Clinical Bayern Munich brush off wasteful Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund 1-3 Bayern Munich
(Bartra 88' - Robben 16', Lewandowski 37', Alaba 67') 

The misery continues for Borussia Dortmund, who now count a victory over third-tier Magdeburg in the German Cup as their only win in seven. For their opponents, the story is quite different. They’ve won all seven since Jupp Heynckes re-took the reigns, including one on penalties in the cup, and are now six points clear of BVB and four clear of RB Leipzig.

As comfortable as this was in the end for Bayern, the home side will surely rue a series of missed chances, particularly in the first half. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was denied early by a brilliant Niklas Süle challenge but should probably have got a shot away.

They were soon punished. Thiago sprayed a brilliant crossfield pass to James Rodriguez, who took it down and fed Arjen Robben. The Dutchman did the rest, curling in to the far corner to become the Bundesliga’s highest scoring Dutchman.

The sides then exchanged chances, Andriy Yarmolenko missing a one-on-one before Roman Bürki kept out a free header from Robert Lewandowski. Both those players had chances to make amends before the break, Lewandowski took his via a deflection while Yarmolenko, so impressive earlier in the season, froze once more.

The second half also saw Dortmund spurn opportunities but, before too long, Bayern gained control and sealed the win shortly after the hour mark when David Alaba’s left-wing cross eluded everyone and bounced in to the far corner.

A late Marc Bartra consolation was barely even that for Dortmund, with Peter Bosz failing to even raise a smile. The international break is going to feel particularly long for the Dutchman.

As it happened

FULL TIME: That's it. Too little too late from Dortmund, who were five points ahead of Bayern when Jupp Heynckes took over less than a month ago and are now six behind.

90+1 -- Almost a second for Dortmund. Toljan's cross is deflected but Castro can't reach it at the back post.

88' -- GOAL! A consolation for Dortmund. Pulisic wriggles out of a tight spot brilliantly and eventually the ball reaches Bartra, who curls one in.

84' -- The ref seems ok for now and Steinhaus holds up the board to say Vidal will replace James, Bayern's last change.

82' -- Well, here's a weird one. Tha ball clipped the referee in the foot and he now appears to be injured. Fourth official Bibiana Steinhaus watches on from the sidelines, she might get a late run out here.

80' -- Young English talent Jadon Sancho replaces Yarmolenko for Dortmund while Martinez is replaced by Rudy for Bayern.

76' -- But it's woeful from Castro, who puts it straight in to the wall.

75' -- Martinez goes in the book for a late one on Weigl. Good position for Dortmund...

74' -- And that's it for Alaba, who is replaced by Rafinha. Götze is also on for Kagawa.

70' -- After a few replays, it doesn't seem Lewandowski did get a touch. It's Alaba's goal, for now at least.

67' -- Game over. Lewandowski will claim this but it's not certain it's his. Alaba crossed from the left-hand corner of the box and Lewandowski may have got the slightest touch. Bürki did the same and James watched it in at the back post.

64' -- Lewandowski spurns another chance to wrap it up. Robben nudges him through and the Polish frontman seems to try a dink over the keeper from a narrowish angle. It was a strange choice in the circumstance and he got it all wrong, clipping it miles wide.

61' -- The game has quietened down a fair bit in the last 10 minutes. Mario Götze is jogging along the touchline, perhaps he's the man to change it?

58' -- Toprak is booked for what looked like a pretty good tackle on Lewandowski.

54' -- Bartra swings a pretty poor ball across the pitch but Kimmich misjudges his header back to the keeper under no pressure. Kagawa's corner is far too floaty and is simple for Ulreich to claim. 

49' -- This half has started as frenetically as the first ended. First Pulisic pulls back for Aubeameyang, only for the forward to clash with his own man. Then Schmelzer crosses for Auba, who stabs one just wide. 

48' -- So close to game over. Lewandowski rises to meet a free header in the box but Bürki keeps it out with his left shin. Dreadful defending there.

47' -- Toljan scampers down the right to win a corner. Then blazes one over when it falls to him on the edge of the box.

46' -- We're back underway in Dortmund. Can the hosts find the early breakthrough they need?

HALF TIME: Hugely frustrating half for Dortmund fans. On the balance of chances, it's probably about all square but, in a familiar tale, Bayern took theirs and Dortmund didn't. Andriy Yarmolenko and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang were particularly culpable. Bayern's first was a thing of beauty and, despite a touch of luck, the second wasn't bad either. The hosts will have to attack in the second half and that could play in to the champions' hands. We'll see very shortly. In the meantime, here's a little stat...

44' -- Now there was something they did need. Again Yarmelenko is clean through, again he hits the keeper. Hard to escape the felling he would've buried that a couple of months ago.

41' -- Pulisic drives down the left but the American can't make much of it. He has looked bright so far though. Meanwhile, Sokratis has left the field injured to be replaced by Toljan. The last thing Dortmund needed was more defensive injuries.

37' -- He won't be thanking him now - and that tweet below looks prophetic. Bayern are two up. Robben drove inside from the right and opted to find Kimmich on the overlap, his cross for Lewandowski was a little behind the striker, who tried to flick it towards goal. It got a deflection off Weigl and ended up in the net. Long way back for the hosts now.

34' -- Peter Bosz might want to thank Lewandowski at the break. After all the talk of Dortmund's high line, the Polish striker had half of the pitch to run in to after a long ball - struck beautifully with the outside of the foot by Hummels - put him in, with the BVB defensive line almost in the opposition half. But he dallied a little and a line of defenders eventually crowded him out. 

31' -- Incredible few minutes there. First Dortmund sprung forward and put Yarmelenko through one-on-one but the Ukranian hit it right at the keeper's feet. Then Bayern countered rapidly, Coman shifted it to Lewandowski, who had a tough angle put forced Bürki to tip over. Finally Kagawa jinked himself in to a yard of space on the edge of the box and clipped the outside of the post. Breathless stuff at both ends.

27' -- Alaba takes down a long ball in space on the left. He aims a low cross towards Lewandowski but Bürki gets down to cut it out.

23' -- Kagawa takes a tumble in the box under challenge but - despite the crowd's roar - there's not too much there.

20' -- Martinez and Coman have both been in decent positions since the goal but made nothing of it. Dortmund must be careful here.

16' -- GOAL! Dortmund are punished for that miss as Robben finishes a lovely move. It started with Thiago, who sprayed a crossfield ball to James. the Colombian took a touch to bring it down and a second to slip it to Robben, who whipped it home with that trusty left peg. 

12' -- A brilliant tackle from Süle denies Aubameyang. Sokratis sent a simple but effective ball through the lines - the kind of ball that's caused his own team problems of late - and the Gabonese frontman looked in. His first touch was decent but Süle went to ground and made the block. Big chance all the same.

9' -- Schmelzer gets the first yellow of the game. He jumped for a high ball with Kimmich and caught the Bayern man with his arm. It looked over-eager more than aggressive.

6' -- Bayern starting to get their collective foot on the ball now, with Thiago looking to dictate the tempo.

2' -- Fairly bright start from Dortmund, as Aubameyang almost gets in down the right hand side before Kagawa is crowded out on the edge of the box.

1' -- It's go time. Bayern get us up and running.

-- The song has been sung, the yellow and black flags have been waved, the players are in the tunnel and the time for talk is nearly over. 

-- Speaking to Sky, BVB head coah Peter Bosz is coy about whether he's playing two holding midfielders or not pre-game. It seems Julian Weigl might be the lone man, with Gonzalo Castro further upfield.

-- Borussia Dortmund stick with Marc Bartra at right back, and hope Julian Weigl can provide some much-needed cover in defensive midfield. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang could do with a goal having gone four games without one.

-- Team news. Bayern have sprung a surprise by including Joshua Kimmich. Otherwise, an expected line-up from the Bavarians. James gets his first taste at Germany's biggest game.

-- Good evening! It's time for the big one. After all the talking, Borussia Dortmund host Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga. Bayern can go four points clear at the top with a win (six clear of Dortmund). Peter Bosz's side need to turn things around after just one win in the last six across all competitions.