How Thomas Tuchel's men frustrated die Roten - the Bundesliga's champions elect...
There was a terrific intensity to Saturday's Der Klassiker, but in the end Dortmund were unable to find a way to push back Bayern and successfully bite into the Bavarian club's five-point lead.
However, despite being unable to break the ranks of Guardiola's visitors, the home side did at least show how you contain the likes of Douglas Costa, Arjen Robben and Robert Lewandowski.
Here are four tactical notes from the game using the award-winning Stats Zone app, which help illustrate how you contain a Pep Guardiola team in full flow. Take heed, Premier League!
1. Limit the influence of Robben
Everyone knows you have to stop Arjen Robben cutting in onto his left foot, and Dortmund did that. The experienced Schmelzer often shepherded the Dutchman into the radius of Mats Hummels, and with help from the retreating Gundogan and Reus, it limited Bayern's winger to two shots on target all game. In fact, Hummels went on to be named man of the match so that shows the success with which he handled Bayern's deadly attackers.
2. Secure your own half
Dortmund focused on remaining compact in their own half, rarely pressing high into Bayern's half. In fact, they didn't even win a tackle in the opposition half, while Bayern pressed high, as Guardiola sets his team out to do, winning balls beyond the halfway line. By securing the centre of the pitch, and their own penalty box, they frustrated their counterparts in red.
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3. Restrict their crossing
The dangerous Thomas Muller won two headers in the opposition area, as he often does with his intelligent movement. However, fine one-on-one defending from full-backs Marcel Schmelzer and Lukasz Piszczek limited the quality of the balls into the box, and Muller was starved of service. The excellent Erik Durm and Julian Weigl helped out here, harrying the Bayern midfield and wide players all game.
With Dortmund focused on stopping Bayern winning individual duels and finding any space in or around the immedaite vicinity of the box, the Bavarians were forced to shoot from range. And with Roman Burki in fine fettle this played into the Nord Rheine Westphalia outfit's hands. The light blue lines show where chances for Bayern came, with many evident outside the box.
