Thomas Tuchel piled praise on his "courageous" Borussia Dortmund side following their hard-fought 1-0 Der Klassiker victory over Bayern Munich.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the only goal of the game 11 minutes into the first half at Signal Iduna Park, turning home a cross from former Bayern star Mario Gotze.
And although Tuchel's side rode their luck at times - Franck Ribery having a goal disallowed while Xabi Alonso hit the woodwork - Carlo Ancelotti's men could not find an equaliser as they succumbed to their first league defeat of the season.
"It was a very tough match, but it was already clear to us that it would be," Tuchel told Dortmund's official website.
"If you get into the ring with the Bavarians, you cannot just expect to be come out without a black eye - without conceding a goal.
"You have to stop them. That was our motto. No matter what happens, no matter how much we have to suffer, we had to stop them. Never give up, always remain courageous and continue to defend.
"We have allowed Bayern a few half chances, but not really big chances. That's why it was a top performance from us."
The victory lifts Dortmund up into third in the Bundesliga, three points behind Bayern, and six adrift of surprise leaders RB Leipzig.
