Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern München preview: Bayern mettle tested in Der Klassiker

Borussia Dortmund

BVB have bounced back from a tough run of four defeats in five matches across all competitions, with Nuri Sahin guiding the team to a strong resurgence. Under his leadership, die Schwarzgelben have secured four victories in their last five games, scoring 11 goals and conceding just two in the process.

Their momentum was built with a dominant 4-0 home win over Freiburg in the Bundesliga last weekend, followed by an impressive 3-0 triumph over Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League on Wednesday. Jamie Bynoe-Gittens opened the scoring with a sensational strike before Ramy Bensebaini and Serhou Guirassy sealed the victory.

Dortmund have now climbed to fourth in the Champions League table and are on track to secure an automatic spot in the last 16. In the Bundesliga, they sit fifth, just one point behind the top four but still ten points adrift of leaders Bayern München, whom they face on Saturday.

BVB will be confident heading into this encounter at Westfalenstadion, where they’ve been unbeaten since early April (W12 D1), winning all eight of their home games this season. A ninth consecutive home victory would mark the first time in their history they’ve achieved such a feat in a professional campaign.

Dortmund have already claimed victories over third-placed RB Leipzig and second-placed Eintracht Frankfurt on their own turf this season. However, they now face their biggest test yet against Bayern, a side they’ve endured more defeats to than any other club (67). 

Yet, Bayern have also been on the losing end against Dortmund (33) more often than any other team. This classic rivalry is set to deliver another thrilling chapter.

Team News

Borussia Dortmund will be without their captain, Emre Can, who is serving the second of a two-match suspension. Karim Adeyemi is also unavailable due to a hamstring injury. Julian Brandt, who was forced off at halftime against Dinamo Zagreb with a muscle problem, is a doubt for the match. However, Niklas Süle, who has been sidelined for over a month with an ankle injury, has recovered and could be in contention to feature.

In terms of lineup changes, striker Serhou Guirassy, who has scored 49 Bundesliga goals in his career, will hope to push for a starting spot at the expense of Maximilian Beier. Julian Ryerson is also set to return at right-back, which would allow Pascal Groß to shift back into midfield.

Bayern München

Bayern arrive in North Rhine-Westphalia in formidable form, boasting a seven-match winning streak across all competitions. During this run, they have scored 18 goals and kept seven clean sheets, going over 700 minutes without conceding a single goal.

Under the guidance of Vincent Kompany, Bayern have found their rhythm after some early-season inconsistency, establishing themselves as a dominant force. Their 3-0 Bundesliga win over Augsburg last weekend was followed by a hard-fought 1-0 victory over 10-man Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday, with Kim Min-jae scoring the decisive header in the first half.

The win over Paris Saint Germain has strengthened their chances of advancing to the last 16 in the Champions League, with Bayern moving up to 13th in the 36-team table, just one point behind the top eight with three matches remaining. Now, their focus shifts back to the Bundesliga, where they sit six points clear at the top as of now.

Kompany has made an impressive impact since taking charge, amassing 29 points from his first 11 Bundesliga matches (W9 D2), equaling the division’s record set by Pep Guardiola in the 2012-13 season and Klaus Toppmöller in 1993-94.

Bayern will be confident heading into Saturday's Klassiker, with the Rekordmeister being unbeaten in Dortmund since November 2018, winning four and drawing one of their last five visits, including a dominant 4-0 victory last November. The Bavarians will be eager to continue their strong run and extend their lead at the summit.

Team News

For Bayern, they will be missing Joao Palhinha (groin), Hiroki Ito (broken foot), Josip Stanisic (knee), and Sven Ulreich (personal reasons). 

Aleksandar Pavlovic, who has been recovering from a shoulder operation, is back in training but is unlikely to feature this weekend. Therefore, Leon Goretzka is expected to retain his spot in midfield alongside Joshua Kimmich.

Bayern’s right-back position remains flexible, with either Konrad Laimer or Raphael Guerreiro likely to be deployed there. In attack, Michael Olise could replace Leroy Sané on the right wing, joining Jamal Musiala, Kingsley Coman, and Harry Kane in the forward line. Kane, who became the fastest player in Bundesliga history to reach 50 goals last weekend, will be eager to add to his tally.