmund squad.
• Leon Goretzka’s presence in the midfield was felt...but he’ll be even more important from this point forward as we await the final word on how long Kimmich will be out.
• I don’t want to make this spot in the Schmankerl an anti-Bouna Sarr section, but Sarr was not impressive once again. With Benjamin Pavard ailing, Sarr was not able to provide the stability Flick is looking for from a veteran defender. I stand by it...I’d have rather seen what Chris Richards could do in this type of situation than give Sarr a four-year deal. It doesn’t help that Sarr’s clumsy pass put Kimmich in the position to have to try and take out a hard-charging run by Haaland.

Anyway, if you missed our Match Awards or Observations, give them a look:

The future of Bayern (FC Bayern Munich)

Bayern Munich’s You Tube channel produced this 15-minute video featuring Chris Richards and Jamal Musiala. Take some time and give it a look (after you finish the rest of this Schmankerl!):

Is the race for Alaba down to four teams? People are asking (Daily Mail)

Despite the dozens...hundreds...thousands...of reports out there, the Daily Mail thinks the race for Bayern Munich’s David Alaba is a four-way dance between Manchester City, Liverpool, Real Madrid, and FC Barcelona.

That would leave clubs like Juventus, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester United on the outside looking in.

This whole thing has me (seriously) thinking about penning another “[Insert Bayern Munich star] should sign with the Philadelphia Union” post.

Zlatan to get a longer deal? (Transfer Market Web)

With eight goals and two assists in eight games across all competitions, AC Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic is showing that age is just a state of mind. Now, his club might be ready to buy into that mindset as well:

According to Sport Mediaset, 39-year old Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, currently leading AC Milan to Serie A top ranking, might have his ongoing deal with Rossoneri extended and improved soon. To this end, Ibra’s agent, Mino Raiola, is meeting Paolo Maldini and Frederic Massara next week, during national-team break.

I know our resident Swede Marcus Iredahl would hate this, but let’s get Zlatan back on the international stage as well. (Sorry Marcus!)

Muller overtakes Der Titan (@Bundesliga_EN)

Muller picked up his 261st career Bundesliga win, which propelled the Bayern Munich legend to being the all-time leader in wins for a player...moving just past Oliver Kahn.