English audiences won't have to wait much longer to learn the name Jamie Gittens. While he has been operating on the fringes of consciousness in his home country, his performance in one of Europe's showcase events was a way to shine a light on his talent. At just 20 years old, Gittens is coming into his own, four years after joining Borussia Dortmund. His electrifying solo goal before the half-hour mark seemed to settle a high-octane clash, but Jamal Musiala's equalizer five minutes from the end maintained Bayern Munich's unbeaten record. Musiala's goal also kept a 10-point gap between the bitter rivals and, more broadly, dampened the sense of an impending Bundesliga title race. The disappointment for Bayern was compounded by a first-half injury to Harry Kane, which will also raise concerns in England. At least Gittens, whose senior debut seems imminent, could delight any watching scouts.
Dortmund's fans showed no concern about any disparity at the outset. The hosts claimed they could have sold 400,000 tickets for this fixture: a modern-era classic in name and nature whose prestige can easily withstand the fluctuations of either team. Nearly 25,000 fans packed into a raucous yellow wall almost an hour before kick-off, a reminder, on a day when FIFA effectively waved through Saudi Arabia's World Cup bid, that football's soul will not be easily taken away. The question for Dortmund, with an extensive injury list led by the creative force Julian Brandt, was whether they could bend Bayern out of shape. Vincent Kompany's team had not conceded in seven games, winning all of them, and Bayern had not lost here since November 2018. For Dortmund's young coach Nuri Sahin, the hope was that these encounters could defy known laws.
There was a familiar feeling when Leroy Sané, cutting inside to let rip, forced Gregor Kobel to parry in the seventh minute. Bayern held an early monopoly on possession and invention; Dortmund's chief outlet lay in the form of Gittens, who twice forced Manuel Neuer into scrappy clearances. It was Pascal Gross, in for Brandt, who found a more threatening position before cutting back behind a frustrated Marcel Sabitzer. But Dortmund were forcing errors and finding space out wide; they had won all eight of this season's home games and looked capable of a ninth when Gittens scored. What a moment it was for the youngster, who has been prolific in the Champions League and is hitting his straps domestically. An exhibition of full-throttle forward play began with a spin five yards inside his own half that left Konrad Laimer for dead. There was no catching Gittens from there, but the measure would lie in his composure upon reaching the box. That was beyond reproach too, a left-footed shot flashed high beyond Neuer as the angle tightened. The entire sequence had taken eight exhilarating seconds.
Kane's goalscoring feats for Bayern have not depended on such sprints, but five minutes later, he was denied any chance to respond. In truth, he had barely been involved, but it was a huge blow when he went down and, after taking treatment, was replaced by Thomas Müller. Before the interval, Dortmund's center-forward, Serhou Guirassy, lashed over a half-chance to compound the agony. Surely Bayern, ground down by Dortmund's zeal, could not be as staid again. Four minutes of the second half had passed when Musiala, hitherto quiet, wriggled away in the box and found Müller for what seemed a sure thing. Kobel, though, stood monumentally to make a goal-saving block. Almost immediately, smart action by Laimer denied Gittens a second at the other end.
A silky turn and pass from Felix Nmecha, like Gittens a Manchester City graduate, was greeted rapturously. Now this was the rattling end-to-end affair that had been advertised, Musiala shooting just wide before Sané ran clear but missed the far post. Sabitzer, with another chance on the counter for Dortmund, shot against the advancing Neuer's legs, but the question now was whether they could hold on. As the pressure cranked up, it became clear they would struggle. Eventually, Michael Olise, a substitute, crossed delicately from the right and an unmarked Musiala nodded in. He ran off patting his head in wonder, but it was little surprise that Bayern exerted their hold again.
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