FT: Dortmund 0-1 Bayern 

And that’s it! Amid all this upheaval and change, some things remain unchanged, even amid once-in-a-century pandemic. 

Bayern win 1-0 thanks to Joshua Kimmich’s stunning goal to tighten their grip on an eighth-straight title, and are now seven points clear of Dortmund at the top. 

Thanks a lot for following the game with us…it’s good to be back! 

Bye! 

Gotze, wide on the left, skews a wretched cross into Neuer’s arms. That’s a dreadful effort, and that might be that. 

Dortmund hoik a ball into the box, but it’s over everyone’s head and it rolls harmlessly to Neuer. 

The game’s almost up for them here. 

Lewandowski is muscled over by Akanji in the box, and the referee waves play on. The referee trots over to tell off Hansi Flick for his complaints. 

Three minutes added on. 

Guerreiro makes a crucial block to prevent Muller from tapping home a second. 

Hakimi finds space on the right wing, but he’s dispossessed by Perisic, and then Hummels’ attempt to find Gotze in the box ends up rolling out of play. 

Time running out for Dortmund here…

Bayern make another change – Javi Martinez for Serge Gnabry. 

Dortmund desperately need a goal, but it doesn’t look forthcoming… 

Dortmund passing the ball about, trying to pick a hole in the Bayern defence. They’ve had no luck so far…

Lucas Hernandez is coming on for Bayern, replacing Boateng. 

Axel Witsel is Dortmund’s fifth and final sub, replacing Dahoud. 

Off the post! 

Lewandowski drives forward and smacks a shot off the upright, and Dortmund survive. 

This is all Dortmund now. Dahoud shoots from the edge of the box but Neuer does well to bat it away, with the ball twisting and swerving in the air. 

Hakimi fizzes a cross across the box that Davies clears. 

Meanwhile, four days after Mario Gotze has been told he will be leaving the club at the end of the season, he jogs on to try and rescue this game for Dortmund. He replaces Piszczek.

A huge miss by Hazard as he sidefoots the ball wide from six yards out from a Can cross, but replays bail him out, as they show he was offside. 

This isn’t looking good for Dortmund now. They’ve lost Haaland to injury, Brandt is off too, and Marco Reus is injured. They need to get something out of this to keep the title race alive, but are running out of time…and bodies. 

Guerreiro slams the free-kick right at Neuer. 

Reyna is fouled on the edge of the box by Davies, who is booked. Free-kick to Dortmund in a dangerous position…

If you recognise Gio Reyna’s name – he is the son of former Rangers, Sunderland and Man City player Claudio Reyna. 

Bayern make a change – Coman is off for Ivan Perisic. 

Better from Dortmund – Sancho scampers down the left and hoists a ball into the box for Haaland that narrowly evades him. 

Some bad news follows that for Dortmund, though – Haaland has pulled up with an injury, and is off for Gio Reyna. 

Can shoots from distance, but the shot is blocked. Dotmund have lots of possession, but really aren’t doing a whole lot with it. 

Midway through the second half, and Dortmund need to find something. If this stays as is, they’ll slip seven points behind Bayern with six games to go. 

And no Mo Dahoud gets a card – he overruns the ball and catches Kimmich in sliding in to recover it. 

Muller goes into the book for sliding in very late on Akanji. 

Sancho, however, is still miles off the pace. He loses the ball yet again, and Hakimi stops a Bayern counter by fouling Muller. 

Dortmund force a corner, and they have been in the ascendancy since, eh, this blog slagged off their performance. 

Woah – replays show Boateng clearly threw his arm toward the ball in deflecting it behind. That’s a pretty blatant penalty, it wasn’t even referred to VAR, and there was hardly any appeals from Dortmund. 

Would that have been referred if there were fans in the stadium? You’d imagine there would have been an outcry about it from supporters… 

Big chance Haaland!

Can finds Hazard on the left, who cuts the ball back for Haaland, who takes a touch and snaps a shot goalward that’s blocked behind by Boateng, who threw himself at the ball having slipped immediately before the shot was taken. 

Dortmund haven’t started the second half yet. Can chips a ball over the top for Haaland…who dropped off to take the ball to feet. 

Big save Burki! 

Goretzka gets into the area and arrows a shot to the bottom corner, which Burki does well to push away. Bayern come again as Gnabry dances in along the touchline, but his pull-back is cut-out by Hummels. 

Sancho gives the ball away – twice – to Lewandowski, and Hummels scuttles across to block the shot. 

Sancho is still some way from the pace of this game. 

Hakimi slides a ball into Haaland’s feet, but his touch is curiously bad and the ball runs away from him. 

Dahoud picks the ball up in midfield, drives at the Bayern defence and then drives a shot from distance into Neuer’s chest. 

Coman springs the offside trap but over-cooks the cross from the right, as Lewandowski started for goal. 

Dortmund have made a double change: Julian Brandt and Thomas Delaney are off, with Jadon Sancho and Emre Can sprung from the bench. 

Quick reminder – teams are allowed make five subs now. 

Peeeep! 

We’re back underway. 

HT: Dortmund 0-1 Bayern 

Bayern lead at the break, thanks to an audacious Kimmich chip. It’s been a good game of very high tempo, although Dortmund have created few clear-cut chances. 

Amid the frenzy, Kimmich kept his cool and, with that lob, has lofted Bayern into a seriously good position. 

Dortmund need to win this game, so the second half promises plenty of action…join us again in a few minutes! 

GOOALLL!!! Dortmund 0-1 Bayern (Kimmich) 

Bayern have the lead with a glorious chip by Joshua Kimmich. Bayern spent the 90 seconds previous building pressure with Dortmund growing ever-more ragged. 

The ball then breaks to Kimmich on the edge of the area, and he elects to float a chip over Burki that drops into the net. 

Burki got a glove on it, but he can’t prevent it going in, and Bayern have the lead! 

The corner flies over everyone, but Dortmund dither over their clearace. Bayern win the ball back, and the move ends with Goretzka firing a shot into the side-netting. 

Goretzka hammers a volley goalward from distance that Burki does well to fist clear. Bayern win a corner. 

Davies weaves his way into the penalty area until Hummels trots across to assert himself, muscling him off the ball. Davies appeals vainly for a penalty which is rightly not given. 

Dortmund are finding space on the flanks, but the latest attack is wasted with a poor Brandt cross. He shanks it into the empty stand, much to Haaland’s exasperation. 

Piszczek – again – makes a terrific last-ditch intervention to cut out a through-ball for Muller. 

Haaland almost scarpers clear of the Bayern defence, but Davies appears from nowhere to dispossess him in the penalty area.  

The corner is taken short and then hoisted to the back post to an unmarked Hummels, but his attempt to knock the ball down to Brandt by his side is thwarted by his team-mate’s not being prepared for it, and Bayern survive again. 

Haaland and Hazard play a one-two, that ends with Haaland scuffing a shot that’s blocked away by Alaba. 

Dortmund come again, however, and Hazard slides in a low cross that Alaba does well to clear for a corner. 

Haaland tries an overhead kick from a Guerreiro cross but miscues, and the ball rolls out wide right for Hakimi, whose low cross is easily dealt with by Alaba. The ball is then crossed again from the left for Haaland, with Alaba doing superbly to get in Haaland’s way, and the ball rolls harmlessly away. 

Lewandowski gallops on goal but is denied by a stunning slide tackle by Piszczek. Dortmund then break but can’t get a shot off – Brandt dallies and shifts the ball left, and then Guerreiro loses the ball. 

Dortmund clear but again make a hames of the counter attack, with the final pass for Haaland instead going to Alaba’s feet. 

Coman lashes a shot goalward that’s beaten away by Burki, and Bayern have their first corner. 

The flow of the game has flipped entirely from the opening 15 minutes, with Bayern totally on top now and Dortmund trying to play on the break. They have plenty of options to hurt Bayern in that department, but they have fluffed a couple of transitions with errant final passes. 

What a clearance off the line! 

Bayern carve the Dortmund defence open, with Gnabry finding space in the six-yard box. His first touch is slightly too heavy but he gets his shot off nonetheless, and it’s heading into the net until Lukasz Piszczek pops up to back heel it off the line! 

Hummels cuts out a low Muller cross destined for Lewandowski. 

Bayern have settled into this game now, and are passing the ball about with much more authority. There’s an exceptionally high pace to the game. 

Hummels is booked for a cynical foul of Coman on the right wing. 

Oooh – Kimmich floats a gorgeous ball into the box which narrowly misses the head of Muller, who ghosted into the box with a delightful diagonal run. Burki gathers. 

Offside goal! 

Dortmund are playing so well. Again they find space in behind the Bayern high line, with Hazard running clear. He pulls the ball back to Haaland, who takes a touch and then sees a shot blocked. The ball broke back to Hazard, who crossed to Guerreiro and nodded in from an offside position. 

Bayern deal with the corner at the near post. 

Dortmund are passing the ball about with authority here, and are dominant thus far. 

Hakimi slides a pass behind the defence for Haaland, whose shot is deflected behind by Davies for the game’s first corner. 

Lewandoski finds space in the box but Hummels matches him stride-for-stride and makes a crucial block. Good defending. 

Brandt stings Neuer’s gloves! Gorgeous play by Dortmund as Delaney sweeps it left to Guerrero, who pulls the ball deftly back to Julian Brandt. His shot from 12 yards is right at the goalkeeper, who gathers at the second attempt. 

Off the line! 

What a start by Dortmund. Hazard is slipped through but Neuer comes running off his line to clear, but it’s hacked only as far as Haaland, who rolls a shot through the goalkeeper’s leg but Alphonso Davies stops the ball on the line. What a start! 

Peeeeeeep! 

And we’re off! 

The players are gathered in the centre circle for a moment’s silence in memory of those who have died from Covid-19. 

The players emerge to…an empty ground with Van Halen’s Jump bouncing around it. 

If you want to watch this game, it’s live on BT Sport 1. 

Not long to go now, with kick-off at 5.30pm.

Some still-jarring pre-game scenes…

DPA / PA Images DPA / PA Images / PA Images

A reminder of the state of play in the Bundesliga. With six rounds to go after this game, this is must-win territory for Dortmund. 

This game is, of course, being staged under the strict conditions of social distancing. 

Players and staff arrived at the game in a fleet of disinfected buses, so as to allow them to maintain social distancing on the journey to the stadium. All have to wear masks and stay around five feet from each other before kick-off, with the starting team changing at a different time to substitutes.

Footballs are disinfected, as will the dressing rooms after players leave for kick-off.

Players will be given individual water bottles to use during games and they are advised to shower at home after games.

10 members of the written press are allowed into this game, although players won’t be stopping to answer their questions in the mixed zone, and press conferences will be done over video conference.

Dortmund will be glad not to be playing this game in Munich, where they have a risible record of late: they’ve lost their last six games at the Allianz Arena, conceding 24 goals. 

They have been denied their home support and the famous Yellow Wall for this game, however, and the trend since the lockdown is a dilution of home advantage: of the 18 games played since the end of the lockdown, there have been only three home wins. 

Dortmund and Bayern are responsible for two of them. 

Team News 

Dortmund 

Erling Haaland leads the line for Dortmund, with Jadon Sancho on the bench. Mats Hummels – taken off last weekend with an achilles problem – is fit to start against his old side. 

🚨 Our Starting XI against FC Bayern 🚨 pic.twitter.com/zkcvZkU4Sw

— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) May 26, 2020

Bayern Munich 

Here’s the Bayern line-up: there’s no Thiago Alcantara, but there’s plenty of firepower elsewhere, including ex-Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski. 

KLASSIKER XI 🔴#BVBFCB #packmas #MiaSanMia pic.twitter.com/gslIjBPRdL

— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) May 26, 2020

NO, DON’T ADJUST your glasses or take a 30-mile spin to a local beauty spot, for what you see is true.

It’s a football liveblog here on The42!

It’s the first of these we’ve done in fully 76 days, but sport is beginning to stir again across Europe as everyone is now beginning to emerge blinking into the sun.

Germany are well ahead of the pack and have already completed two rounds of crowdless, socially-distant Bundesliga, which brings us to this evening, and the biggest remaining fixture of the season: Borussia Dortmund v Bayern Munich.

It’s a top-of-the-table clash, with Bayern four points clear at the top having played the same number of games. A win at the Westfalenstadion this evening will allow them take a further stride to an eighth-straight league crown.

Both sides have been pretty much note-perfect since the end of the lockdown, but something will give this evening.

Kick off is at 5.30pm, and you can follow it live here on The42.

Get in touch with us by commenting below the line, emailing gavincooney@the42.ie or tweeting @gcooney93.

Team news follows next…