The significance of Der Klassiker has evolved considerably over the years. Once a pinnacle fixture of Bayern Munich versus a formidable challenger, it has now solidified in the post-Klopp era as a clash between the Rekordmeister and Borussia Dortmund, a branding that persists even as BVB has transitioned from a genuine title contender to Bayern's most frequent irritant. There is a reassuring regularity to this fixture. The opening match in Dortmund as autumn gives way to winter, the return leg in Munich in April, and often the stage where BVB's dreams of grandeur are shattered. The 5-0 thrashing at Allianz Arena in spring 2019, which was effectively over within the first 20 minutes, halted BVB's title charge. Bayern's victory in 2020, played in front of empty stands, extinguished any home hopes of Bundesliga glory just days after the post-Covid resumption. Last year, Harry Kane's hat-trick in his first Klassiker dashed Dortmund's hopes of rectifying their title loss on the final day of the 2022-23 season.

This time, the match felt more grounded in the present, reflecting the current state of both teams. Nuri Sahin's tactical approach seemed to acknowledge this, as Dortmund defended with unexpected composure, scored a breathtaking counter-attack goal magnificently finished by Jamie Gittens, and held on until five minutes from full time with a potential win within reach. Jamal Musiala's equalizer for Bayern ended BVB's perfect record and maintained the leaders' unbeaten start to the Bundesliga season, but there was little room for home disappointment. This was, as Kicker's Patrick Kleinmann described it, Sahin's 'week of answers,' following the 3-0 win at Dinamo Zagreb that halted a six-match losing streak away from home. For all the excitement and profile this fixture continues to generate, Dortmund's ability to avoid humiliation feels like an achievement, especially given this season's multiple setbacks and growing pains.

'Nuri's plan worked perfectly,' said BVB's managing director of sport, Lars Ricken, at full time. The plan was devised weeks earlier, with Felix Nmecha's return to a No 6 role being one of the keys. If the 4-3-3 formation remains, balance now prevails. Sahin's team's performance in Der Klassiker was entirely consistent with their current journey towards consistency and, eventually, control. This more measured version of Dortmund delighted those around the club.

The visitors' reaction was equally calm. Despite having more possession, twice as many shots (14 to seven), and a dominant second half, Bayern's failure to secure a sixth consecutive Bundesliga win might have been disappointing. However, the surge to parity and the strength of the reaction, particularly after a week that included a Champions League clash with Paris Saint-Germain, was reason for satisfaction. The ability to perform under pressure is reassuring, and Bayern had their reasons to doubt. Kane's withdrawal with a thigh injury just past the half-hour mark was unwelcome but opened the door to improvisation. Vincent Kompany had already signaled his intent to experiment, giving Mathys Tel a surprise start to Kane's left (a move that didn't quite pay off in the first period). Further solutions must be found with Kane expected to be out for a few weeks, starting with Tuesday's crucial DfB Pokal clash with Bayer Leverkusen.

The answers in the second half came from the renewed Kingsley Coman, who unsettled the home team's well-organized defence and shifted the match's momentum, and Musiala, who rose to head in from a position where Kane or former striker Robert Lewandowski would typically operate. The foundation for this was Bayern's continued defensive improvement. Gittens' goal was the first they had conceded since the thrashing in Barcelona at the end of October, and the English winger's strike was so brilliant it could have been deemed an act of God for insurance purposes. Kompany has helped his team find a new gear in this relentless schedule; a level of containment, with three of the four games before this one resulting in 1-0 wins.

Kompany continues to surprise in Munich. In his post-match press conference, he dismissed BVB's complaints that Bayern's equalizer should not have stood, with Niklas Süle hit in the face by Leroy Sané's free-kick and the defence waiting for a stoppage as the substitute Michael Olise set up the goal for an unmarked Musiala. Kompany effectively suggested the defender had tried to exploit the head injury rule and failed. 'I hope he's OK,' he said. 'I played football for 17 years. All the players know the rules and you can always try to use them. It's not an accusation or a criticism but in this passage of play, when so much is happening, you can't blow the whistle.'

Such pragmatism will be necessary as they navigate important challenges without Kane. Kompany is also pragmatic enough to monitor any green shoots of Dortmund's recovery, even if they remain far behind Bayern for now. Leipzig's own dream of challenging Bayern is turning into a nightmare. They extended their winless run to five with a 5-1 thrashing at home by an improving Wolfsburg, never recovering from going two down in little over five minutes, with the goals conceded in the space of 75 seconds. On Sunday, they announced that sporting director Rouven Schröder would leave 'with immediate effect,' but this is unrelated – he is moving to calm turbulent waters at Salzburg, and Marco Rose is still struggling despite Schröder's de facto replacement, Marcel Schäfer, promising the coach will be there for Wednesday's DfB Pokal match against in-form Eintracht Frankfurt. It has been suggested that RB supremo Oliver Mintzlaff might try to persuade future employee Jürgen Klopp into the breach, though free agent Roger Schmidt (another former RB man) is perhaps a more realistic replacement. Leverkusen are looking strong ahead of their visit to Munich, largely due to Patrik Schick. Despite a host of injuries in the forward department, they deserved their 2-1 win at Union Berlin, with Schick chesting in an impossibly stylish winner from substitute Florian Wirtz's cross. It was initially thought Schick had beaten club legend Ulf Kirsten's record for the highest number of goals in his first 100 Leverkusen games (48), though club historian Rüdiger Vollborn insisted to Bild he had only equalled it – with a 1993 Kirsten goal against Kaiserslautern originally (and incorrectly according to Kirsten) credited to Andreas Thom. Three cheers for St Pauli, who finally scored at home – three times in a crucial win over fellow-promotees Holstein Kiel in Friday night's big match in a heated atmosphere, moving themselves out of the bottom three and cutting the visitors adrift to six points behind.

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