Young star could be in trouble for criticising the referee in a wild match that showed his side’s rich potential … and limits
This time, at least, there were grounds for debate. Der Klassiker has become the showpiece that retains attention but equally fuels the barbs of the critics, a symptom of Bayern Munich’s indefatigable dominance to pessimists and Bundesliga detractors. This time, the fixture’s usual chaotic energy synced with genuine jeopardy.
Even if the current run was extended to Borussia Dortmund beating Bayern just once in their last 10 Bundesliga meetings (with six straight wins for the champions), Saturday’s latest edition oscillated wildly. Maybe slightly too much so for BVB tastes – do they occasionally, secretly yearn for a professionally seen-out 1-0 win like November 2016’s vintage, scraped and scrapped for with an early Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang goal and 33% possession? – and certainly too much so for Bayern’s. Paradoxically when one acknowledges another almost-but-not-quite moment, maybe Dortmund will even take almost as much satisfaction from the game as the victors after prolonged analysis and once the dust has settled.