Won 2-2! Draw at Bayern Munich fuels high hopes for Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund have made a remarkable statement at Bayern Munich. Why the 2-2 draw was far more than a fortunate point for BVB.
"Against Bayern, you sometimes need a bit of luck and a good goalkeeper," said Lars Ricken, grinning in the bowels of the Allianz Arena. Borussia Dortmund's managing director for sport could just as easily have been discussing a 1-4 or even a 1-5 during his brief visit to the mixed zone. Bayern passed up numerous good chances, missed a penalty and hit the woodwork three times.
Yet BVB left Munich with a hard-earned 2-2 draw. They had earned it, and it gives Borussia considerable grounds for hope in more ways than one.
Under coach Niko Kovac, Dortmund had previously faced Bayern four times and usually produced one very decent half, but only one. They did so again, helped by a tactical switch to a back four, which BVB last used in March 2025 in a 0-2 defeat in Leipzig, along with courage in possession and strong pressing. It was the Westphalians' best half in Munich for many years, after a string of heavy defeats there in the recent past.
Ricken said Bayern "weren't expecting" the 4-4-1-1 out of possession. Moving away from the usual back five was "also one reason why we played a very good, evenly matched first half". Sporting director Ole Book also backed Kovac's tactical move: "I think it's good. We set up boldly and approached the game boldly. We managed to surprise the opposition a little. I think they sometimes had a bit of trouble getting to grips with the formation."
BVB should switch permanently to a back four
A permanent switch to a back four could suit BVB. Joane Gadou and Daniel Svensson, in particular, have great potential as full-backs, so Kovac need not reserve the system for opponents who are strong on the ball. "Niko dared to do it, and the lads dared to do it," said captain Nico Schlotterbeck, who was impressed: "Especially when we had the ball, it gave us an extra man up front."
Borussia could not build on that performance in the second 45 minutes. Bayern took control of possession, which had been split 50-50 at the break, and increased the pressure on Dortmund's goal. Respite was scarce.
Against Bayern Munich away, Dortmund were facing what Kovac had called "certainly the ultimate benchmark, not only in Germany, but also among the best in Europe" before the match. Bayern have considerably more quality on the pitch than Dortmund. "You have to be allowed to weather a few things, defend hard and throw yourself in front of a few balls, and have the post standing where it needs to stand. That's part of it," said Book.
"No awe": Dortmund's attitude against Bayern has improved
Book, the 40-year-old, said BVB "stayed in it incredibly well and kept coming back": "I felt the whole time that we were fully in the game." Dortmund showed that resolve around the 0-1, when the impressive Jobe Bellingham put them ahead, only for an offside ruling to wipe out his goal before Bayern went in front virtually at the other end. BVB responded by creating further chances almost immediately before half-time.
After substitute Fabio Silva scored in the 89th minute, Ricken praised the team's "enormous resilience" and the fact that they "didn't give up". Dortmund had earned that late shift in momentum towards the visitors. Their attitude and much-discussed mentality have improved noticeably, particularly across their now five meetings with Bayern under Kovac.
Schlotterbeck said: "The most important thing was that I told the team before the game we had to be confident. We respected the opposition, but we weren't in awe of them." He added: "That kind of awe that Borussia Dortmund perhaps used to have in Munich, we didn't have it today. That was good."
Niko Kovac has made BVB mentally resilient
Too often, BVB still lose their structure during spells in matches, particularly after conceding. Gaps open up, their resolve out of possession sometimes fades and they give the ball away too quickly in attack.
Under Kovac, though, Dortmund have won 52 of 86 matches, conceded only 104 goals and lost 18 times. Their mental resilience has improved. They consistently show tenacity, a willingness to run (127 kilometres against Bayern), fighting spirit, hunger and defensive strength. A number of late goals and goals from substitutes also point to a growing winning mentality.
Book said: "The coach and his team have been working on this mindset for two years." Ricken added: "For quite some time now, it has been very unpleasant and no fun to play against Borussia Dortmund."
"We can achieve something": Can BVB win a title?
If Dortmund retain and sharpen those qualities in the coming months, they could end the season with a title. "I think we're finding our feet more and more. Of course, not everything is perfect yet, but it's getting better," said Schlotterbeck. "We have an incredibly compact defence that gives us a good platform. The only problem is that there are still 26 matchdays to play. There's simply too much of the season left. If we perform over the next few weeks as we did today, we'll be in good shape. Then we can certainly fancy our chances of keeping the title race open for a long time."
Bayern will probably decide that title race. Dortmund remain level on points with them after eight matchdays, but Bayern's strength over a full season makes the task clear. The DFB Cup may offer another route: Dortmund need four more wins to lift the trophy and will follow Sunday evening's round-of-16 draw closely.
At BVB, the 2-2 draw in Munich felt like a "win" and strengthened their belief. "We're well placed everywhere. I see every day in training how we work tactically. I even think some players don't realise just how good they actually are. We have a good team and can achieve something," said Schlotterbeck.
BVB fixtures: Borussia Dortmund's next matches
