Borussia Dortmund's comeback from behind and snatched an exciting 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich raised hopes among its fans, as well as among many neutral observers, that the struggle for the German Football League (Bundesliga) title this season would be more exciting than last season.
Bayern finished last season 16 points ahead of its closest competitor, after easily making its way to winning the title. But the sudden wave of injuries that struck the Bavarian team, along with the clear improvement in Dortmund's discipline under the leadership of its coach Niko Kovac, indicates that the competition for the title this season may be closer.
Substitute Fabio Silva snatched the equalizer for Dortmund with a goal in the 89th minute of the match held yesterday, Saturday, leaving the two giants equal with 18 points at the top of the standings after eight rounds, with Bayern maintaining first place on goal difference.
Bayern's attacking trio, Michael Olise, Serge Gnabry and Ismael Sibari, left the Allianz Arena field suffering from injuries during yesterday's match, and the Moroccan international Sibari's ankle injury appeared to be the most serious.
Max Eberl, Bayern's sporting director, told reporters, referring to the injuries and illness of coach Vincent Kompany and the absence of Joshua Kimmich from some matches following the death of his father: “Frankly, what is happening to us seems a little stressful.”
He added: “Right now, we have to be very resilient.”
Bayern will visit Atletico Madrid in the Champions League the day after tomorrow, Tuesday, and it seems unlikely that Kompany will return to the bench, as he continues to recover from meningitis. The coach missed the last three matches, and his assistant, Aaron Danks, is expected to continue leading the team.
Kimmich returned to participate against Dortmund, but Manuel Neuer, Jamal Musiala and Luis Diaz missed the match. Now, Bayern may face the absence of Gnabry and Sibari for a long period, at a time when the team’s roster is already suffering from a lack of options.
“Both injuries are major,” Eberle said, without revealing a full diagnosis of the two injuries. There was no clarification regarding the condition of the winger, Oliseh.
Teenager Lennart Karl is expected to bear greater responsibility to help fill the shortage, after he was criticized by club officials in recent weeks due to his decline in level.
Harry Kane, who received the Ballon d'Or last Monday, performed less accurately than usual against Dortmund, and missed a penalty kick that hit the crossbar.
While Bayern is suffering from an injury crisis, Dortmund has found a rare degree of stability this season, after being described as unstable by fans and analysts for years.
Kovac, the former Bayern coach, said with a smile: “Of course, getting points in Munich is not a given, quite the opposite. “So we now have an extra point compared to what our situation was last season,” referring to Dortmund’s loss of the team’s two matches against Bayern in the 2025-2026 season.
He added: “The team believed in itself from the first minute until the last, fought hard, gave everything it had, and continued to come back even after falling behind twice. “This shows the mentality that the team has, along with its strength and energy.”
In the second half, Serho Geraci equalized the lead goal scored by Konrad Laimer for Bayern, before Fabio Silva repeated the same thing after Dayot Upamecano thought he had sealed the victory for the hosts.
Dortmund captain Nico Schlotterbeck said: “We were confident of ourselves. We respected our opponent, but we were not afraid of him.”
He added: “Things are getting better.” “We are in a good position at all levels, and now we must continue on this path.”
Dortmund will host Real Betis in the Champions League next Wednesday, before welcoming rookie Elversberg in the German League next Saturday, while Bayern, the double champions, will face a difficult test away from Mainz on the same day.
Moroccan international Ismail Saibari underwent successful surgery on his right ankle after suffering a ligament tear during the match against Borussia Dortmund in the “Classic” on Saturday, according to what Bayern Munich, the leader of the German Football League, announced on Sunday.
During the summit of the eighth stage, which ended in a 2-2 draw, the Bavaria giant lost the services of Sibari in the 29th minute due to a right ankle injury, and Serge Gnabry two minutes later due to a left thigh injury.
Six minutes before the end of the match's regular time, Frenchman Michael Oliset also left the field holding his right knee.
Bayern reported; In his statement issued on Sunday afternoon, Sibari (25 years old) suffered a “ruptured ligament in his right ankle, and the surgery he underwent was successful.” Gnabry (31 years old) suffered a “muscle injury in the back of the left thigh.”
The club explained that both players “will be absent from the field at the present time,” without specifying the duration of their absence. Therefore, they will at least miss the team’s trip to the Spanish capital, Madrid, to face Atletico in the fourth round of the unified group of the “Champions League” competition on Tuesday.
According to the German newspaper Bild, Sibari is expected to be absent for at least 3 months.
However, Bayern did not mention Oliseh (24 years old) in its statement, noting that the Frenchman left the field limping on Saturday evening.
In addition to the injuries of Saibari, Gnabry and Oliseh, two other key players from Bayern are currently absent, as Jamal Musiala and Colombian Luis Dias are recovering from muscle tears they suffered at the end of last September.
Musiala injured his right thigh while participating with the German national team, while Diaz suffered a tear 6 days ago during a match against English club Arsenal in the Champions League.
Bayern is at the top of the league with 18 points on goal difference from Dortmund, and two points ahead of third-placed Freiburg.
