Bayern Munich may have had to settle for a 2-2 draw against Borussia Dortmund, but the final statistics make one thing abundantly clear—FC Bayern did more than enough to win this Klassiker. Unfortunately, dominating the numbers does not automatically put three points on the Bundesliga table.
Bayern finished with 56% possession, 23 shots, and an enormous 4.18 expected goals (xG) compared to Dortmund’s 0.63. That is a staggering difference and a pretty good indication of just how much attacking pressure
the Rekordmeister generated throughout the contest. Bayern also recorded 46 touches in the opposition penalty area—nearly double Dortmund’s 25—and created six big chances compared to zero for BVB.
Read that again: Dortmund created zero big chances.
The frustrating part? Bayern missed four of its six big chances. That inefficiency ultimately prevented the home side from turning its statistical superiority into a statement victory. Bayern also registered five corners to Dortmund’s two and completed 516 accurate passes at an 86% rate, compared to BVB’s 392 at 82%.
There were, however, a couple of statistical categories where Dortmund edged Bayern. BVB managed six shots on target to Bayern’s five, despite taking 11 fewer shots overall. Dortmund also committed just six fouls compared to Bayern’s 11, although both teams were caught offside three times.
The six shots on target are worth noting, but the expected-goals difference tells a much more revealing story about the overall balance of the match.
Ultimately, Bayern controlled the majority of the proceedings, generated considerably better opportunities, and put Dortmund under sustained pressure. But football does not award bonus points for expected goals, penalty-area touches, or possession percentages.
A 4.18 xG against 0.63 should ordinarily be enough to put a Klassiker to bed. Instead, Bayern walks away with a 2-2 draw, leaving plenty of reasons to be encouraged by the performance, but also a very obvious reminder that finishing chances matters.
Dortmund will happily take the point. FC Bayern, meanwhile, will know it left two points on the table.
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