Borussia Dortmund will have the chance to grab the top spot when they host defending champions Bayern Munich at Signal Iduna Park.
Borussia Dortmund will try to return to winning ways when they take on the mighty Bayern Munich at their home. Both the teams have had some mixed share of fortunes and this match will be the perfect stage to instil some much-needed confidence into their faded dream.
Dortmund are dreaming of their first Bundesliga title in ages to put an end to Bayern Munich’s reign. But they have not started the season the way they would have hoped for.
Five wins and three losses in the first eight matches have left them with a decent opportunity to claim their place. And Dortmund need to shake up Bayern’s confidence in a bid to finish their monopoly in the German top-tier.
Bayern flexed their muscle with a 4-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen. And they backed it up with a relentless display against Viktoria Plzen in the Champions League. But their clash with Dortmund might set the tone for the rest of the season as the Bavarians are still juggling between their four-match winless run and their recent triumph in the last couple of games.
For Dortmund, it will be a battle for their existence as the Black and Yellow brigade will gunning to unleash their best possible game in this match. Jude Bellingham has been in dream form, and the English midfielder could exploit Bayern’s weakness single-handedly.
Dortmund will be missing the service of Marco Reus, who has been ruled out for a long period due to an ankle injury. The likes of Youssoufa Moukoko have grabbed the opportunity with both hands, and the current crop of attackers will bring a ray of new sunshine to Dortmund’s fading glory.
Team News & Tactics
Borussia Dortmund
🎙 Edin Terzic:
"[Jude Bellingham]'s been playing very consistently, getting more control and balance in his game. We are very happy with the way he presents himself here every day. But this is not the end, there is much more to come." pic.twitter.com/PW2hdsFUeM
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) October 7, 2022
Marius Wolf and Mats Hummels did not participate in the midweek win over Sevilla in the UEFA Champions League. But the duo will be available in this match. Dortmund have been sweating without several absentees, and Edin Terzic will have to continue without a number of influential players.
Marco Reus, Sebastien Haller, Mahmoud Dahoud, Mateu Morey and Jamie Bynoe-Gittens will continue to be treated in the treatment room. But Gregor Kobel is poised to make his first appearance in goal as the Dortmund number one lost his position after suffering an injury.
Mats Hummels should partner Nico Schlotterbeck, and the former will have to gear up for a stern challenge against former club Bayern. Thomas Meunier will be the regular right-back in this match, while Raphel Guerreiro will continue to be on the left side of the defence.
Jude Bellingham has been sensational in the midfield, and his hard work is finally paying off as Dortmund look on song whenever the 19-year-old pulls the strings in the midfield. He will appear alongside Emre Can and Salih Ozcan. And together, they need to nullify Bayern’s every possible threat.
Karim Adeyemi and Julian Brandt will operate from the flanks, while Donyell Malen should be the farthest man upfront. The three of them are expected to interchange positions to hand their opponent a tough time on the pitch.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Kobel; Meunier, Schlotterbeck, Hummels, Guerreiro; Can, Ozcan, Bellingham; Adeyemi, Malen, Brandt
Bayern Munich
Julian Nagelsmann ruled out the possibility of Thomas Muller being involved in the clash. But Joshua Kimmich has been announced as fit and will likely be involved from the first whistle.
Bereit für den Klassiker. 😎#BVBFCB #MiaSanMia #FCBayern pic.twitter.com/5tk7SSx31F
— FC Bayern München (@FCBayern) October 7, 2022
Manuel Neuer will be between the sticks, and he will have Matthijs de Ligt and Dayot Upamecano protecting him from any kind of danger. Benjamin Pavard will try to join the attack from his right-back position, while Alphonso Davies will keep his place on the left side of the defence.
Kimmich’s availability means he will partner Leon Goretzka in the midfield. Jamal Musiala has been a revelation this season, and the youngster will be fielded just behind the main striker. Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry and Sadio Mane will be deployed across the front three, and they will have the licence to roam around in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Pavard, Upamecano, de Ligt, Davies; Kimmich, Goretzka; Gnabry, Musiala, Sane; Mane
Key Stats
- Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich meet for the 132nd time across all competitions in the Bundesliga era. No other fixture has been played as often in German professional football. Bayern’s 32 defeats to BVB is more than against any other team at professional level – as are Borussia’s 65 losses to Die Roten.
- Borussia Dortmund have lost their last eight competitive encounters with Bayern since a 2-0 win in the 2019 Supercup. That is Dortmund’s longest run of defeats to an opponent at professional level, equalling their streak against Hamburg from 1982 to 1985.
- Borussia Dortmund are the only team this Bundesliga campaign to lose twice after leading in games (3-2 vs Werder Bremen and 3-2 at 1. FC Koln). That only happened to them three times in the whole of the last Bundesliga season.
- Bayern Munich have scored 16 goals in the first half of Bundesliga games this season – no other team has more than nine. Only Bayern themselves last season have ever scored so many first-half goals in the first eight games of a season – no team has had more.
- Jamal Musiala has five goals over the first eight matchdays of this Bundesliga season. The only teenager to ever have more after the first eight matchdays of a Bundesliga campaign was Gerd Muller in 1965/66 (7).
Player to Watch
Jude Bellingham
Bellingham has been the show-stopper for Dortmund this season, and the English midfielder needs to carry forward his form against this mighty Bayern side. The Bavarians are yet to digest the departure of Robert Lewandowski, and this is the perfect occasion to pile more misery on their rocky situation.
Prediction
Borussia Dortmund 1-2 Bayern Munich
Despite the home comfort, Borussia Dortmund are not expected to trounce their arch-rivals completely. Meanwhile, in spite of the shaky start, Bayern Munich have shown signs of improvement. And if they replicate their recent performance, Dortmund will have a tough task to cut out. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 Bayern win this weekend.
