Borussia Dortmund’s Bundesliga fixture against Eintracht Frankfurt held great implications for the title race, while also holding some sentimental importance for the Black and Yellow faithful.
Dortmund failed to capitalize on Bayern’s slip-up last match week, as they missed out on the chance to go top of the table due to a surprise 3-3 draw against Stuttgart.
With allegations of ‘choking’ being placed on the side once again, BVB needed a strong rebuttal to all the noise, and with their performance against Frankfurt they provided just that.
Contested in front of the famed ‘Yellow wall’, the home side produced a dominant display, brushing off Frankfurt in a 4-0 hammering.
The scoring fest was kicked off by talisman Jude Bellingham, who executed a lovely swivel near the edge of the box before adding a composed finish.
Donyell Malen added the second shortly after, by side-footing home a flicked header from Karim Adeyemi.
Captain Mats Hummels made it three in the 41st minute, as Dortmund walked away with a comprehensive lead at halftime.
The second 45 featured more of the same, with Donyell Malen completing his brace and capping off a 4-0 victory.
All 3 points on the night, paired alongside Bayern’s 3-1 defeat at Mainz, meant that Dortmund currently tops the table, something which brought plenty of elation to their fans everywhere.
The game also left many fans sentimental, as the Westfalenstadion welcomed back an older hero and became the site of an emotional reunion.
Former Dortmund forward Mario Gotze returned to his old stomping grounds, albeit in white on this occasion.
The 30-year-old played for BVB for 8 years, divided equally into 2 spells, the most prominent of which was his first.
He was a central feature of the Jurgen Klopp-managed side which won the Bundesliga, and DFB Pokal and made the Champions League final.
Naturally, his performances earned plenty of attention, and it wasn’t long before rivals Bayern Munich came calling for his signature.
During his final years at the Signal Iduna Park, Gotze formed a lethal partnership with Dortmund legend Marco Reus, the pair were also known to be friends off the field.
Gotze even paid Reus a tribute after scoring his 113th minute World-Cup winning goal against Argentina, as the latter had missed the torunament due to injury.
Despite it being nearly 3 years since the duo have shared a dressing room, the camaraderie between them remains strong as ever. This was on display when the pair reunited after full-time on Saturday.
As seen in these images, Reus and Gotze were delighted to see each other, they also shared an embrace and enjoyed a pleasant exchange.
Seeing the 2 BVB heroes together reminded fans of the iconic 2013 team, which featured the formidable offensive trio of Gotze, Reus and Robert Lewandowski.
The sights were also oddly reminiscent of the heart-warming moment shared by Reus and Lewandowski during a Der Klassiker nearly 7 years ago.
Gotze’s homecoming also served as a timely reminder of the last side to clinch the Bundesliga title, an achievement Edin Terzic’s men are anxiously close to pulling off.