Borussia Dortmund sporting manager Nils-Ole Book revealed that he was content with his side's performance in the Der Klassiker from the first minute till the end.
The BVB secured a point off champions Bayern Munich following a 2-2 draw as Fabio Silva scored an 89th-minute equalizer in a pulsating, end-to-end match.
It extended Dortmund's unbeaten start to the 2025-26 league season to eight games, keeping them level on points with the Bavarians at 18, but trailing them on goal-difference.
Ole Book reserved special praise for Dortmund's strong character on the night which saw them fight tooth and nail till the end. Speaking to the press after the game, he said:
"We kept at it and kept coming back. It was an exciting game, but I felt good about the team’s performance the entire time — from the opening minute right through to the end."
Dortmund started the game strongly and managed to hold off Bayern for long spells in the opening stanza. They had even gone in front though Jobe Bellingham although it was ruled out for foul play in the buildup.
Konrad Laimer put Bayern 1-0 up almost right after that as the deadlock was broken in the 38th minute, although the BVB had sprung a real surprise in the first 45 minutes with an unusual 4-4-1-1 shape off the ball which limited the home side's chances.
"We approached the game with a brave lineup and mindset, and our coaches caught the opposition by surprise a bit when we executed our planned switch to a back four a few minutes in. "Ole Book added
Dortmund opened up after the break as Bayern pounded their goal with shot after shot. Harry Kane missed a penalty too as the BVB made them pay for their missed chances with an equalizer in the 60th minute through Guirassy.
But only six minutes later, Dayot Upamecano made it 2-1 for the Bavarians. Dortmund huffed and puffed in search of an equalizer, and found it through substitute Fabio Silva, who knocked one in with just one minute of normal time remaining.
Ole Book revealed that he expected his side to face Bayern's onslaught in the second half but was delighted to see their defense hold it all together to eventually come away with a point. He further added:
"We had a lot of possession in the first half. That’s certainly a step forward in terms of the way we want to play football. Having to weather a few storms in the second half, having to work hard on defense, and sometimes having to rely on the post being where it should to be — that’s all expected."
Add us as a preferred source on Google