Bayern Munich 5-0 Borussia Dortmund: 5 Talking Points | Bundesliga 2018/19
Bayern Munich decimated Borussia Dortmund in Saturday's Der Klassiker with Lewandowski, Hummels, Gnabry and Martinez getting on the score sheet. The result saw Bayern reclaim top spot from their arch-rivals.
The visitors had a brilliant chance to draw first blood in the seventh minute as Mahmoud Dahoud saw his effort hit the post. Minutes later, Mats Hummels' perfectly placed header gave Bayern a much-deserved lead. Bayern then took control of proceedings and doubled their lead in the 16th minute as Lewandowski capitalized on Zagadou's error and slotted the ball into an empty net.
Dortmund found themselves with a mountain to climb as Bayern took a 3-0 lead through Javi Martinez five minutes from the interval. Their problems compounded in the 43rd minute when some poor marking from Akanji allowed Serge Gnabry to place his header beyond the reach of Roman Burki.
Bayern completed the rout after Lewandowski tapped in from close range in the dying embers of the game. On that note, let us take a look at the five talking points from the clash at the Allianz Arena.
#1 Bayern dominate the all-important midfield battle
Niko Kovac started with the duo of Javi Martinez and Thiago Alcantara in midfield in Munich's 5-0 rout of Borussia Dortmund. The Croatian got his selection spot on as the duo provided the perfect blend of defensive stability and flair/creativity in the middle of the park.
Javi Martinez operated as the holding midfielder and made life easy for Bayern's back four with a couple of well-timed interventions. The Spaniard did not allow the likes of Dahoud and Reus to create chances from the middle and thwarted Dortmund's offensive advances.
The former Bilbao midfielder ended the game with a pass accuracy rate of 93%, made two interceptions and recovered possession on eight occasions. Martinez capped off a solid performance with a well-placed finish beyond Roman Burki, which effectively sealed the game in the 40th minute.
Thiago Alcantara was at his mercurial best against Dortmund as the opposing defense had no answer to his exquisite passing range. The Spanish international continuously picked out the runs of Coman and Gnabry and bypassed Dortmund's press with his nimble footwork and composure on the ball.
Thiago ended the game with a pass accuracy rate of 87% and created seven chances which were the highest by any player during the game. In addition to this, he provided six key passes, made five recoveries and assisted Mats Hummels for Bayern's opener.
Both midfielders were at the top of their game as they dominated the all important midfield battle which played a major role in helping the record Bundesliga champions brush aside an insipid Dortmund.