Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich faced off in their crunch Bundesliga clash at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday.
Jurgen Klopp's men were coming into the game off a seven-match unbeaten run in the league, while Bayern were reeling following their first home defeat of the campaign against Borussia Mochengladbach.
The game was decided by a single goal as Robert Lewandowski came back to haunt his former club to hand Pep Guardiola's men a 1-0 victory to reaffirm their grip on the Bundesliga title.
Read how all the action unfolded in our commentary below.
5pmGood afternoon and welcome to the live commentary of the Bundesliga clash between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich.
5.01pmDortmund have been far from their best this season in the Bundesliga as they currently reside in 10th place in the table, with just 33 points from their 26 matches. The club also crashed out of the Champions League in the round of 16 to Juventus to further increase the pressure on Jurgen Klopp, so a victory over Bayern could be just what he needs to appease his critics.
5.03pmKlopp's men have rallied in recent weeks in the Bundesliga after their horrendous start to the campaign to move into the security of mid-table. The club are unbeaten in their last seven matches in the league, which has included five victories, following their 3-2 victory over Hannover. So there are signs that Dortmund are slowly clicking into gear, which could see them make a surge for one of the Europa League places.
5.07pmPep Guardiola side's surge towards the Bundesliga title was dented slightly in their last outing as they fell to their first home defeat of the season in a 2-0 loss to Borussia Mochengladbach. Bayern hold a seven-point lead over Wolfsburg at the top of the table so they have plenty of breathing room, but will be determined to get back on track this afternoon to re-establish their grip on the title.
5.11pmTEAM NEWS:
DORTMUND STARTING XI: Weidenfeller, Hummels, Papastathopoulos, Subotic, Schmelzer, Blaszczykowski, Bender, Reus, Gundogan, Kampl, Aubameyang
SUBS: Kagawa, Kehl, Mkhitaryan, Ramos, Langerak, Ginter, Dudziak
5.12pmTEAM NEWS:
BAYERN STARTING XI: Neuer, Lahm, Rafinha, Boateng, Benatia, Dante, Schweinsteiger, Alonso, Bernat, Muller, Lewandowski
SUBS: Thiago, Pizzaro, Gaudino, Gotze, Rode, Reina, Weiser
5.16pmBayern are without Franck Ribery this afternoon as an ankle problem has ruled him out of action, which is the latest in a series of setbacks that have affected the Frenchman this season. Meanwhile, Dante comes back into the fold to replace the injured David Alaba in his first start since the beginnning of March. Former Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski leads the line for Guardiola's men alongside Thomas Muller against his former club. The 26-year-old scored in the earlier meeting between the teams this season in Bayern's 2-1 victory at the Allianz Arena and will be looking to haunt Klopp once again.
5.18pmKlopp has made three changes to his team from their win over Hannover last week. Kevin Kampl, Marcel Schmelzer and Sven Bender all come into the starting lineup at the expense of Oliver Kirch, Shinji Kagawa and Sebastian Kehl. Henrikh Mkhitaryan starts the match on the bench after failing to regain his place, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leads the line in front of an attacking midfield trio, which includes Marco Reus.
5.26pmThe players are out on the pitch so we should be underway shortly.
5.28pmA pause before kickoff as there is a minute's silence to remember the victims of the Germanwings plane crash in France last week.
1 minKICKOFF! Dortmund get us underway in this Bundesliga clash.
2 minFeisty start to the game as there are a few meaty challenges as both teams look to impose themselves. Blaszczykowski does get to the byline as he tries to cross the ball down the left, but Benatia does well to force a goal kick for the visitors.
4 minReus slides a through ball into the feet of Blaszczykowski in the box and the midfielder tries to beat the challenge of Bernat, but the defender gets just enough of the ball in the challenge and manages to clear the danger, despite appeals for a penalty from the home supporters.
5 minKampl is played in down the left as Reus slides a through ball behind the Bayern defence, but fortunately for the visitors the forward is a fraction offside. Close from Dortmund, but the linesman made the right decision there.
6 minDante knocks the ball back to Neuer who takes a bad first touch and Aubameyany puts him under pressure immediately. The keeper stumbles slightly but manages to hack the ball clear with his left foot. Good pressure from the home side to start the match as they're not allowing Bayern time to settle on the ball.
7 minA long ball over the top is chased down by Muller and he nearly catches Weidenfeller out as he lobs the ball over the keeper. The ball bounces slowly towards the net, but Subotic is on hand to boot it away before it crosses the line. A moment of fortune for the Dortmund keeper.
9 minBayern are starting to come into the game as Alonso and Schweinsteiger are knocking the ball into the channels for Muller and Lewandowksi to hold, which is putting the Dortmund defence under pressure and forcing them to ease off in their pressure of the ball up the field.
11 minMuller and Lewandowski exchanges passes to set the former Dortmund man through the middle, but the flag is raised as he chips the ball over Weidenfeller. That was a sublime bit of football from the striking duo, but again the official made the right call.
14 minSchmelzer comes in hard from the left to win the ball from Lahm in a challenge he had to win as he left Rafinha with acres of space to raid into had he not won the ball. The left-back finds the run of Reus, who is brought down from behind by a clumsy challenge from Alonso, who somehow escapes a booking.
15 minFrom the resulting free kick the delivery from Reus is poor and allows Bayern to clear with ease. The home side need to make more of those opportunities as Bayern are starting to take a grip on possession.
18 minYELLOW CARD! Schweinsteiger is the first man into the book as he is fraction late on Gundogan as the midfielder tried to break away through the middle. The Germany international was caught by Bender a minute earlier so he may have been smarting from that decision not to book the Dortmund man.
20 minYELLOW CARD! Aubameyang joins Schweinsteiger in the book as the forward wins the ball but goes straight into the left leg of Lewandowski. The referee didn't have much of choice with that one, but the home supporters aren't happy about it.
22 minBernat is played down the left by an incisive pass from the boot of Alonso, and the wing-back manages to win a free kick in a dangerous position on the wing as he is brought down by Blaszczykowski.
23 minDortmund clear their lines from the first threat, but the ball is pumped back into the box by Rafinha. His delivery almost falls for Lewandowski inside the six-yard box, but Hummels makes a solid challenge to clear the ball with his left foot.
27 minBlaszczykowski does well to beat the challenge of Bernat down the right and he lifts a cross to the back post where Rafinha and Kampl collide, but the referee waves the appeals of the home side away as Benatia clear the ball with a powerful header.
29 minYELLOW CARD! The third yellow card of the game is given to Schmelzer as goes in late on Rafinha as the Brazilian tried to break down the right wing.
31 minBayern break with speed down the left as Schweingsteiger drifts to the wing and delivers a dangerous cross to the back post, but Hummels is there to clear the ball with a solid header before Muller can pounce.
32 minLewandowski and Muller link up again in the final third as the Pole finds his teammate 25 yards from goal. Muller looks to play the ball behind the defence for Lewandowski's run, but he turns at the last second and draws the foul from Gundogan to win a free kick in a threatening area.
33 minCHANCE! Alonso takes the free kick and lifts his effort over the wall, but his strike drifts just wide of the post as Weidenfeller watched the ball sail off target.
36 minGOAL! Dortmund 0-1 Bayern (Lewandowski)
36 minBayern take the lead and it had to be the former Dortmund striker Lewandowksi to break the deadlock at Signal Iduna Park. The Pole released the run of his strike partner Muller in the inside left channel and the forward forced an excellent save from Weidenfeller. However, the ball looped up into the middle of the box and Lewandowski displayed his predatory instincts to beat Schmelzer to the ball to head into an empty net.
38 minThe link-up play between Muller and Lewandowski has been excellent all game, and you had to believe sooner or later that the quality of the football between the duo would result in a goal.
40 minDortmund try to hit back straight away, but there is wall of red and blue protecting the 18-yard box in front of Neuer's goal. Gundogan attempts the spectacular from distance, and gets a great deal of power behind his strike, but Lahm takes one for the team with an important block.
44 minBayern break with pace through the middle and the ball comes to Muller on the edge of the box, who lines up an effort, but Subotic does well to block the shot with an oustretched leg to take the pace off the ball to allow Weidenfeller to gather.
45 minThere will be one minute of added time.
45 + 1 minA chance to threaten for the home side as Aubameyang is brought down 25 yards from goal by Boateng. The forward takes the free kick himself and blasts his effort off the wall, before the ball is recycled to Subotic who lines up a strike from further out and his shot goes into the stand behind the goal.
45 + 1 minHALF-TIME: Dortmund 0-1 Bayern
6.22pmBayern hold a 1-0 lead at the break at Signal Iduna Park thanks Robert Lewandowski's strike as comes back to haunt his former club for the second time this season. The half contained very few chances as both teams were relatively solid at the back, but Bayern chipped away with Thomas Muller and the Pole, and they finally produced a moment of quality to break the deadlock to put Pep Guardiola's side ahead.
6.25pmJurgen Klopp's men have been unable to find a way through the solid backline of the Bayern defence. Aubameyang has been ineffective leading the line along with Kampl which could prompt a couple of changes at the break. Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Shinji Kagawa could be options from the bench that have the ability to cause more of a threat in the final third should Klopp wish to use them.
6.28pmGuardiola will be pleased with what he has seen so far from his side. They have been solid at the back which is a major feat given their spate of injuries in defence. The partnership of Muller and Lewandowski looks capable of a goal at any moment, which appears to be providing the team with a lot of confidence when they break upfield.
6.33pmThe players are making their way back out onto the pitch so we should be back underway shortly.
46 minRESTART: We're back underway at Signal Iduna Park.
47 minBayern go straight on the attack from the restart as Rafinha raids down the right and fires a low cross into the box, which just evades the control of Muller before Subotic gets a foot on the ball and clears the danger.
48 minReus weaves his way into the box with surging run as he takes on Boateng. The midfielder falls to the ground under no contact from the defender, and the referee tells him to get on his feet amid claims for a penalty. The shouts were more from the crowd than the player as he quickly rose from the ground.
49 minExcellent football from both Reus and Muller as they display different sides to their game. Dortmund are on the attack with Gundogan, but the forward stops the midfielder in his tracks with an excellent tackle and then quickly turns defence into attack. However, Reus tracks him all the way and wins the ball back with a sublime sliding tackle before whipping the ball into the box for Aubameyang, but he can't direct his header from the cross at goal.
51 minDortmund work the ball well across the pitch but again a wall of red and blue stops any penetration in the final third of the pitch. Gundogan picks up the ball 25 yards from goal and drills a low shot towards the bottom corner, but his strike skews wide of the target.
55 minThe intent from Dortmund has been much better in the second half, but they have yet to test Neuer in the Bayern goal, which will be of concern to Klopp.
57 minSUBSTITUTION: Rode replaces Schweinsteiger for the visitors.
60 minCHANCE! A mistake from Boateng presents Reus with a huge chance to get Dortmund back into the game as he races through on goal, but he can't fire his effort on target as he blazes his strike wide of the post. A huge moment in the game and the midfielder should have at least tested Neuer with his attempt.
62 minReus frustration gets the better of him as he chases down a long ball into the corner with Benatia, and he throws the defender to the ground as he tries to get past him to keep the ball in play. The referee only gives a free kick and the midfielder may be a bit fortunate to escape with only a booking.
64 minCHANCE! A mistake from Alonso presents the ball to Aubameyang to break upfield and he surges into the inside right channel. The striker has support from Reus in the middle, but he decides to go alone and shoot from a tight angle, but he blazes his effort over the bar.
65 minReus is played down the right as Dortmund find space in behind the Bayner defence once again. He tries to fire the ball across the face of goal into the path of Aubameyang, but Benatia is there to clear the danger with a vital interception in front of his own net.
67 minSUBSTITUTIONS: Dortmund make a couple of changes as Blaszczykowski makes way for Kagawa, while Ramos replaces Kampl.
69 minSUBSTITUTION: Now a change for Bayern as Thiago makes his return to action after over a year on the sidelines with a knee ligament injury as he replaces Lahm.
71 minA long ball over the top nearly has Reus in on goal but Neuer shows his quality as he judges the flight of the ball perfectly to knock it out of the path of the midfielder, and he follows that up with a booming clearance downfield.
73 minCHANCE! Bayern break with pace down the left and Muller works the ball into the path of Lewandowski inside the box with the goal at his mercy, but the striker misses the ball with his left foot, and Hummels hacks it clear. The Pole spurns a huge opportunity to put the game beyond the reach of the home side.
75 minYELLOW CARD! Alonso goes into the book for tugging the shirt of Kagawa.
77 minSokratis wins a corner for the home side which is put into the box by Reus but is headed behind again by Boateng. The midfielder whips another cross into the area, and this time Dante heads it out of the box, but only into the path of Kagawa on the edge who rifles a volley, but his effort is well blocked on its way to goal.
79 minSUBSTITUTION: Gotze arrives to a chorus of boos from the home supporters as he replaces Muller, while Gundogan makes way for Mkhitaryan for Klopp's men in their final change.
82 minRamos and Aubameyang look to combine on the edge of the box as Gabon international picks out his teammate, but when Ramos tries to thread a through ball in return, Rafinha breaks up the play with a vital interception to quell the attack.
84 minCHANCE! Hummels misses a glorious chance to fire his team level as he ball is headed into his path at the back post by Aubameyang. The defender takes a heavy touch which allows Rafinha and Boateng to close on him, and when he does fire at goal he scuffs his strike wide of the post.
86 minA cross into the box from Bender falls at the feet of Aubameyang who is tripped by Alonso, but no penalty is given. The ball then rebounds into the path of Reus, who blasts a strike at goal but the Bayern defence hold firm to make the block. However, Rode gives the home side a free kick in a dangerous area as he handles just outside the box.
87 minSAVE! Neuer keeps his side ahead as he makes an excellent save to keep Reus's free kick out. The midfielder lifed his effort over the wall and towards the bottom corner, but the keeper stretched out a hand to keep the ball out and gather at the second attempt. A great stop from the Germany international.
89 minYELLOW CARD! Rode is booked for cynical challenge on Mkhitaryan in the centre circle as the midfielder attempted to break forward.
90 minThere will be four minutes of added time.
90 + 2 minDortmund pile numbers forward but they are unable to produce the quality in the final third they need to break down the resolute Bayern defence as Subotic loses control of the ball on the edge of the area.
90 + 4 minFULL-TIME: Borussia Dortmund 0-1 Bayern Munich
7.30pmBayern hold out to claim a vital victory to move 10 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga. Robert Lewandowski's strike on his return to Signal Iduna Park was enough to hand his side the three points, as he came back to haunt his former club for the second time this season. Pep Guardiola's men were not at their best, but displayed resilience at the back to cope with the pressure at the end of the match to seal their victory.
7.33pmKlopp's men fall to their first defeat in eight league games which has put a huge dent in their hopes of challenging for a place in the Europa League. Dortmund had brief moments in the second half, but didn't produce enough quality in the final third of the pitch to trouble Bayern bar one free kick from Marco Reus which was well saved by Manuel Neuer. Klopp will need to rally his team once again to get them back on track for their remaining matches this season to keep their slim hopes of achieving European football next season alive.
7.36pmThanks for joining our commentary today. Be sure to stick with Sports Mole for our continued coverage of all the major European leagues this weekend, but from me, it's goodbye.
