Dominant Bayern and sparkling Díaz provide a reminder to German league's pursuing teams.

As Saturday afternoon turned into evening, the German champions demonstrated their present dominance as Big Bad Bayern, practically unbeatable and stimulated into their best performance by proper competition, as evidenced in their later match at emerging Eintracht Frankfurt.

Bundesliga Encounter

Even if Dortmund's meeting with Leipzig had the stature of a pivotal game in the early part of the domestic championship, with top contenders clashing, anticipations were relatively conservative in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Be it the head coach referencing his fellow former Bayern manager the Italian legend ("when you cannot win, you shouldn't lose," he stated at match end) or his rival manager Ole Werner speaking about his "progressing" side, it seemed that a level scoreline was fair, resulting in both teams somewhat satisfied, partially frustrated.

Historical Competition

Here we have a game that matters, and has consistently been important since RB's top-flight arrival. These opposing sides are chalk and cheese in outlook and what they believe they stand for.

If the Bundesliga is by now used to Leipzig – as opposed to having completely embraced the club conceptually – there is a unique intensity of opposition that meets RB when they visit Dortmund's stadium.

Marketing Campaigns

The day before sizeable billboards in Dortmund city centre displayed two portions of fries, one without toppings and one with tomato and mayonnaise (for the traditional hues of RB), accompanied by the message "Just yellow doesn't make you happy," with the double meaning of the German word for yellow rather than geld making light of the perception of Leipzig as a corporate creation.

The advertisements were signed "best sporting regards, their nickname." Despite the passage of time RB accept they won't be considered as legitimate by significant portions of league followers, so have taken the decision to knowingly embrace the unpopular character; a parallel promotional strategy was implemented in Bayern's city ahead of their season opener there, playfully mentioning "eventually an uncomplicated traditional kit" being in town after particular followers' objections about the champions' latest kit.

Matchday Significant Events

These two teams are aiming at the similar objectives further increases the tension, although it is not the motivation behind it. Bayern's early season fettle has only accentuated this sentiment, and observing the Colombian winger surpass even Harry Kane this weekend, with Serge Gnabry's resurgent form compensating for the persistent missing of their creative midfielder, this weekend has been an illustration of the actual situation of where everyone is.

RB opened impressively and caught BVB cold with a practiced set-piece, finished by their goalscorer but designed by set-piece coach Jan Zimmerman, fired from his position at Dortmund's under-23s in the previous season.

Seeming slightly fatigued from their continental fixtures the Dortmund restored parity through an aesthetically pleasing goal of their own, with Yan Couto putting the finishing touch and though "it could have gone either way" in his assessment, the draw appeared just.

Following the Fixture Analysis

Was there a message needing to be sent here, there was no team strong enough to quite make it. Ridle Baku commented on his team's progress under their coach, arguing that his side had shown determination and "shown character, which we lacked somewhat last year," but it all seemed like little steps in the correct path instead of making any bold statements.

"We rank among the top sides in the league," he added and there is little disputing that currently, but there is also the feeling that it might prove insufficient this year in terms of producing a real contest at the top.

Managerial Debates

This game perhaps underlined precisely how Dortmund have progressed under the tutelage of the head coach, but also why there may be definite boundaries to what they can attain with him at the wheel. They overcame their fatigue and the visitors' dominant periods and, in the closing phases of the game, indicated that they could be ready to step forth and secure victory, particularly with the strategic substitutions of Pascal Groß and their promising youngster.

But was the belief to make an increase a tempo into a success, or simply aspiration that it would? The current Dortmund can be competitive, but there is a question over whether they have title-winning capability. As the Swiss international suggested, the trip to Bayern after the international break will provide many answers.

Broader Perspective

If Dortmund or the visitors should be winners is a distinct matter. Following numerous seasons of internal and external instability, possibly the hosts require a year of simple competence, of managing development of continuous enhancement; the ultimate goal also being that of Leipzig.

For teams and clubs that regard themselves as polar opposites, they used this matchday doing a very good impression of sharing comparable situations.

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