Robert Lewandowski’s double takes Bayern Munich home vs Borussia Dortmund

Bayern Munich rode on Robert Lewandowski’s disputed 78th minute penalty to win the ‘der Klassiker’ against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday. The defending Bundesliga champions won 3-2. 

Referee Felix Zwayer awarded Lewandowski a penalty following a VAR check. He penalised Mats Hummels for handball after Serge Gnabry’s corner struck the Dortmund defender’s elbow as he appeared to stumble.

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Dortmund coach Marco Rose was sent off with his second yellow card for protesting.

Earlier, Dortmund captain Marco Reus had a penalty appeal waved away after a tussle with Lucas Hernández.

“You can give it,” Bayern’s Thomas Müller said.

The game resumed to whistles from the home fans after Lewandowski’s penalty – just 15,000 due to new coronavirus restrictions after Dortmund had to cancel and refund all 67,000 it previously sold for the game.

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Lewandowski’s second goal – his 16th of the season – dealt Dortmund its first loss at home and left it four points adrift of Bayern after 14 Bundesliga rounds.

It was Bayern’s sixth consecutive win over Dortmund and it puts the Bavarian powerhouse on course for a record-extending 10th consecutive title.

There was a lengthy hold up in the second half following a serious clash of heads between Dortmund goal-scorer Julian Brandt and Bayern defender Dayot Upamecano. Brandt had to be carried off, while Upamecano continued.

Brandt set the tone for a thrilling game with a fine goal in the fifth minute, when he eluded Alphonso Davies by playing the ball between his legs and then fired it inside the top right corner.

Bayern looked uncertain after the setback, but Müller chased down a poor touch from Hummels and then held off his former teammate to set up Lewandowski, who equalized with a tidy finish inside the near post in the ninth.

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There was no respite for either team as the game resumed at a furious pace.

Dortmund had the more clear-cut chances, but Kingsley Coman scored a minute before the break with a deflected shot after Raphaël Guerreiro’s attempted clearance was inadvertently blocked by Hummels.

Erling Haaland equalized after the break with a curled shot in off the far post, his 11th goal in eight Bundesliga games set up by Guerreiro after a mistake from Upamecano.

Dortmund’s luck changed when Reus’ penalty appeal went unheeded shortly afterward.

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Meanwhile Patrick Schick scored four to help Bayer Leverkusen consolidate third place with a 7-1 rout of helpless Greuther Fürth.

Schick needed only 27 minutes for his four-goal haul, the league’s fastest since Lewandowski scored five in nine minutes against Wolfsburg in September 2015.