Bayern snatch win at death, adding to Dortmund’s woes

A LATE Arjen Robben penalty completed Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich’s dramatic 2-1 comeback win over Borussia Dortmund last night, with their rivals slipping into the relegation zone after their fifth successive league loss.

Dutchman Robben sent keeper Roman Weidenfeller the wrong way with his spot kick in the 85th minute after Franck Ribery was brought down in the box to lift Bayern to 24 points, four ahead of second-placed VfL Wolfsburg.

The defeat, which featured two decisive blunders from Dortmund defender Neven Subotic, drops Dortmund to 16th place on seven points following their seventh loss in 10 league games.

It was a particularly hard defeat to take for the struggling visitors, just when they felt they could come away from Bayern’s Allianz Arena with a crucial and morale-boosting point from Germany’s ‘Klassiker’ fixture between two of its greatest clubs.

In an edition which lived up to its reputation with both teams hitting the woodwork amid a high tempo fare in the opening nine minutes — Robben for Bayern and Henrikh Mkhitaryan for Dortmund — it was Germany winger Marco Reus who drew first blood for Dortmund in the 31st minute.

Reus, Bayern’s top transfer target, headed in a pinpoint cross from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang after the Gabon international’s 50msprint down the wing.

Bayern had a golden opportunity to level six minutes after the restart but Bayern’s former Dortmund striker Robert Lewandowski fired wide from inside the box.

Mehdi Benatia’s header on the hour also flew wide as the hosts poured forward, but Lewandowski eventually snatched a 72nd minute equaliser, drilling the ball home from the edge of the box after Subotic’s poor clearance landed in his path.

Subotic was then also culpable for tugging desperately at Ribery’s shirt as the Frenchman surged into the box, leading to Robben’s calmly taken penalty winner. —