Spirit sends Bayern five points clear
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The Bayern Munich management are confident their side are on the up again after a 2-1 win over Borussia Dortmund gave the side firm control of the Bundesliga. They also dismissed speculation, rampant in the German media since Bayern were beaten in the first round of the Champions' League for the first time in 32 years, that the coach Ottmar Hitzfeld's job had been on the line.
"That's the biggest nonsense of all time," Uli Hoeness, Bayern's commercial manager, said. "We've had a lot of discussions with him, but not about him. He knew exactly where he stood. What happened in the Champions' League we just didn't foresee, we all made a mistake."
The Munich team that beat Dortmund Saturday was the Bayern of old, ruthless rather than graceful, more fight than flash. The match showed little artistry and instead was a game full of flaring emotions, fighting in the trenches, and hard tackling that led to dismissals for two Dortmund players. At the final whistle, Bayern were five points clear at the top of the table.
"That was the spirit we hoped to see in this match. The team reacted the right way to all the criticism its had to take," Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, the Bayern president, said. "It was a first step, it's very important we keep playing like that."
In yesterday's games, Hertha Berlin moved to sixth in the table with a 3-1 victory against Hansa Rostock, while Borussia Mönchengladbach pushed Energie Cottbus deeper into the relegation zone with a comfortable 3-0 win.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments