Dortmund Vs Bayern: Kane and Kimmich turn Derby into a thriller as Bayern pull away

In a pulsating Klassiker that will shape the closing phase of the season, Dortmund and Bayern produced a 3: 2 encounter that matters for the title race. The match billed as dortmund vs bayern finished 3: 2 (0: 1) on the 24th matchday, and Bayern left Signal Iduna Park with an eleven-point lead for the last ten rounds.

Dortmund lead through Schlotterbeck, Kane responds with two goals

Nico Schlotterbeck gave Borussia Dortmund the lead with a header in the 26th minute, celebrating wildly by jumping over the advertising board and avoiding a shirt removal that would have led to a sending-off. Schlotterbeck had earlier come back from muscular problems and earned a yellow card in the 18th minute for a sliding challenge on Josip Stanišić; he later described the booking with the words: "Da hatte ich ein bisschen Glück. "

Harry Kane then changed the game for Bayern. He equalised with a left-foot strike and converted a penalty to complete his brace — the season's 29th and 30th goals for him and his fourth consecutive match with a double — turning the contest in Bayern's favour.

Kimmich winner, Svensson volley and the late drama

Dortmund drew level again through a spectacular volley by defender Daniel Svensson in the 83rd minute, only for Joshua Kimmich to respond four minutes later with a left-footed thunderbolt that restored Bayern's lead and decided the match 3: 2. The winning goal came after Marcel Sabitzer had given the pass to the second Dortmund goal earlier in the game; Sabitzer tried to block Kimmich's shot and lamented: "Das ist frustrierend, tut unheimlich weh. "

The result left Bayern with an eleven-point cushion for the final ten matchdays; earlier in the season, on the 21st matchday, Bayern had held a six-point advantage, and pundit commentary referenced an eight-point margin at another point before this fixture.

Line-up changes: Neuer out, Urbig starts; Ramadan rules Dortmund selection

Manuel Neuer did not travel to Dortmund because of a muscle fiber tear in his left calf; Jonas Urbig started in goal for Bayern. Dortmund began without their top scorer Serhou Guirassy and Ramy Bensebaini, both omitted for the start of the game because of observance of Ramadan. Trainer Niko Kovač explained that fasting costs energy and that data shows eating and drinking patterns can influence performance: "Es kostet viel Energie, wenn du den ganzen Tag nicht essen und trinken kannst. Deswegen konnte ich die Jungs heute nicht bringen. "

Incidents, tackles and injuries: Emre Can forced off

BVB captain Emre Can produced a crucial sliding tackle in the second minute to deny Serge Gnabry a presentable chance, but he was struck by injury late in the first half. In the 40th minute, in what was described as a harmless duel with Konrad Laimer, Can appeared to hurt his left knee, rolled on the turf and summoned medical attention. After treatment he tried to continue but ultimately lay down and had to be substituted at 45+5.

Dayot Upamecano also had a nervy moment for Bayern early in the second half, missing a free chance and sliding painfully against the post as Dortmund surged at the restart.

Expert reaction and pre‑match context from Matthäus

Lothar Matthäus, 64, who analysed the fixture as a TV expert, changed his pre-game prediction: having previously tipped a draw before the Bergamo match, he declared Bayern the favourites ahead of the Saturday evening kickoff at 18. 30 Uhr. Matthäus cited Dortmund's heavy Champions-League exit at Atalanta (1: 4) and criticised recurring errors and off-field distractions — naming Serhou Guirassy and Karim Adeyemi as issues — while praising Bayern for consistent effort under the influence of Kompany. He added that neutral fans would like a five-point gap but said Bayern would not surrender the then-current eight-point lead.

Wider matchday: Hoffenheim setback, key relegation and midtable shifts

Elsewhere on the matchday Hoffenheim suffered an unexpected 0: 1 home defeat to St. Pauli, ending a run of eight consecutive home wins. Bosnian goalkeeper Nikola Vasilj was a decisive figure and the goal arrived in the fourth minute of first-half stoppage time; Hoffenheim coach Christian Ilzer protested: "Das darf nicht passieren", and added: "da fehlte die Konzentration!" Alexander Prass came on from the 62nd minute for Hoffenheim.

Stuttgart can close the gap to Hoffenheim with a home win against Wolfsburg, and RB Leipzig — featuring Christoph Baumgartner and Nicolas Seiwald — could move within two points if they win at Hamburger SV. Mainz earned a crucial 1: 1 in Leverkusen with Stefan Posch and Philipp Mwene noted for the point, while Mönchengladbach edged Union Berlin 1: 0 in the last minute with Leopold Querfeld and Christopher Trimmel involved in the moves that shifted Mainz down a place. Since Posch's loan deployment as the central defender in a three-man chain, Mainz's defence has looked more stable.

Werder Bremen notched their first win after 13 matches with a 2: 0 victory over Heidenheim — a result that leaves Heidenheim with a bleak outlook — yet Romano Schmid, Marco Grüll and Marco Friedl remain embroiled in relegation worries. Michael Gregoritsch and Augsburg secured a 2: 0 home win against 1. FC Köln; Gregoritsch was introduced in the 68th minute and his final action produced an extraordinary headed assist to Alexis Claude-Maurice, who sprinted from his own half to slot into an empty net while Köln goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe had been upfield for a corner.