Borussia Dortmund head coach Niko Kovac praised the performance of Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich, who scored the winner in Der Klassiker on Saturday.
With the score at 2-2, Kimmich struck past Gregor Kobel in the 87th minute at Signal Iduna Park to see Bayern move 11 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga.
Kimmich also played a key role in Harry Kane’s first goal of the match, with the midfielder recording the most touches (103), most completed passes (81) and shots on target (three) of any player.
It marks the end of a tough week for Dortmund, who were dramatically knocked out of the Champions League by Atalanta on Wednesday.
Although Kovac felt his team could have done better defensively, he was full of praise for the opposition, and for Kimmich in particular.
“In the end, Joshua Kimmich’s world-class quality was simply decisive,” said Kovac.
Defeat at home. pic.twitter.com/plMnzK4sGY
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) February 28, 2026
“How he assisted the first goal and scored the third – that was the key.
“We wanted a good result at halftime and we achieved that. In the second half it became a real shootout.
“Bayern is absolutely world-class offensively this season – almost everyone has conceded multiple goals.
“We could have done better defensively. Offensively I was satisfied with my team. Unfortunately that was not enough.”
“We now have more days off and want to continue developing. For us, it is about staying close to Bayern at the table in a controlled manner.”
Dortmund now have a week off before traveling to Cologne on March 7, although the Bundesliga title may now be over.
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