The Set: FC Bayern 1-1 Borussa Dortmund

Bayern Munich moved into second after a well-deserved home victory over Borussia Dortmund. Dortmund scored early when Nelson Valdez slipped behind Demichelis and Tomas Hajnal’s precision pass turned the Argentine defender too quickly, resulting in him falling and leaving Valdez through alone on the keeper.

However, Dortmund spent too much time defending both the lead and the draw and as is always the case against a team of Bayern’s quality, if you allow them time to chase the game, they will come through. The equalizer came in the 24′ off a save by Weidenfeller that fell to Ze Roberto. The final two goals came late as sustained pressure broke down Dortmund and Klose hit a brace to take the Bavarian giants to within a point of leaders Hoffenheim.

That’s not to say that Dortmund were outclassed. While they did allow Bayern to win the possession game by way too big a margin (62-38), they did have some dominating patches in the second half, where they looked bound to snatch a lead. But squandered chances by Zidan, Valdez and possibly even Lee left them vulnerable to the late goals by Klinsmann’s men.

Seven Random Things You Didn’t Know About Bayern-BVB

1. While Neven Subotic labeled Luca Toni a diver before the match, it was Ribery who provided the most Luganis type performance, falling at every instance. I believe he was felled by the referee’s whistle, an uncut blade of grass and slight breeze at various points in the match. It’s a real shame too, because his antics are starting to overshadow his amazing ability.
2. But Bayern rely too heavily on the diminutive Frenchman. His slow return from an injury at the Euro’s was always the obvious reason for Bayern’s early season form. And it seems at time, that the whole of their tactics is lump it to Ribery and hope for the best. He’s so good that it works, as he either scares the other team into mistakes or uses his class to create a moment of brilliance. However, if they are going to live without him after this campaign, they need to start addressing the issue now.
3. Tim Borowski must really be enjoying his move south. His indispensable role as a late game time-wasting substitute is probably exactly what he expected when he signed from Werder Bremen.
4. Has Luca Toni lost it? He’s not been the same since last year, and Landon Donovan has paired better with Klose, is his short time in Bavaria, than the Italian does. I have been of the opinion, over the past two years, that Bayern is suited to a 4-2-3-1 with Toni as a target and Ribery, Schweinsteiger and Altintop with free roles in front of two holders. However, Toni is no longer that hold-up man and Donovan/Klose could be a strong pairing up top.
5. Nuri Sahin has always been a Football Manager Legend. That’s not a good title to have because it usually means, much like Freddy Adu and Anthony Vanden Borre, that the heights these players reach on a computer game far surpass anything they do on the pitch. However, today Sahin was immense. I thought he was the best player on the pitch in his 45 minute stint, showing dogged determination, grit and a good eye for a pass. I hope this is the start of great things for the young kid, as it would be great for the league, Dortmund and FM, as their track-record is poor.
6. Make no mistake about it, had Dortmund not been without three of their most important players this would have been a different game. Prince-Boateng is good for a yellow card, but has none of the attacking flair and defensive solidity of Kuba; Kehl is too important at protecting the back line (although Surin might have shown they have better options than Tinga); and Subotic/Hummels is a very important pairing. I love Subotic, but he thrives on Hummels organizing skills.
7. Mohamed Zidan is possibly the worst forward in the Bundesliga. Zurc and Klopp’s biggest job this summer will be convince Kuba to stay and finding a replacement for Zidan, who has been a one-hit wonder at best.
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