Borussia Dortmund 0-1 Bayern Munich: Joshua Kimmich sends leaders seven points clear
- Published
Bayern Munich's goal came from Joshua Kimmich just before half-time
Borussia Dortmund head coach Lucien Favre admitted it will be "brutally difficult" to stop Bayern Munich retaining their Bundesliga title after Bayern beat Dortmund on Tuesday.
Joshua Kimmich's wonderful chip from 20 yards just before half-time was the only goal at Signal Iduna Park.
Bayern are seven points clear of their second-placed opponents with six matches to go.
"Seven points in six games - it will be very, very difficult," said Favre.
Bayern are aiming for their eighth successive Bundesliga title but boss Hansi Flick insisted there is still a lot of work to do.
"I don't live in the future, the here and now is important," he said.
"We wanted to win and take a big step forward - we did that. We were focused, decisive and courageous at times. I'm satisfied with my team."
Kimmich's goal came after both sides had efforts cleared off the line.
Dortmund brought on England forward Jadon Sancho in the second half, but he could not inspire a fightback from his side.
Robert Lewandowski nearly doubled Bayern's advantage late on but shot against the post. Minutes later, he and the rest of the Bayern players were celebrating what could prove to be a big three points in the title race.
Resolute Bayern do enough to win
Before the game the build-up focused on Lewandowski and Dortmund's Erling Braut Haaland, with both strikers having scored 41 goals in 35 domestic games this season - putting them level as top goalscorers in Europe.
Haaland nearly got his 42nd domestic goal of the campaign inside the opening 35 seconds when he shot through the legs of Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer - making his 400th Bundesliga appearance - but Jerome Boateng was well placed to hack the ball off the line.
Dortmund then had the ball in the net when Thorgan Hazard headed in, but an offside earlier in the move ruled the effort out.
Bayern got more involved in the game and had a number of chances. Serge Gnabry had an attempt backheeled off the line by the retreating Lukasz Piszczek before Kingsley Coman and Leon Goretzka were both denied by home goalkeeper Roman Burki.
However, Burki will be unhappy that he could not keep out Kimmich's lofted effort just before the break as the Switzerland international got his hand to the ball but it still went in.
Dortmund, despite the introduction of Sancho at half-time, struggled to create clear-cut chances in the second half and Haaland was replaced by Giovanni Reyna with 18 minutes remaining.
But the home side had a chance to grab an equaliser when Raphael Guerreiro had a free-kick just outside the penalty area but could only shoot straight at Neuer. Mahmoud Dahoud also had a late effort saved by Neuer on a frustrating afternoon for the hosts.
Dortmund set to miss out on the title again
Dortmund, under the guidance of now-Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, won the Bundesliga in 2010-11 and again the following season in 2011-12 but Bayern have won the title every year since.
They are now in pole position to become German champions for a 30th time - and will do so if they win four of their final six matches.
This result continued a remarkable unbeaten run in all competitions that now stretches to 18 matches since they lost 2-1 at Borussia Monchengladbach on 7 December.
Bayern, who are also in the semi-finals of the German Cup and hold a 3-0 advantage over Chelsea after the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, have now won 21 of the 24 matches since Flick moved up from assistant to replace the sacked Niko Kovac in November - when Bayern were fourth in the table.
Before the match, dubbed Der Klassiker and played in front of no spectators because of coronavirus restrictions, he said: "Regardless of the result, nothing will be decided."
However, Kimmich's goal means Bayern have a commanding grip on the Bundesliga and another title is theirs to lose.
Man of the match - Joshua Kimmich (Bayern Munich)
Joshua Kimmich (number 32) has scored five goals in all competitions this season, with this being his third in the Bundesliga
Just like Guardiola - the stats
Flick has won 15 of his first 18 Bundesliga games in charge of Bayern Munich. The only other manager to do that was Pep Guardiola.
Kimmich has scored three Bundesliga goals this season from outside the penalty area, more than any other Bayern player.
Neuer was making his 400th Bundesliga appearance. Since his debut (matchday two 2006-07), no player has played as many Bundesliga games as him.
'We have to hope they slip up three times' - what they said
Borussia Dortmund defender Mats Hummels: "I think now it is only up to Bayern to decide the title.
"We're seven points behind and can do nothing more than win our games. But we have to hope they slip up three times. We know how good they are."
Bayern goalscorer Joshua Kimmich: "It was maybe the most beautiful goal of my life and also very important.
"I didn't see him off his line but we were told before the game that Burki stands a bit off his line so I went for it and with a bit of luck it went in."
Bayern attacker Thomas Muller: "That was the big step that we wanted to take. It was a bit of a strange game but after Joshua's goal we tried to work a lot. It was important to win here in Dortmund."
What's next?
Bayern Munich entertain relegation-threatened Fortuna Dusseldorf at home on Saturday, before Borussia Dortmund play the following day - away at bottom-of-the-table Paderborn.