Borussia Dortmund are set to welcome Bayern Munich at Signal Iduna Park in Bundesliga on Saturday evening.
This is going to be the 134th competitive Der Klassiker and the Bavarian club have been the dominant force in this encounter, winning 66 games to Dortmund’s 32.
Dortmund didn’t enjoy a good start to this season, drawing two of the first three encounters in the league. However, they have managed to bounce back excellently, winning five of the last six fixtures.
Edin Terzic’s side are currently unbeaten in the league and are sitting fourth with 21 points from nine games, four points behind the league leaders Bayer Leverkusen.
On the other hand, Bayern Munich have enjoyed a brilliant start to this season, accumulating 23 points from nine games and are still unbeaten in the Bundesliga.
However, they will be coming into this game off the back of a disappointing 2-1 defeat against the 3rd division side Saarbrücken in the DFB Pokal. It’s their first defeat of this season so their confidence might be shaken a bit ahead of this crucial fixture.
Previous meetings
Bayern Munich are unbeaten versus Dortmund in the last 10 encounters in all competitions, winning nine of those games. BVB last managed to come away victorious versus the Bavarian club in the Bundesliga back in 2018. So, Terzic’s side will be desperate to win this game in front of their home fans.
How to watch
The game will kick off at 5:30 pm UK time and the match will be televised live on Sky Sports Football. Match going fans can also buy Borussia Dortmund tickets for the game at reseller sites such as Seatsnet, as official channels have sold out.
Team news
Emre Can was sidelined in the previous two games due to a knee issue, but he has trained ahead of this encounter so it is going to be very interesting to see whether he will be available to feature. Jurien Duranville is set to remain sidelined for this fixture due to a thigh issue. Apart from that, Terzic is set to get a full squad to choose from.
As for Bayern, Matthijs de Ligt is not in contention to feature versus Dortmund having recently sustained a knee issue that is expected to keep him out of action for several weeks. Along with the Dutchman, Tarek Buchmann is also set to remain sidelined owing to an injury problem.
Joshua Kimmich picked up a red card in the previous game against Darmstadt so he is currently suspended for two games. Therefore, he is not going to feature for Bayern tomorrow.
Predicted line-up
Terzic likes to deploy a high-pressing 4-2-3-1 system and the formation is likely to be the same in this game. But, it remains to be seen whether his side press Bayern high or not.
Gregor Kobel is expected to start in goal for Dortmund and in front of the Swiss, Julian Ryerson, Matts Hummels, Nico Schlotterbeck and Ramy Bensebaini should be the back four.
Can wouldn’t like to miss out on a game such as this so he is likely to start in the engine room for Dortmund and alongside him, Felix Nmecha should commence.
Marco Reus could be in the attacking midfield position, while Donyell Malen and Julian Brandt might start on the flanks. Niclas Fullkrug is likely to be leading the line for Terzic’s side.
Expected Dortmund line-up vs Bayern Munich
Kobel; Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Can, Nmecha; Malen, Reus, Brandt; Fullkrug
As for Bayern, Thomas Tuchel has been using the 4-2-3-1 formation and is expected to go with the same performance for this game.
Manuel Neuer is set to start between the sticks for the Bavarian club. Noussair Mazraoui and Alphonso Davis should start in the fullback positions, while Kim Min-Jae and Dayot Upamecano might be the centre-back pairing for Tuchel’s side.
Leon Goretzka is likely to replace Kimmich in midfield and he will commence alongside Konrad Laimer. Jamal Musiala is expected to be in the number ten position and on either side of the German, Leroy Sane and Kingsley Coman should start. Record Bayern signing Harry Kane will lead the line for the Bavarian club in this encounter.
Expected Bayern Munich line-up vs Borussia Dortmund
Neuer; Mazraoui, Upamecano, Kim, Davis; Goretzka, Laimer; Coman, Musiala, Sane; Kane
Key players
The responsibility will be on Hummels to organise the defence against his former club and it remains to be seen whether he can manage to do that in this fixture.
Can will have to position himself correctly and protect the backfour. He has the tendency to make surging runs from the deep, vacating the area in front of the defence. Bayern have players to hurt Dortmund by exploiting that space if he does that in this encounter. So, he needs to be careful about that.
Brandt has been the most prolific player for Dortmund this season so the fans will be hoping that he will be able to continue showcasing his best in this encounter and help his side win the game. On the other hand, Fullkrug will be hoping to put his name on the scoresheet in the biggest game of German football.
As for Bayern, Kane is the main goal-scoring threat for Bayern and he will be desperate to make his mark in his Der Klassiker debut. So, Dortmund will have to keep him quiet if they wish to come away with a positive result from this encounter.
Sane has been enjoying a stellar campaign this term, scoring eight goals in nine league appearances. He has been unstoppable this season and Dortmund must stop him to win the game.
Goretzka and Laimer will have to take extra responsibility in this game amid the absence of Kimmich and it remains to be seen whether they can manage to fill his void. Davies is a devastating player and he is efficient on both ends of the pitch so Dortmund will need to keep a close eye on him.
Prediction
Dortmund have the tendency to throw away this game by making unnecessary errors. So, they will have to address that issue in this fixture if they wish to come away with a positive result.
Although Bayern have enjoyed a stellar start in the Bundesliga, they have shown their vulnerabilities defensively in other competitions. So, Dortmund will have to take advantage of that.
However, Tuchel’s side are well-resourced in every department and they are expected to challenge on all fronts this season. Their attacking firepower can hurt any strong defence around the world. So, they will be coming into this game as a strong favourite.
It is going to be interesting to see how the game eventually unfolds, but the Bavarian club are likely to win this game pretty comprehensively. Dortmund 1-3 Bayern Munich
