Borussia Dortmund 2-2 Bayern Munich: Modeste nets 95th minute Klassiker equaliser
Borussia Dortmund scored a dramatic 95th-minute equaliser in Der Klassiker, wiping out a 2-0 Bayern Munich lead and going level on points with their rivals in the Bundesliga table.
Anthony Modeste, who had somehow missed an earlier chance to equalise, emerged as the hero in stoppage time. 17-year-old Youssoufa Moukoko’s goal had given Dortmund hope after Bayern had raced ahead through Leon Goretzka and Leroy Sane either side of half-time.
The first half wasn’t full of chances at the first sold-out Signal Iduna Park for Der Klassiker since before the pandemic and more than half an hour had elapsed before either side registered a shot on target. That went the way of Dortmund, with Manuel Neuer reacting well to push Raphael Guerreiro’s drive towards the top corner wide of the post.
It may well have stirred something in Bayern as Goretzka’s opener was only a couple of minutes later. The goal was the result of good work on the left from Jamal Musiala, drawing defenders towards him, before finding Goretzka on the edge of the box. His low shot back across his body grazed the grass and found the bottom corner.
Dortmund could have equalised straightaway through Donyell Malen but Neuer was again equal to it, closing the angle down and smothering the shot with his body.
The hosts also made a bright start to the second half and substitute Marius Wolf forced Neuer into a fingertip save from a rasping drive. From the resultant corner, the same player had a glorious chance to equalise when Neuer misjudged the flight of the ball, but Wolf also miscued it.
Bayern should have doubled their lead when Goretzka’s clever run and header presented Sadio Mane with a gaping goal. But his diving header narrowly went wide of the post.
Bayern’s eventual second was disappointing from a Dortmund perspective, with Leroy Sane’s long-range shot going through the hands of goalkeeper Alexander Meyer before it hit the net. But just after the hour mark, only Meyer’s chest block from point-blank range stopped it going to 3-0.
The reigning champions were made to rue that miss because of Moukoko’s well-taken strike to halve the deficit. Dortmund moved the ball from back to front quickly, with Nico Schlotterbeck bringing it forward and substitute Modeste linking up with Moukoko, who fired hard past Neuer.
Modeste was so close to making it 2-2 after glorious wing play from Karim Adeyemi. But only yards from goal, the experienced striker failed to make proper contact with the ball and then couldn’t react quick enough as it bobbled towards Neuer.
Bayern were reduced to 10 players in stoppage time when Kingsley Coman was sent off upon picking up a second yellow card, leaving Dortmund to have the last laugh.
Goalkeeper Meyer spent most of the final moments as an auxiliary striker. But the opportunity to rescue a point looked to have gone until Schlotterbeck stretched to keep the ball in play, chipping a cross to the back post for Modest to nod in with the final touch of the game.
For more from Jamie Spencer, follow him on Twitter and Facebook!