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Bayern Munich fell to second place in the Bundesliga earlier in the day after Leipzig3-0 victory of Freiburg saw the Red Bulls take over.
Hansi Flick’s men therefore needed a victory against their opponents to return to the top of the Bundesliga and continue their title defense.
Visitors, Borussia Dortmund, have seen volatile times in the league this campaign, but enjoyed good form, winning four straight games in all competitions.
The Black and Yellows entered the game after a 1-0 win over Borussia Monchengladbach in the DFB Pokal, a victory that saw them advance to the semi-finals of the cup.
Der Klassiker started out in their usual high octane fashion, with both sides coming out of the blocks. Dortmund, however, looked the sharper of the two teams and quickly scored two goals in the opening nine minutes of the game, with both goals coming from Erling Haaland.
The first goal, which came in 74 seconds into the game, was a 25-yard strike from the Norwegian forward that deflected Boateng before entering.
Dortmund maintained their relentlessness and were rewarded seven minutes later with a brilliantly worked team goal which led to a single tap-in for Haaland for his second of the night.
Bayern Munich immediately turned up the pressure and kept their opponents stuck in their third line of defense with wave after wave of attacks.
Bayern Munich’s polls finally paid off when Robert lewandowski found the target just before the half hour mark, helping the Bavarians cut the deficit in half.
The home side kept possession at the top of opposition territory and a little pierced cross from Sane from the left wing found Lewandowski in the box for an easy tap-in.
The Bayern Munich striker quickly got a brace in the first half when he converted a penalty shortly before the break to tie the game.
Dahoud’s foul on Coman saw the referee award the home side a penalty after a quick VAR review and the Polish striker did well to get home from 12 meters away.
The early stages of the second half saw a significant drop in pace and urgency on both sides as fatigue and lack of invention set in.
Bayern Munich, however, regained their hunger and desire in the final 20 minutes of the game and looked the safest to score.
Persistent pressure from the hosts was not in vain as they sealed the victory with quick goals from Leon Goretzka and Lewandowski, respectively, to register a 4-2 comeback victory over Dortmund.
The result sees Bayern Munich return to the top of the Bundesliga, two points clear of RB Leipzig in second place.
Borussia Dortmund, however, remains sixth in the championship, four points from Champions League places.
Bayern Munich player ratings
Manuel Neuer – 6/10
A 10-minute opener saw the Bayern Munich shooter concede both of the visitors’ first-half shots. He managed to save the only other he faced in the second half.
Niklas Sule – 6.5 / 10
Sule’s development as a makeshift left-back continued into the evening as the German displayed impressive technical quality for a man of his size. He was as influential in Bayern Munich’s defense as he was in attack.
JĂ©rĂ´me Boateng – 6/10
The German was unlucky to have had the first goal of the game diverted from him. He also failed to keep up with Haaland’s run en route to second base. However, it improved a lot as the game progressed. Unfortunately, got hurt in an act of resolute defense.
David Alaba – 6.5 / 10
The most mobile of Bayern Munich’s center-backs, Alaba did well to keep possession and consistently played long balls forward to speed up the game.
Alphonso Davies – 6.5 / 10
The youngster from Bayern Munich was credited with an assist in the game’s final goal with a simple inside pass to Lewandowski.
Joshua Kimmich – 6.5 / 10
Another quite dominant performance from the midfielder. Kimmich was once again the driving force behind the Bayern Munich squad, constantly pushing his team forward with sharp passes. He had the most hits on the pitch.
LĂ©on Goretzka – 7/10
Goretzka got the goal that completed the late comeback with a brilliantly timed volley to the bottom corner.
Thomas Muller – 6.5 / 10
Muller had a quiet evening by his own standards, but was helpful nonetheless. He did his job diligently before being replaced by Choupo-Moting in the closing minutes of the game.
Leroy Sane – 6.5 / 10
Sane’s rise in form continued in his sixth straight start for the Bavarians. The winger provided the assist for Bayern Munich’s opening goal of the game with a barely pierced cross in the box.
Kingsley Coman – 6.5 / 10
The Frenchman won the equalizer penalty for Bayern with clever footwork in the box. He completed three clashes at the top of the joint team in the game.
Robert Lewandowski – 8/10
A man of the match performance by the Polish striker who scored a hat-trick in the evening. Lewandowski, who is used to finding the net against his former team, didn’t have his best game but scored three goals, which says a lot about the quality he has.
Player ratings for Bayern Munich substitutes
Serge Gnabry – 6.5 / 10
The first replacement for the home team. Gnabry replaced Coman in the 66th minute and was keen in his time on the pitch.
Javi Martinez – 6.5 / 10
The Spaniard replaced injured Jerome Boateng in the 70th minute. He has done his part defensively to make sure his team doesn’t score any more goals.
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting – 6/10
The Bayern Munich striker arrived late and didn’t make any revealing contributions.
Lucas Hernandez – 6/10
He arrived late and did nothing.
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