Kimmich stunner sends Bayern seven points clear

Borussia Dortmund 0-1 Bayern Munich
Goals: 0-1 Kimmich (43')

It was gloves off from the get-go at Dortmund’s Signal Iduna Park as Julian Brandt sent Thorgan Hazard in on goal inside 60 seconds. Manuel Neuer got there first, but his clearance was picked off by Erling Haaland, whose goal-bound effort through the legs of the Bayern goalkeeper was cleared off the line by Jerome Boateng. After Raphael Guerreiro had a goal ruled out for offside, Bayern returned fire through Kingsley Coman, the Frenchman forcing Lukasz Piszczek into a goal-line clearance of his own, with Robert Lewandowski lurking. Mats Hummels sent a header over and Alphonso Davies stopped Haaland in his tracks in front of goal, before Bayern got their noses in front with two minutes of a pulsating first half remaining. Dortmund were punished for not clearing their lines, allowing Coman to nudge the ball into the path of Kimmich, whose audacious 20-yard chip got the better of a back-pedalling Roman Bürki for 1-0.

In a bid to turn the tide, Dortmund coach Lucien Favre introduced Emre Can and Jadon Sancho at the start of the second period. As before, the action was of the high-octane variety, with Coman flashing a cross just beyond Lewandowski and Mahmoud Dahoud warming the palms of Neuer. Bürki thwarted Coman and Leon Goretzka in quick succession, before Boateng came up trumps with another heroic clearance to deny Haaland a Klassiker debut goal. Sancho's first real involvement was to whip a teasing ball from the left just past Neuer’s far post. It was also Haaland’s last, the Norwegian aggravating an ankle strain on the stretch and making way for US teenager Gio Reyna soon after. Guerreiro forced a save from Neuer with a well-struck free-kick before Dahoud followed suit from range as Bayern succeeded in keeping their nearest challengers at arm's length in the closing stages. Only the woodwork denied Lewandowski his 28th goal of the season, and the league leaders the proverbial icing on the cake. 

• Bayern are the first team this season to record seven successive Bundesliga wins, endings Dortmund's six-game winning run in the process.
• The defending champions have hit 10 goals without reply across the previous three Bundesliga meetings between these sides.
• All five of Kimmich's competitive goals this season have come on the road, including three in the Bundesliga.
• Neuer made his 400th Bundesliga appearance. He is one of only three active players to have reached the milestone, alongside Christian Gentner and Claudio Pizarro.
• Haaland was the only player across the starting line-ups to make his Klassiker debut.
• Bayern stopped Dortmund from scoring for the second time this season, having won 4-0 in Munich in Hansi Flick's first game in charge on Matchday 11.

Watch: Müller on Kimmich's wondergoal

Dortmund: Bürki - Piszczek (c) (Götze 79'), Hummels, Akanji - Hakimi, Dahoud (Witsel 85'), Delaney (Can 46'), Guerreiro - Brandt (Sancho 46'), Haaland (Reyna 72'), Hazard
Unused subs: Hitz, Balerdi, Morey, Schmelzer
Out: Reus (thigh), Schulz (muscular), Zagadou (knee)
Coach: Lucien Favre 

Bayern: Neuer (c) - Pavard, Boateng (Hernandez 85'), Alaba, Davies - Kimmich, Goretzka - Gnabry (Martinez 87'), Müller, Coman (Perisic 74') - Lewandowski
Unused subs: Ulreich, Odriozola, Cuisance, Mai, Batista Meier, Zirkzee
Out: Coutinho (ankle), Süle (match fitness), Thiago (groin), Tolisso (ankle)
Coach: Hansi Flick

Watch: Davies: "I'm happy to have the speed I have"