Dortmund's draw against Bayern: Something is growing together

The memories of worse times, of those scary evenings of humiliation, were still alive for the Borussia Dortmund players at the end of that day. They regularly left Munich badly beaten, which made the 2-2 draw at FC Bayern on this ninth matchday a very sweet experience.

The contrast to the 0-5 or 0-6 dismantling they have already suffered here was enormous, and not just on the scoreboard. "We were self-confident. We had respect, but not awe," said captain Nico Schlotterbeck. And that had less to do with any psychological or motivational tricks than with the new quality feature of this football location: sober, skilled work.

When asked about the great resistance late in the game, when Fabio Silva scored the equalizer, coach Niko Kovac said that “you also have to be able to run.” And not just when it comes to defending: "Many people think that running is only defensive, but you also have to make offensive runs. You need that at this level."

The fact that Dortmund had to talk less about their defensive work in Munich and more about their play with the ball was one of the big surprises of this appearance at the record champions. “I see a very clear trend, a development in terms of play, and we are managing to maintain stability in terms of play,” said sports director Ole Book.

This also included the decision to compete in Munich with a system that BVB had been playing in the Bundesliga for around a year and a half: a back four. Joane Gadou turned out to be a brilliant right-back. On the left, Daniel Svensson showed, not for the first time, that he is good at fighting Michael Olise, who is actually almost unstoppable. And setbacks no longer trigger collapse. “We always showed a good reaction,” said Schlotterbeck.

The Revierklub responded to Konrad Laimer's 1-0 after a bad pass from Felix Nmecha with many of their own attack attempts as well as Serhou Guirassy's 1-1. And when Bayern led again through Dayot Upamecano, BVB's energetic final phase resulted in a late 2-2 through Fabio Silva. “I believe that the coach and his team have been working on this mindset for almost two years, that we will be really tough and have a winning mentality,” said sports director Ole Book.

With his “keep it simple” approach and also thanks to his persistence, football teacher Kovac has managed to focus on aspects of the game that can be learned, while big life questions are being asked in Munich. The far too early death of Joshua Kimmich's father, the illness of coach Vincent Kompany, but also Jamal Musiala's absences and the increasing number of injuries to important players make it difficult to concentrate on what's important.

“We are good, I think we are still underestimated in Germany,” said Schlotterbeck, while Munich captain Joshua Kimmich stated: “Regardless of the result, you have to say that we are currently going through difficult weeks.” Also because Ismael Saibari and Serge Gnabry were seriously injured and Olise also had to be replaced ten minutes before the end.

This is the starting position from which the Bundesliga leaders are approaching the second third of the season. Harry Kane missed a penalty after several days of Ballon d'Or fever, while Dortmund practiced the back four during the week and stuck to this idea despite a failed final training session. “Niko had a brilliant move with the back four,” said Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel. A victory for the champions would still have been quite possible and would have suited the way the game was going, Bayern hit the post or crossbar three times. But the direction of development speaks for BVB at the moment.

You have to be careful because setbacks have to be expected in the future, a failed Champions League season or an early exit from the DFB Cup are still possible at any time. But while new players are getting injured in Munich and the coach has overwhelmed himself, many players in Dortmund are getting better and better. Midfielder Jobe Bellingham, for example, who recently stayed on the field when Felix Nmecha was substituted. Or Carney Chukwuemeka, who was considered a bad purchase after a weak first season in Dortmund.

The clever center strategist Joey Veerman and the fast defender Joane Gadou are also really enriching. Something is growing together. Bayern are even better than BVB, but the results are not. “We can do something,” said Schlotterbeck. What sounded like a vague hope in recent years is currently becoming a conviction that is also having an impact in Munich.