One of the key reasons defending champs Dortmund look a good bet to retain their crown is that they all seem to get along. It's a situation that Bayern Munich can only look upon with envy.
Perhaps what was most admirable about the seconds after Mainz scored a relatively late equalizer against Dortmund on Saturday was what didn't happen. Several players shared the blame for that goal, yet there was no finger pointing.
They simply went back on the attack, and eighty seconds later, they had reestablished their lead. Mainz's will was broken and the match ended 2-1.
Key to the game-winner was something else that didn't take place. Reserve attacking midfielder Ivan Perisic, no doubt very keen to make an impression, had advanced the ball up the right. Yet instead of trying to pull something difficult out of his hat, he simply stepped aside for Lukas Piszczek, who threaded a cross in for Shinji Kagawa. The Japanese midfielder duly blasted home.
"It's remarkable how much these players trust one another," said former German national goalkeeper Jens Lehmann who was commentating on the match for TV.
That moment showed how important interactions between players are in determining the outcome of tight matches. It also illustrated that, their obvious skill and fitness notwithstanding, chemistry is one of the major reasons Dortmund have put seven points between themselves and second-placed Bayern.
Well-loved boss
There was a reunion between Zidan, Klopp and the Dortmund mascot
The lion's share of the credit for the unusual harmony has to go coach Jrgen Klopp. The feelings of identification with the club even extend to players who no longer ply their trade in Dortmund.
Conspicuous was the fact that Mainz's Mohamed Zidan, who played for Dortmund until this winter, refused to celebrate the goal that temporarily knotted the score. Normally strikers are especially jubilant when they perform against clubs where they failed to make their mark. The Egyptian seemed more concerned with expressing respect for Klopp, who used to coach Mainz and is considered Zidan's mentor.
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Better chemistry has propelled Dortmund ahead of Bayern
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