Written by: Holofelang Mogane
Saturday 18 October 2025… a very important day in German football. It is a day where the entire country is divided into two – one half in red and white, the other half in black and yellow. It was a battle of the gladiators of German football – FC Bayern Munich VS Borussia Dortmund.
This battle served as an interesting encounter because both sides went into this Derby clash UNBEATEN, as they both had no loss to their name after their opening six games before this massive derby clash. Bayern Munich had a 100% start to their title defence, whilst Borussia Dortmund had just 2 draws, but neither side suffered a defeat.
Both sides locked horns at the iconic Allianz Arena in Munich for the 1st Der Klassiker of the season, after their previous match that ended 2-2 last season at the very same arena.
Bayern Munich started their Derby encounter on such a dominant note, and it took them just 22nd min on the clock to open the scoring, thanks to a red-hot Harry Kane, who nodded home his 21st goal of the season across all competitions for both club and country.
The defending Meisterchale champions continued the 1st half on a dominant and perfect note, as their passes were so accurate, followed by their ball possession, and chances created. For Borussia Dortmund, it was a half where an unusual formation they started the match with did not work in their favour and were dominated by a well-oiled German machine, and struggled throughout the 1st half despite creating chances of their own.
The 2nd half continued in the same manner for the champions, and they could have buried more of their chances during the 2nd half. But the 2nd goal did eventually come about, as former Crystal Palace attacker, Michael Olise, bundled the ball home off a poor clearance by Dortmund’s substitute, Jobe Bellingham, to double the Bavarians’ advantage in the 78th minute.
As it may look to have been game over for Dortmund, they found a way past the Munich defence, as substitute Julian Brandt made an immediate impact, having found himself on target from a Julian Ryerson cross to pull a goal back for Dortmund in the 84th minute, setting up a dramatic finale. But that goal would be the only goal the away side scored, as Munich became the 1st team to put Dortmund’s unbeaten run to an end at the 7th time of asking. The referee blew his whistle for full-time, and whilst Bayern Munich collected their 8th victory in their last 10 Der Klassiker meetings against Borussia Dortmund, it was a bitter pill to swallow for Nico Kovac’s men, as their unbeaten start to the season came to an end.
The key talking point has to be the striker, Harry Kane. His performance throughout the match showed people that he is more than a lethal goal-poaching striker, he can also be very effective when it comes to his passes and his defensive capabilities as well. His remarkable performance in the Derby, together with his goal-scoring run across all competitions, earned him the Man of the Match award.
There has been criticism aimed towards Bayern Munich, especially their current manager, Vincent Kompany, regarding his capability to run a big football club after his stint with his former side, Burnley. But since his appointment as the Bavarians’ boss, they have been on an upward trajectory, and they won the Meisterchale title emphatically last season, and it looks like they are well on their way to successfully retaining the title, as Bayern Munich are hell-bent on shattering more records this season, and sit 5points clear from RB Leipzig, who occupy 2nd on the log. Meanwhile, for Borussia Dortmund, they have to put this unfortunate defeat behind them and focus on their next match away to Danish giants, FC Copenhagen in the UEFA Champions League, followed by their next Bundesliga clash against FC Koln at the Signal Iduna Park.
Bayern Munich’s next task is a home match against Club Brugge in the UEFA Champions League, before travelling to Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga.
Bayern Munich 2 – 1 Borussia Dortmund, @ Allianz Arena, Munich.
Bayern Munich – Harry Kane (22’), Michael Olise (78’)
Borussia Dortmund – Julian Brandt (84’)
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