The final whistle blew, and the players collapsed in a heap of exhaustion and elation. They had been to hell and back, and they had emerged victorious. They had silenced the Allianz Arena, they had stunned Bayern, and they had sent a message to the rest of the Bundesliga: Borussia Dortmund was here to stay.
As they walked off the pitch, the Bayern fans, who had been so hostile for so long, rose to their feet and applauded. It was a mark of respect, an acknowledgment of the quality and the character they had just witnessed. They had come to see a football match, and they had seen a masterclass.
In the locker room, the celebration was wild. The players danced, they sang, they embraced. They had faced their biggest test of the season so far, and they had passed with flying colors.
