Bayern Munich edged towards a fifth consecutive Bundesliga title with a dominant 4-1 win against league rivals, Borussia Dortmund, at the Allianz Arena.
The Bavarian side were the superior side for the entire game, going 2-0 up through Franck Ribéry and Robert Lewandowski just 10 minutes in. Raphaël Guerreiro pulled a goal back for Dortmund, however it wasn’t enough to spur the young and exciting Ruhr team to mount a comeback.
Arjen Robben made it 3-1 four minutes into the second half in classic Robben fashion, and Lewandowski rounded off the romp from the penalty spot with 22 minutes from time.
Bayern strike early
Ousmane Dembele almost gave Dortmund the lead after just 80 seconds when the French teenager burst down the wing, and cut through Jerome Boateng, however the winger’s strike flew well wide of the far post.
However. Despite the encouraging start it was Bayern that would take the lead as veteran winger Ribéry fired the hosts ahead just four minutes in.
Phillip Lahm bombed down the right wing, and played in a sloppy cross to the former French international, however despite the poor delivery Ribery was able to coolly volley the ball past Roman Bürki, to give the Bavarian club an early lead.
One became two five minutes later for Bayern, as Lewandowski made it 2-0 to the hosts in the 10th minute of the game.
The former Dortmund striker stepped up for a free-kick just outside the penalty area, and the Polish striker managed to get the ball up-and-over the wall to beat Bürki at his near post, to double Bayern’s lead, and to score his 25th goal of the season.
Bayern continued to punish a Dortmund defence that looked asleep at the races. Robben almost made it 3-0 three minutes after Lewandowski’s goal, after the Dutch international tried his trademarked ‘cut in from the right and curl with the left’, however his attempted curler flew just wide of the far post.
Dortmund find a way through
Despite the pressure from Bayern, Dortmund somehow pulled a goal back from Portuguese midfielder Guerreiro 20 minutes in.
Arturo Vidal fluffed his lines with a terrible clearance from a Felix Passlack cross, and the ball fell straight to Guerreiro outside the box, and the former Lorient fullback rifled the ball past the reach of Sven Ulreich with a superb volley, to breath new life into Dortmund.
Game winds down
In typical fashion, the game was now meant to explode into an open game for both sides, with both teams going at it trying to find the next goal of the game, however the game didn’t follow that script. Instead, the game turned into a midfield battle for possession, with neither side looking likely to add a fourth goal in the first half of this crunch game.
Robben remained Dortmund’s main threat for the remained of the first half, using his pace to beat Marcel Schmelzer down the right wing, however Bürki remained a difficult opponent to beat for the winger.
Robben gunna Robben
The start of the second half was a spitting image of what happened in the first half. Dortmund looked threatening straight from the whistle, Bayern retain possession and break on the counter to score four minutes into the half.
This time it was Robben who finally got his name on the score sheets in typical Robben fashion. The experienced attacker dribbled down the right wing, cut through the Dortmund defence with ease on his left, and drilled the ball past the reach of Bürki from outside the box, to make it 3-1 to the hosts.
Dortmund tried to inject a more attacking presence as the Black and Yellows desperately pressed for a way back into the game by introducing Emre Mor for Dembélé on the hour mark.
Game, set, match
Despite encouraging signs from the Ruhr visitors, with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang beginning to show signs of life, Bayern were gifted the chance to put the game to bed when Lewandowski was brought down by Bürki in the penalty area after the former Dortmund striker was set through on goal after an incredible pass from Thiago.
Lewandowski stepped up, and coolly sent Bürki the wrong way to seal the game for Bayern.
Too little too late for Dortmund
The hosts knew the game was won, and from the fourth goal to the end of the match Bayern did their best to frustrate and tease Dortmund until the final whistle. Mor’s pace allowed the visitors to find occasionally pockets of space to create chances, but the crammed Bayern penalty area made it impossible for Dortmund to capitalise.
The result means that Bayern remain 10 points ahead of RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga table, whilst Dortmund remain in fourth place, and a point behind Hoffenheim in third place.