From the opening whistle, Bayern Munich looked every bit the dominant force their fans have come to expect. Joshua Kimmich set the tone early with a long-range effort that forced Gregor Kobel into action, before the Dortmund goalkeeper pulled off a fine double save to deny Michael Olise and Luis Díaz in quick succession.

Those early warnings proved prophetic. On 22 minutes, Harry Kane rose highest at the near post to glance Kimmich’s corner beyond the helpless Kobel — his 12th Bundesliga goal of the campaign, and one that put Bayern firmly in control.

Bayern rarely looked troubled for the rest of the first half, but Dortmund emerged from the break with renewed energy. Felix Nmecha went close with a header that brushed past the post, and Karim Adeyemi squandered the visitors’ best opportunity soon after, slipping as he shot from close range.

That missed chance proved costly. With ten minutes remaining, Dortmund’s resistance finally broke again — Jobe Bellingham failed to clear Díaz’s cross, allowing Olise to pounce and poke the ball home from close range.

Niko Kovač’s substitutions belatedly injected life into his side, and the response was swift. Julian Brandt reduced the deficit, steering in Julian Ryerson’s cross to set up a tense finale. But despite their late push, Dortmund couldn’t find an equaliser.

The defeat leaves Dortmund seven points adrift of the champions. Still, it’s not uncharted territory — they were nine behind Bayern later in the 2022/23 season before narrowly missing out on the title on goal difference.

For now, Bayern extend both their unbeaten league record and their dominance over their Klassiker rivals, ending a three-match winless run against Die Schwarzgelben and underscoring their intent to remain Germany’s top side.