What's going on at Borussia Dortmund? When the 2015 2016 Bundesliga campaign got underway, it looked as if the Black and Yellows might have had what it took to take on Bayern Munich this year. Sure, the Bavarians might be shooting for their fourth straight top-flight title this season-something that no German team has ever done before. However, Dortmund kicked off their season in such strong fashion that some Munich fans had to be worrying about their football club's frontrunner status. After all, in the first month or so of Bundesliga competition, BVB weren't just winning all of their games, but they were also scoring more decisive victories than Bayern Munich. But this past weekend, the outlook changed in dramatic fashion as Bayern Munich annihilate Borussia Dortmund in what could be a key fixture of the 2015 - 2016 Bundesliga campaign.
Dortmund's Downfall
That all seems to be over now. After two back-to-back draws in Bundesliga play, Borussia Dortmund suffered their first loss of the 2015 2016 domestic season. To add insult to injury, their loss came against their Munich rivals, and to make matters even worse, the score wasn't close.
Indeed, the Bavarians thoroughly dominated the Black and Yellows on Sunday, October 4th, donning the Bayern Munich home shirt 2015 2016 for yet another big win at their own Allianz Arena. Bayern have been perfect so far this season, winning each of their first eight games. However, they've been especially splendid at home, managing five goals in three of their five home fixtures.
Munich's first five-point match was their season opener against Hamburger SV. Their second was a late-September showdown with Wolfsburg, where Robert Lewandowski netted five goals in less than 10 minutes. The third was Sunday's fixture against Borussia Dortmund, a match outcome that more or less clears the way for the Bavarians to clinch a historic fourth consecutive German championship.
The Match
At no point in Sunday's match at Allianz Arena did it even look like Borussia Dortmund had a shot. While Thomas Tuchel's soccer squad looked mostly fine during the first 25 minutes of play, keeping the score level at zero, they quickly began to fall behind after Thomas Muller broke the ice with a 26-minute goal. Nine minutes later, Muller converted a penalty goal to put Munich up by two.
Despite Muller's quick brace, the Black and Yellows looked like they might rally toward the end of the first half. At the 36-minute mark, Dortmund's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang netted his 10th goal of the 2015 2016 campaign so far. He also left Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer looking bamboozled at the goal line-not an easy feat with arguably the best keeper in soccer.
That goal tied Aubameyang with Bayern's Robert Lewandowski as the top scorer of the 2015 2016 Bundesliga. Unfortunately for Dortmund fans, though, the tie was short-lived. While the Black and Yellows went to halftime trailing the Bavarians by just one point, Lewandowski struck just moments into the second half to give the home team a 3-1 lead. 12 minutes later, he scored again.
Lewandowski's second point would have functioned perfectly as a game winner for the Bavarians. Not only was it his 12th domestic goal of the season (and 16th overall, from just nine appearances), but the latter goal also combined the talents of two previous Borussia Dortmund players. Lewandowski, who transferred to Bayern from Dortmund last season, got the point, while Mario Gotze, who began his senior football career at Dortmund in 2009, provided the assist.
There was one last victory lap waiting for the home team, though, and Gotze was the man to make it happen. At 68 minutes, Mario took an assist from Thiago Alcantara and smoothly guided it into the bottom right corner of the goal. It was the final nail in the coffin for Dortmund-particularly goalkeeper Roman Burki, who had just about the worst game he could have had.
Luckily for the Black and Yellows, this is their first loss of the season. BVB are still in second place in the league, with 17 points from eight fixtures. Schalke 04 are just one point back, but Dortmund still have far better goal difference (+11 versus +2), despite their punishing loss. Bayern Munich, meanwhile, are all alone at the top of the table, seven points ahead of the rest of the pack. The Bundesliga might as well start engraving the trophy already.
What did you think of the match? Did you expect such a one-sided game, or did you think that Borussia Dortmund might bring a bit more of a fight? Share your thoughts with other fans and follow the ongoing football action, by linking up with Soccer Box on social media! You can find us on multiple social platforms including Twitter, Instagram, and Google +.
Bayern Munich Annihilate Borussia Dortmund in Key Bundesliga Match
October 06, 2015