Classy Reds overcome Dortmund in top clash

FC Bayern beat Borussia Dortmund 3-2 on Saturday evening, sealing three crucial points. Marco Reus and David Alaba traded goals late in the first half, Robert Lewandowski handing Bayern the lead shortly after half-time and Leroy Sané twisting the knife with ten minutes to go. Munich were on tenterhooks after Erling Haaland pulled one back for the home side, but Bayern saw it through and sealed a crucial victory.

The Bavarians started with Manuel Neuer in goal and Bouna Sarr, Jérôme Boateng, Alaba and Lucas Hernández in a back four. Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka featured in a twin holding role behind Serge Gnabry, Thomas Müller and Kingsley Coman, with Lewandowski up front. Corentin Tolisso came on for Kimmich, who had to be subbed off with injury before half-time, Javi Martínez and Sané replacing Boateng and Coman with 20 minutes to go.

Reus and Alaba trade goals

Bayern almost took the lead in the first minute of a high-quality contest, Gnabry setting up Lewandowski, who fired into the side-netting. Keeper Roman Bürki proved equal to a Goretzka header, but Dortmund were caustically dangerous, Haaland firing wide from a tight angle. The German record champions had the ball in the back of the net when Gnabry squared to Lewandowski, who beat Bürki, but the goal was ruled out for a narrowly offside position.

Reus blasted over and Gnabry saw a shot blocked at the other end. There was bad news when Kimmich sustained an injury in a challenge with Haaland, Tolisso taking over. Witsel put a shot over the bar, but the Ruhr valley outfit took the lead when a Raphaël Guerreiro cut-back found Reus, who blasted into the net with his first touch. Munich responded immediately when an Alaba belter found the net with the help of a deflection, and the sides turned round with the score 1-1.

Scorching second half

The game swung from end to end after the restart, Haaland firing wide before Lewandowski put Bayern in front, his header beating Bürki. A powerful Coman effort crashed off the post before Haaland hit the side-netting. Bürki parried another Coman shot, Thorgan Hazard drawing a save from Neuer.

Lewandowski and Gnabry smashed over as FCB were increasingly dominant, and Sané rewarded their pressure on the break, curling into the far corner of the net. But Borussia responded almost immediately, Haaland controlling a Guerreiro chip and rounding Neuer. Haaland saw another shot blocked by Alaba before the unmarked Reus fired over. Lewandowski soon got hold of a loose ball, his deflected shot finding the net, but the goal was disallowed for offside after VAR intervention. Neuer comfortably denied Jude Bellingham, and match official Manuel Gräfe blew for full-time.

The result takes Bayern onto 18 points from seven matches, two clear of Leipzig. A number of FCB pros will be on national team duty during the international break before the Reds return to action on 21 November, when they entertain Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga.

Live match report for fcbayern.com by Greg Salmen