BVB draw 2-2 in Munich following spectacular second half

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Borussia Dortmund

·12 April 2025

BVB draw 2-2 in Munich following spectacular second half

The Black & Yellows started the match on full alert and made the first mark – Brandt striking the side-netting (7) – but then no longer played precisely enough. Bayern grew increasingly dominant, and Kobel twice kept out a potential opening goal in the closing stages of the first period. Instead, it was Beier who scored to make it 1-0 two minutes after the restart in a game that earned its billing as a "top match" in the second period. Guerreiro (65) and Gnabry (69) scored in the space of four minutes to put the league leaders 2-1 in front, before Anton made it 2-2 with 15 minutes remaining.

Personnel matters: Three days after the Champions League match away to FC Barcelona, Niko Kovac brought in five fresh faces: Süle, Özcan, Groß, Svensson and Beier came into the team in place of Bensebaini, Nmecha, Adeyemi, Chukwuemeka and Gittens (all bench). The injured duo of Schlotterbeck and Sabitzer missed out.

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Tactics: BVB reverted to the three-man defence that has recently served them well in the league (Mainz, Freiburg) and lined up in a 3-3-2-2 formation against FC Bayern (4-2-3-1). Without possession, the wide players Ryerson (right) and Svensson (left) expanded the back three into a back five. That allowed them to double up on Bayern's wingers – Sané (left) and Olise (right). In midfield, Groß oscillated between defensive and attacking roles. The men from Munich lined up with two full-backs positioned very high up the pitch – with Goretzka in a centre-left position alongside the central defenders to compensate – and Müller almost level with Kane, the nominal lone frontman, up top.

The match & analysis:Borussia did not allow Bayern to link up at their leisure, initially kept their opponents away from dangerous areas in front of goal, covered a lot of ground and held their own well. It was BVB that launched the first attacking move. Beier played the ball over to Brandt on the left of the box, who hammered it into the side-netting from a very tight angle (7). Sané then tested Kobel for the first time with a covert shot on 19 minutes, before Kane attempted a header shortly afterwards.

Bayern were in the ascendancy from the 15th minute onwards – in part because the Black & Yellows gave the ball away too quickly on their way forward. They lacked precision and patience. In what was an unspectacular match, things got exciting five minutes before the break. Ryerson won the ball back off Kim deep in the home half but he (and the ball) were then taken out by the same opponent. Bayern subsequently countered through Olise, who was denied by a great save from Kobel, who then thwarted Kane in stoppage time too.

Shortly after the restart, Brandt drove the ball through midfield following a cleared cross and then played it towards Ryerson, who crossed towards the back post. Beier directed the ball goalbound with a powerful downward header that went through keeper Urbig's legs to make it 1-0 (48). At the other end, Anton wanted and needed to clear a low cross on the edge of the box with Kane lurking and ended up turning the ball against his own crossbar (55). It was now end to end. Dortmund exerted control, won the majority of the challenges and sensed the possibility to make it 2-0. Brandt cut the ball back from the byline towards Beier, whose shot from 14 metres was blocked by Stanisic (58).

The game was turned on its head in the space of four minutes by Bayern, who were afforded too much space. Gnabry, who had come on shortly beforehand, dribbled through far too easily on the left of the box and passed to Müller in the middle. He laid it off to fellow sub Guerreiro, who fired a low shot into the far corner (65). Gnabry then turned on the afterburners on the left of the centre-circle, was not closed down on his slaloming run and fired home for 2-1 (69). Dortmund's response: Guirassy held the ball up with his back to goal following Svensson's corner and fired at goal. Urbig parried it with his foot, only for Anton to slot home for 2-2 on the follow-up (75). Kobel then made a strong save to deny Guerreiro and another to keep out Kane seconds later (77).

But BVB regained the momentum. A move involving Guirassy and Nmecha, who drove the ball forward at speed, culminated in a Chukwuemeka shot 17 metres from goal. A defender turned it behind for a corner-kick, however (86). In the 90th minute Svensson played in Groß, who was through on the left flank but lobbed the ball both over Urbig and over the frame of the goal (89).

Outlook: Next up on the agenda is the return fixture against FC Barcelona on Tuesday (kick-off 21:00 CEST), followed by the final five Bundesliga matches of the season: at home to Gladbach (Easter Sunday, 17:30 CEST), in Hoffenheim, at home to Wolfsburg, in Leverkusen and at home to Kiel.

Boris Rupert reporting from Munich