Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund are one of the top rivalries in soccer and the animosity will likely escalate when the two sides meet Friday in the Champions league. Bayern Munich likely enters the game as the favorite after a dominant Bundesliga campaign and ever improving play throughout the tournament.
However, there are numerous reasons to believe that Borussia can pull off the victory.
Robert Lewandowski
Lewandowski will not make any plays, but he will score the goals. He already has 10 in the competition and has proven that he can win games on his own. In the first leg of the Real Madrid semifinal, Lewandowski scored four goals in a variety of ways. On one goal, he outmuscled a defender and spun around to roof the shot. His first goal was a perfectly timed redirection of a cross. His final tally was a penalty snipe. Even though he failed to score in the final game against Madrid, he hit a number of crossbars and had terrific opportunities to score. If Bayern Munich gives him space, he will make them pay.
Midfield Trio
Bayern Munich has a terrific midfield filled with all-stars. However, Borussia has its own trio of midfielders that include Mario Götze, Marco Reus, and Jakub Blaszczykowski. None of the three have been particularly proficient goal scorers, but their torrid speed could give Bayern Munich the physical competition that they have not witnessed in recent games against the Barcelona and Juventus. Barcelona's game was constructed on a methodic but slow passing game. Munich was able to pressure them with their fast pace and knock them off their game. Borussia plays a similar speed game in the midfield to Bayern and its three stars could tire the Bayern defense.
Less Pressure
Borussia Dortmund is literally the embodiment of the Cinderella Story. The team is headed to its second ever Champions league final and was never expected to make such a deep run. The team blew a few leads and almost imploded at crucial moments, but its top players always rose to the occasion and helped Dortmund to its current position. Borussia is relatively young, so their window will still be open for a few years.
The same cannot be said for Bayern Munich. The team enters the final as the favorite, but must win in order to avoid the "choking" label. This is the team's third final since 2010; they lost both of the previous matches. A year ago, Bayern scored a late goal and looked primed to win the championship. They blew the lead minutes later and lost on penalty minutes.
Bayern will likely be nervous heading into the game while Borussia can play without a real concern for expectations or pressure. This should help its players ease into the game and play with a stronger sense of security.
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