Borussia Dortmund boss Favre makes the same mistakes as Guardiola – Matthaus

Borussia Dortmund head coach Lucien Favre is making the same mistakes as Pep Guardiola with his team selection, according to Bayern Munich great Lothar Matthaus.

Dortmund finished 13 points behind Bayern in the Bundesliga last season, with May’s 1-0 home loss to Hansi Flick’s side proving pivotal in a previously tight title race.

Joshua Kimmich’s wonderful chip proved decisive at Signal Iduna Park as Bayern opened up a seven-point lead at the summit that they would only extend.

Favre left attacker Jadon Sancho and Emre Can on the bench until half-time due to fitness concerns, which Matthaus believes proved costly in the grand scheme of things.

And in his latest swipe at Manchester City boss Guardiola, who he described as “egocentric” earlier this month, Matthaus accused Favre of unnecessarily tweaking his side. 

“Not starting Sancho and Emre Can in a top game like against Bayern made the difference in the 1-0 defeat in the second half of the season,” he told Sport Bild.

Saturday’s home match against Borussia Mönchengladbach is set to be played in front of around 10,000 spectators! pic.twitter.com/frpQnb3eIJ

— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) September 15, 2020

“It reminds me of Pep Guardiola’s mistake in the Champions League against Lyon when he put Kevin De Bruyne on the right instead of his regular position.”

Dortmund thrashed Duisburg 5-0 in round one of the DFB-Pokal on Monday and take on Borussia Monchengladbach in their opening 2020-21 Bundesliga fixture this weekend.

Despite last term’s runners-up keeping hold of most of their key players this window and adding Jude Bellingham, Thomas Meunier and Reinier, Matthaus cannot see past a ninth title in a row for Bayern.

“Dortmund would become champions if Bayern weren’t in the Bundesliga,” he said.

“Otherwise, BVB need a 100-per-cent season and Bayern to make mistakes at the same time. But it was Favre who made these mistakes last season.”