Bayern's humiliation of Dortmund shows the value of change
Ed McCambridge Munich
November 9, 2019
Bayern were quick to act when things went downhill, with Hansi Flick coming in before a key run of fixtures. On this evidence, it may be time for Borussia Dortmund to follow their lead.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Hoppe
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In hindsight, this may actually go down as one of Borussia Dortmund's better results this season. The fact they only lost 4-0 feels wrong, somehow. Somebody fiddled with the scoreboard, surely?
Bayern were so dominant throughout this match, it resembled a training exercise. If this is what happens when you sack your coach, Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke will surely be tempted to follow suit after witnessing another humiliation at the hands of the old enemy.
"It was a very poor performance," is all a beleaguered Lucien Favre could offer reporters by way of explanation after the game. "The players just didn’t give enough. Nowhere near enough."
Bayern's interim coach, Hansi Flick, may simply be benefitting from the boost in performances that often follows an unpopular coach's sacking, but was nevertheless thrilled with how hard his players worked.
"It was a difficult week but the lads gave me everything," he told reporters. "In training all week, they put the work in and you could see that on the pitch today. It was clear from the first minute we wanted to win the game."
Goals from Robert Lewandowski, Serge Gnabry and a Mats Hummels own goal went unanswered as Dortmund fell to pieces in the second half. The Black and Yellows have now failed to win more than half their league games this season. Any hope the fan base may still have had of winning the title this season are fading fast.
Hansi Flick, in temporary charge of Bayern Munich, gave a fine audition for a permanent apppointment.Image: Reuters/A. Gebert
Despite a number of key Dortmund players lacking fitness, Favre can have no excuses. Bayern were dealing with worse; the home side's defense included a veteran midfielder and an 19-year old attacker at left back. This was Dortmund's chance to get one over the serial Bundesliga champions.
Marco Reus and Paco Alcacer may not have been fit enough to make the starting lineup, but Favre could at least field eleven players in their correct positions. Even when Jadon Sancho mooched off the field after 36 forgettable minutes — "He wasn’t injured, he just wasn't good enough," said Favre — they had a fresh winger ready to fill the hole. Raphael Guerriero entered the pitch and was never seen again.
If one were told, after that game, that Dortmund spent €140m (in the region of $155 million) over the summer, you'd assume they'd spent it on a new canteen. Julian Brandt and Thorgan Hazard both started here but neither had any impact whatsoever. They were signed for a combined €55m in July but were part of a midfield dominated by a Bayern central midfield that cost nothing. Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka didn’t give them an inch.
One wonders if Bayern's midfield would have been quite such a snarling, slick unit had Kovac been the one writing their names on the team sheet. Probably not and, by that logic, it might be time to find out if Dortmund’s players are waiting for the same sort of change before they too can show their best again.
With this result, Bayern have reestablished themselves as title contenders. Dortmund might need to make their own difficult decision if they're to follow suit.
Bundesliga Matchday 11 in pictures
Robert Lewandowski maintained his record of scoring in every league game this season as Bayern thrashed Dortmund again. Elsewhere, it was a poignant afternoon in Berlin there was a thriller in Gelsenkirchen.
Image: AFP/O. Andersen
Hertha Berlin 2-4 RB Leipzig
On the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall, Hertha assembled a wall across the field in the build-up of the visit of RB Leipzig, a poignant reminder of the history of the city. On the field, the hosts went ahead with a Maximilian Mittelstädt rocket, but failed to capitalize. Timo Werner's brace and a goal each for Marcel Sabitzer and Kevin Kampl made it a handsome win for the visitors.
Image: AFP/O. Andersen
Bayern Munich 4-0 Borussia Dortmund
Robert Lewandowski scored his 15th and 16th Bundesliga goals of the season as Bayern Munich dished out another heavy defeat of Borussia Dortmund at the Allianz Arena. Lewandowski's header opened the scoring, and Serge Gnabry made it two shortly after the break. Lewandowski's second made it three, before a late Mats Hummels own goal compounded Dortmund's misery.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/S. Hoppe
Schalke 3-3 Fortuna Düsseldorf
Rouwen Hennings scored a hat-trick as Fortuna Düsseldorf fought back three times to secure a point against Schalke in one of the games of the season so far. Daniel Caligiuri, Ozan Kabak and Suat Serdar each scored for Schalke, but each time Hennings leveled for the visitors, who richly deserved their point in this six-goal thriller.
Image: picture-alliance/Fotostand/Wundrig
Paderborn 0-1 Augsburg
Augsburg picked up a huge win in the battle of the two cellar dwellers, holding their nerve to win in Paderborn, who missed an early penalty. That moment in the seventh minute proved crucial, as Tomas Koubek saved from Klaus Gjasula. The winning goal came four minutes before half-time, courtesy of Philipp Max. Paderborn remain rooted to the bottom of the table, while Augsburg climb to 15th.
Image: picture-alliance/dpa/D. Inderlied
Mainz 2-3 Union Berlin
Sebastian Andersson struck twice as Union Berlin beat struggling Mainz, despite a late rally by the hosts. Coming off the back of victory in the Berlin derby, Union took the lead through a Daniel Brosinksi own goal. Andersson added a second on the stroke of half-time and added another soon after the break. Karim Onisiwo and Brosinksi scored in the final 10 minutes, but Union held on.
Image: Getty Images/Bongarts/A. Grimm
Cologne 1-2 Hoffenheim
Referee Robert Kampka can hardly have been the toast of Cologne at full time in this one. The struggling hosts put up a fierce fight — a rarity so far this season — and took the lead in the first half. But Hoffenheim drew level, and were then awarded a VAR penalty deep into stoppage time. Jürgen Locadia converted. Cologne's notorious technological curse rolls on.
Image: picture-alliance/RHR-FOTO/D. Ewert
Borussia Mönchengladbach 3-1 Werder Bremen
The home side looked like the better team from the get-go, and it took Ramy Bensebaini 20 minutes to score the first for Marco Rose’s side. Patrick Herrmann added Gladbach’s second just two minutes afterwards, with the captain adding another one on the 59th minute. Leo Bittencourt’s consolation goal hardly changed much. Gladbach open a four-point lead on top of the Bundesliga table.
Image: Imago Images/Sven Simon/A. Waelischmiller
Wolfsburg 0-2 Bayer Leverkusen
Peter Bosz is known for his attacking tactics, but it was Leverkusen’s defence that made all the difference against Wolfsburg. It wasn’t the most brilliant of games, but goals through Karim Bellarabi (25’) and Paulinho (90’) were enough to secure the three points. Second win in a row for Leverkusen
Image: Imago Images/J. Sielski
Freiburg 1-0 Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt's Gelson Fernandez saw the red card in the first half. But it took Freiburg until the 77th minute to capitalize. Nils Petersen’s accurate shot left keeper Rönnow no chance. Eintracht captain David Abraham was sent off before the final whistle for body-checking Freiburg coach Christian Streich, while Freiburg’s Vincenzo Grifo saw the red card for his reaction from the bench.
