Borussia Dortmund will welcome Bayern Munich to the Westfalenstadion for another thrilling installment of Der Klassiker this Saturday evening.
Match Preview
Both teams had mixed results in the DFB-Pokal’s second round earlier this week. Borussia Dortmund secured a narrow win against Hoffenheim, while Bayern Munich suffered a shocking defeat to Saarbrucken, a third-tier outfit.
Borussia Dortmund continued their unbeaten streak across all competitions by defeating Hoffenheim 1-0 in the DFB-Pokal.
Just two days after an exciting 3-3 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga, BVB returned to winning ways.
They booked their spot in the DFB-Pokal last 16 with a goal from club legend Marco Reus in the first half.
Under the guidance of Edin Terzic, Dortmund currently sits fourth in the Bundesliga, with six wins and three draws in their first nine matches this season.
This marks only the third time in their history that they’ve had an unbeaten start to a campaign in their first nine fixtures (previously in 2002-03 and 2018-19).
Dortmund’s home form in the Bundesliga has been exceptional, with a 20-game unbeaten run at Westfalenstadion dating back to August 2022, including 17 victories.
Their only hiccup at home in this period was a 2-2 draw against Bayern in October of the previous year.
Notably, that’s the only time Dortmund has avoided defeat against Bayern in their last 10 meetings.
Their last Bundesliga defeat against any opponent, home or away, was a 4-2 loss to Bayern in April.
On the other hand, Bayern Munich, fresh from an 8-0 win against SV Darmstadt 98, suffered a humiliating defeat to Saarbrucken in the DFB-Pokal.
Despite dominating possession and having 18 shots on goal, they lost 2-1.
Bayern’s performance was criticized, and they can ill-afford to dwell on this setback as they prepare for the 134th edition of Der Klassiker against an in-form Dortmund side.
Bayern Munich, currently second in the Bundesliga table, has won 11 of their last 13 Bundesliga encounters with Dortmund.
They will be looking to maintain their dominance in this most-played fixture in German professional football.
Team News:
Borussia Dortmund midfielder Emre Can is doubtful for Saturday due to a knee injury, while Julien Duranville remains sidelined with a thigh problem.
If Can is absent, Salih Ozcan may continue in center-midfield, and he might be joined by Felix Nmecha or former Bayern player Marcel Sabitzer.
Center-back Mats Hummels, another ex-Bayern player, is expected to return, and Reus, Julian Brandt, and Donyell Malen are likely to support central striker Niclas Fullkrug.
As for Bayern, Matthijs de Ligt is out for the next four to six weeks with a partial knee ligament tear, Tarek Buchmann is sidelined with a hamstring injury, and Joshua Kimmich is suspended for two matches due to a red card.
Dayot Upamecano is a minor doubt with a muscle problem, but he could return to the starting XI, and Noussair Mazraoui may replace Bouna Sarr at right-back.
In the absence of Kimmich, Leon Goretzka is set to partner with Konrad Laimer in center-midfield.
Star striker Harry Kane, with 12 goals in his first nine Bundesliga matches, is expected to lead the attack, supported by Leroy Sane, Jamal Musiala, and Kingsley Coman.
Predicted Starting Lineups:
Borussia Dortmund:
- Kobel;
- Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini;
- Nmecha, Can;
- Malen, Reus, Brandt;
- Fullkrug
Bayern Munich:
- Neuer;
- Mazraoui, Upamecano, Kim, Davies;
- Laimer, Goretzka;
- Sane, Musiala, Coman;
- Kane
Prediction
In what promises to be an exhilarating match, we predict a close scoreline with Borussia Dortmund 2-3 Bayern Munich.
The history of high-scoring encounters between these two teams suggests another exciting and goal-filled match.
Dortmund will aim to take advantage of Bayern’s midweek setback, but the perennial Bundesliga champions are likely to bounce back, especially if Harry Kane continues his fine form in front of the goal.
