The latest edition of Der Klassiker ended in what has become a familiar outcome. Bayern Munich beat arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund 1-0. The only goal of the match was scored by Joshua Kimmich, whose spectacular chip left Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Bürki with absolutely no chance.
Bayern's victory took them seven points clear of their opponents at the top of the Bundesliga. At this point, it seems safe to say that the Bavarian powerhouse will win the Bundesliga title for the eighth consecutive season. Despite a slow start to their campaign which included the firing of Niko Kovač who was their head coach at the time, Bayern have once again emerged as the leading club in Germany.
Bayern's perpetual dominance also seems to have had a pronounced mental effect on their Bundesliga rivals. Throughout the recent match, it seemed as though Dortmund did not genuinely believe that they could take down the reigning league champions. They played with a level of fear and trepidation not seen in any of their other matches this season.
This match served as evidence of the mental stranglehold which Bayern hold over every other club in the league. It isn't just Dortmund - other leading teams such as Bayer Leverkusen, Borussia Mönchengladbach, and RB Leipzig have faltered when presented with an opportunity to go toe-to-toe with and perhaps even take down the club which has become the bane of every of title challenger over the past eight seasons.
Of course, the most obvious place in which titles are won or lost is on the field of play itself. Only after the matches are played and the results produced can the overall outcome be determined. However, titles are also decided in the space between one's ears. This applies to players, coaches, GMs, and everyone associated with the football club. Herein lies perhaps Bayern's greatest advantage - they are now in the heads of every team which attempts to challenge their domestic supremacy.
Of course, it must also be noted that Bayern have far more money at their disposal than do any of their challengers. Thus, they have been able to select the pick of the talent in the international transfer market before any other Bundesliga club can do so. They have even plundered their direct rivals to claim their elite players. The most obvious example of this has to be Robert Lewandowski, who was signed by Bayern from Dortmund in 2013. The Pole has since gone on to become Bayern's greatest striker since the legendary Gerd Müller.
Another of Bayern's inherent advantages is one which none of their primary rivals will ever be able to overcome. This advantage lies in their location. Among all of the leading clubs in the Bundesliga, only Bayern are based in a large city. The rest are all small-market teams. This is also a factor because being in a large market would attract star players to the club. Even if a club like Dortmund, Gladbach, or Leipzig were to have the financial resources which Bayern have now, they would nevertheless be unlikely to attract superstars to the club. This is because in spite of the large salaries and high level of play they would experience there, most such players would not be keen on living in such a location. If, for example, Eintracht Frankfurt or Hertha Berlin were to become extremely rich, it may be different. However, it won't happen with any of Bayern's current closest rivals.
Bayern's slow start to the season fooled many into believing that their streak of dominance would come to an end this season. Admittedly, I was among those who also doubted Die Roten. Their play under Kovač was nowhere near their usual standard; thus, it seemed as if this would be the year that Bayern's reign would finally end.
However, as the season progressed, went on hiatus, and resumed, the gulf between Bayern and the rest of the title contenders became increasingly evident with every matchday.
It will take a truly spectacular season-long performance for any team to dethrone Bayern over the next few seasons. However, based on recent history, this seems very much unlikely. It pains me as a Dortmund fan to say this, but for the foreseeable future, no club in Germany is likely to put an end to Bayern's run of league titles.
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