Bayern's faults highlighted by Favre's faith in youth

Energetic, youthful and vibrant are just a few of the words you can use to describe Borussia Dortmund, after another statement win in what has been a season of statement wins. Lucien Favre has unlocked the potential and extracted the best from an eclectic collection of players, many of whom didn't feature last season under Peter Bosz or Peter Stöger.

The reinvention of the star of the Klassiker triumph, Marco Reus, the raw talent of Jadon Sancho, the assurance of Manuel Akanji and the revelation that has been Achraf Hakimi. The Moroccan was plucked from Real Madrid's reserves and given a two-year loan, which could be enough time to establish himself as one of the best fullbacks in the world, if his current rate of progress is anything to go by.

Dortmund's performance against the six-time champions was a sign that things could be about to change in the hierarchy of German football, which has long been hampered as a spectacle by Bayern's dominance, even if that has been a result of the failure of the also rans rather than anything Bayern have done wrong.

Clubs heading in different directions

What had appeared to be a season of transition in Dortmund is shaping up to be something built on much stronger foundations. The risks taken at board level to appoint Favre and then sign the players that have progressed under the coach at such speed have to be applauded, particularly after the series of decisions that had left many questioning whether Hans-Joachim Watzke was steering Dortmund into the rocks.

There's still a long way to go, but with Dortmund heading for the stratosphere, Bayern Munich seem destined for something altogether different. Whatever it is, there's a distinct feeling that these are two clubs moving in opposite directions. The lack of any significant summer signings when many of their key players are around 30, and many others – Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben for example — are into their mid 30s and well past their peak.

This is not an issue that has creeped up on Bayern either, and the return of Serge Gnabry and acquisition of Leon Goreztka don't cut it for a club of Bayern's stature. There is no explanation for this inactivity in the transfer market other than that the arrogance of Uli Hoeness and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has allowed them to believe that Bayern can continue to dominate the Bundesliga and compete in Europe without investment.

Take PSG, Manchester City, Liverpool or Barcelona — the kinds of teams Bayern are competing with in the Champions League — and all of them have made significant upgrades in the past two or three transfer windows. Bayern's team is, give or take, the same as when Carlo Ancelotti was in charge. In fact, they've made more managerial appointments than significant signings in the past year.

Kovac not backed in the market

This makes the decision to appoint Niko Kovac and then fail to back him up with transfer funds even more bizarre. Kovac has had to absorb the losses of French duo Kingsley Coman and Corentin Tolisso to serious injury early on, and Hoeness' latest comments — that there will be no activity in the January transfer market — are obstinate and demonstrate a failure to understand his culpability in the challenges currently facing the club.

And finally there's the issue of squad harmony. James Rodriguez is one of the most vocal critics of Kovac, having reportedly said "We're not at Frankfurt anymore" in the team locker room after Bayern were held to a 1-1 draw with Freiburg last month. That kind of open insubordination has left many to question whether Kovac, through little fault of his own (apart from dropping the best player in the Bundesliga in the second half of last season, perhaps) has lost the dressing room. There seems to be little support for the Croatian coach as Bayern's performances go from bad to worse.

In almost every area on and off the pitch, Dortmund are outperforming Bayern. Dortmund's togetherness only exposes Bayern's fractures, Favre's faith in youth only underlines Kovac's reluctance to change his tactics, and the success of Dortmund's youngsters merely highlights the errors being made at board level at Bayern. Unlike Ancelotti, Kovac is Hoeness' man, meaning this season could be a transitional one for Bayern rather than their reborn bitter rivals.