Bundesliga top game: Dortmund thanks to Modeste 2: 2 against Bayern

Mhe classic between Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern ended with a goal to make it 2-2 in the fifth minute of a spectacular injury time. Four or five high balls flew through the Munich six-yard box, BVB goalkeeper Alexander Meyer was in the opposing penalty area for a long time until a Dortmund football hero was finally born.

It was Anthony Modeste, who had previously set up the 1-2 but also missed a huge chance, headed in the equalizer a shaking stadium had been hoping for. The emotions in the stands exploded, the players fell over each other, beer mugs flew, “that was very, very, very important for us,” said Modeste later, but added surprisingly self-critically: “We didn’t win, we want to be champions.”

Modeste’s senses were probably still a little clouded by all the feelings, because it was without a doubt a very lucky point that Dortmund had earned after being 2-0 down at one point. A goal like that at the very last moment is a rare phenomenon. “It hurts, but it’s not entirely undeserved, it was an even game,” said coach Julian Nagelsmann at the end of an evening of football that had started quite slowly.

A lot of fuss about the top game

Not much happened in the first half hour, and yet the level was worthy of all the fuss that was going on around this game. For the first time, reporters from all continents were present at a Bundesliga game, a total of 450 media representatives worked to disseminate the spectacle, and the teams were no less diligent. Both defended very seriously from the start, and there weren’t any chances to score in the first third of the game.

Maybe that was also due to the question of a striker, which was much discussed in the run-up, both Munich and Dortmund lost their most important goalscorer in the summer and are still busy closing the gaps in the offensive center with suitable solutions. Youssoufa Moukoko was allowed to start at BVB, Modeste was on the bench for the first time since moving from 1. FC Köln to Dortmund in the Bundesliga. And at FC Bayern, Serge Gnabry started in the nines, Leroy Sané (left) and Sadio Mané (right) attacked on the wings, and the 0-1 fell on his side.

Niklas Süle, who played on the right in the back four for Thomas Meunier, who was absent for family reasons, gave the Senegalese a lot of space for no apparent reason. Perhaps he had too much respect for his opponent, and a few seconds later Bayern took the lead: it was over Jamal Musiala the ball got to Leon Goretzka, who scored the first Munich shot on goal from 17 meters to make it 0-1 (33′). The ball didn’t look completely untenable for Alexander Meyer, who once again represented Dortmund’s number one Gregor Kobel.

Shortly thereafter, Dortmund were lucky not to be outnumbered. The Jew Bellingham, who had already been warned with yellow, accidentally hit Alphonso Davies quite hard on the temple (45th), Julian Nagelsmann said: “He just kicks him full can in the face, it’s not yellow, it’s a red card, but Minimum yellow.” Dortmund were very lucky, but that wasn’t the main reason why Bayern ended up losing two points they thought were safe.

Even before the game, the Munich coach had said that this game was “about clarifying who wants it a bit more”, and he was right. Because Bayern were clearly superior in most phases of the second half, maybe also because Joshua Kimmich came on for Marcel Sabitzer.Mané initially had a good chance, but headed wide of the empty goal before Sané scored another long-range shot to make it 0:2 (53 ‘).Goalkeeper Meyer, who was with Champions League game in Seville during the week was still celebrated as the winner of the evening, the opportunity to fend off the durable ball.

With the exception of two long-range shots from Raphael Guerreiro (30th) and Marius Wolf (46th), who came on for Mats Hummels after the break, Dortmund remained completely harmless until this increasingly wild football show towards the end with one memorable centre-forward chapter was completed. Substitute Modeste initially provided the template for Youssoufa Moukoko’s 12 (74th). Nine minutes later, Modeste then missed an opportunity from the “must do” category. The next Modeste tragedy was already looming before he then headed the 2-2 when Dortmund were outnumbered because Kingsley Coman had seen the yellow-red card (90th).

Leon Goretzka later sat on the substitutes’ bench for a long time, staring dejectedly into space before looking for reasons for the unsatisfactory end of the game: “For one thing, we didn’t take advantage of our many opportunities in the second half,” he said, “and if you don’t do that, it’s okay if you’re up 2-0. But then you have to defend it to the end, and we didn’t do that.” The fact remains: Bayern are vulnerable this season.