Borussia Dortmund suffer familiar fate as Bayern Munich close in on Bundesliga title No 8

On another evening, Dortmund might have had a penalty with Jerome Boateng looking to have deliberately blocked an Haaland shot with his arm.

But unusually there was not even a VAR review and Dortmund couldn’t break through Bayern’s back-line after that, Manuel Neuer saving well from Mahmoud Dahoud’s 20-yard strike in the only real instance in which the Bavarians’ skipper was called upon in the closing stages.

The absence of Haaland, who was forced off through injury on 73 minutes clutching the inside of his thigh, hurt the hosts late on as they enjoyed a promising spell without reward.

A promising spell was all it turned out to be and has become customary since 2013, it looks as though it is the Bavarians who will toast another title triumph this season.

Much like last season, Dortmund came into this clash full of confidence and in the hope that Bayern’s monopoly of the Bundesliga might finally be ended this year.

Instead, the empire still stands as strong as ever. The rebels must collect themselves and go again.

This was not last season’s 5-0 thrashing at the Allianz Arena, nor was it the 4-0 defeat at the same venue back in November – but it was a familiar conclusion.

Six times from the last seven meetings between these two teams, it was the as-ever-indestructible Bayern who came out on top.