The 136th edition of *Der Klassiker* takes the spotlight on Saturday evening as Borussia Dortmund welcomes Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich to Westfalenstadion. This clash pits Dortmund’s league-best home record (W6 D0 L0) against Bayern’s unmatched away form (W5 D1 L0).
After a rough spell of four defeats in five matches across all competitions, Dortmund has rebounded under Nuri Şahin, claiming four wins in their last five games, scoring 11 goals and conceding just two. This resurgence includes a commanding 4-0 Bundesliga win over Freiburg last weekend and a 3-0 Champions League triumph at Dinamo Zagreb midweek, with Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, Ramy Bensebaini, and Serhou Guirassy all on target.
Currently fourth in the 36-team Champions League table and on track for a last-16 spot, Dortmund sits fifth in the Bundesliga, one point off the top four but 10 behind Bayern. The hosts are unbeaten at home since April (W12 D1) and have won all eight home games this season, aiming for a ninth consecutive home victory for the first time in their history. Dortmund has already defeated RB Leipzig and Eintracht Frankfurt at home but now faces their toughest test yet against Bayern, a side they’ve lost to more often than any other opponent (67 times). That said, Bayern has suffered more defeats to Dortmund (33) than to any other team. Bayern Munich arrives in scintillating form, riding a seven-game winning streak across all competitions, during which they’ve scored 18 goals, kept seven clean sheets, and gone over 700 minutes without conceding.
Vincent Kompany’s men, who struggled for consistency earlier this season, now look formidable. Following a 3-0 Bundesliga win over Augsburg, they secured a crucial 1-0 Champions League victory against 10-man Paris Saint-Germain midweek, courtesy of Kim Min-jae’s header. Bayern’s win over PSG bolstered their Champions League campaign, moving them to 13th in the standings, just a point off the top eight with three games remaining. Domestically, Kompany’s side leads the Bundesliga by six points and has matched the record for the best start by a coach in the league’s history with 29 points in 11 games (W9 D2), a feat previously achieved by Pep Guardiola and Klaus Toppmöller.
Bayern has a strong recent record at Westfalenstadion, going unbeaten there since November 2018 (W4 D1), including last season’s emphatic 4-0 victory. With their relentless form, Bayern are clear favourites this weekend. They’ve scored three or more goals in all but one of their six away league games and will back themselves against a Dortmund side that has conceded in 11 of their 17 games this season, shipping multiple goals on six occasions.
While Dortmund’s home form is imposing, Bayern’s dominance and firepower make them the team to beat in this much-anticipated Klassiker clash.
Best Tip: BTS
Correct Score: 1-3
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