Game on

The differences between Bayern and Borussia Dortmund began in the tunnel of Munich's Allianz Arena. While the hosts engaged in jovial banter and backslapping, the defending champions looked focused, almost grim.

Most pundits expected Bayern to virtually wrap up the title - a Munich win would have put them eight points ahead and likely beyond reach of Dortmund. Bayern have set their sights mighty high this season at home and in Europe, having publicly said they want to reach next May's Champions League final, to be played at their home stadium.

But Dortmund's 1-0 win on Saturday showed everyone in the Bavarian capital that even the league championship, the one title Bayern expect to win as a matter of course, isn't going to come automatically.

Indeed, to gain the silverware they covet, the Bavarians will have to learn from this defeat.

Half-strength isn't strong enough

Dortmund stymied Bayern's creative midfield; although the Bavarians ended up with 60 percent possession, a sizeable chunk of it was eaten up by back passes or unproductive lateral ball movement.

"We allowed surprisingly few chances," a satisfied Dortmund coach Jürgen Klopp told reporters. "We worked against the ball really well."

That statement also implied that Bayern were weaker than expected. After the match commentators disagreed about the nature of the problem. German news magazine Der Spiegel blamed the absence of midfield rudder Bastian Schweinsteiger, who's out with a broken collarbone. Bayern captain Philipp Lahm agreed.

"We miss Bastian a lot, no question," Lahm said after the match. "You need only look at his experience, passing abilities and presence."

Munich-based daily Süddeutsche Zeitung, on the other hand, pointed the finger at Arjen Robben, who showed little of his class in his first match after a lengthy break following groin surgery.

In truth, the problem was a combination of things. Bayern coach Jupp Heynckes rolled the dice by moving Toni Kroos back into a defensive role and shifting Thomas Müller to the center to accommodate the mercurial Dutchman.

But it was clear from the outset that Robben wasn't going to be able to make any of his signature slashing runs toward the penalty area. That allowed Dortmund to get two and sometimes three men around Bayern's top performer this season, Franck Ribery, before the Frenchman could build up a head of steam.

"When you play against Borussia Dortmund, you need to exert far more pressure," Heynckes acknowledged.

The moral for the coach: In order for Bayern to generate the level of threat they need to beat top teams, they need potency on both sides of the pitch. Robben is the perfect solution for the right - but only if he's fully fit.

Depth can be decisive

Watching Jürgen Klopp's men slug it out eye-to-eye with Germany's most talented club, it was easy to forget they were lacking both their first choice striker and one of their regular interior defenders.

Center forward Robert Lewandowski did everything a coach could ask for, providing a solid target in the middle and once even nutmegging German national Holger Badstuber to create a chance that very nearly gave Dortmund a first-half lead.

Perhaps even more impressive was the performance of defender Felipe Santana, filling in for Neven Subotic, who's out indefinitely with a fractured face. It was only the big Brazilian's fourth start of the season, after barely getting a game in Dortmund's title drive last year, but he kept Bayern striker Mario Gomez completely under control.

Heynckes may have rued his decision not to trust his reserves. Bayern's attack perked up noticeably when 19-year-old David Alaba was brought on for Robben in minute 72.

A great starting 11 wins matches, but deep squads win titles. As great as Bayern regulars are, they need their reserves, and their reserves need the occasional chance.

Success sometime comes from kilometers

Ahead of the match, Gomez surprised many pundits and fans by declaring that his team was "a bit lazy when it comes to running." Gomez did not mean it as a criticism - the implication was that Munich could win matches without breaking too much of a sweat.

But on Saturday, Dortmund's willingness to invest more compensated for Bayern's better ball skills. All four of Borussia's midfielders logged more distance than Bayern's most diligent player.

Sven Bender racked up an impressive 13 kilometers. And his was not running around for its own sake. On a number of occasions, Bayern managed to penetrate Dortmund's first line of defense, only for the tireless 22-year-old to rush from behind and disrupt promising situations.

Meanwhile, Gomez struggled to find space, getting off only one shot on goal. And when he did have the ball just outside the penalty area early in the second half, the Bundesliga's leading scorer hesitated before laying it off to a wide-open Robben.

The delay was enough for Dortmund to get a man back, raising the question of whether more selflessness might have given Bayern the chance at a potentially decisive lead.

Dortmund's teamwork and team spirit were beyond reproach. And even if Bayern don't always need them in the Bundesliga, those are qualities that Munich would be well advised to emulate, when they take on Europe's elite teams, especially Barcelona.

Bayern's players and management were noticeably irritated at their failure to sustain their march to the title on Saturday. But if they end up hoisting the Champion's League trophy next May in their home stadium, they might look back upon the Dortmund defeat as the source of valuable lessons learned.

Author: Jefferson Chase
Editor: Martin Kuebler