Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich Preview: Probable Lineups, Prediction, Tactics, Team News & Key Stats

Borussia Dortmund host Bayern Munich in Der Klassiker on Saturday, with BVB looking to go above the champions in the Bundesliga table.

The latest version of Der Klassiker will take place at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday evening, with Borussia Dortmund welcoming Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga.

Dortmund are currently fourth in the Bundesliga standings, boasting 21 points from their opening nine games, while Bayern are second, two points above their opponents this weekend.

The hosts come into the game on the back of a 1-0 home victory over Hoffenheim in the DFB-Pokal on Wednesday night. The victory over Hoffenheim means Dortmund are undefeated in their last eight fixtures in all competitions.

They have won 1-0 in three of their last five, which has seen them take all three points at Newcastle United and shut down Union Berlin and Werder Bremen. Meanwhile, they played out a 3-3 thriller against Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga last time out.

Thomas Tuchel’s side, meanwhile, started the 2023/24 season in typically ominous form despite a shock defeat to. Bayern have so far racked up seven victories and two draws from nine league games and a perfect three victories out of three in the Champions League.

They won their last league match against Darmstadt by a small margin of eight second-half goals too. However, their treble chances are already over by November, as they won’t be winning this season in the DFB-Pokal.

The visitors had a night to forget on Wednesday night as they were dumped out by third-tier side Saarbrücken 2-1 despite putting up a strong XI. A loss of that magnitude must have shaken the side, and they will now be looking to bounce back. The good news for them is their incredible record against their arch-rivals Dortmund, who have not prevailed in the Bundesliga “Klassiker” since 2018.

Both matches were goal-rich affairs last season — a 2-2 draw at Dortmund and a 4-2 loss to Bayern in Munich — and another entertaining end-to-end contest could be on the cards on Saturday. The Hard Tackle now takes a closer look at the encounter ahead of the latest meeting between the two Bundesliga giants.

Team News and Tactics

Borussia Dortmund

Emre Can and Marius Wolf are BVB’s two injury doubts heading into Saturday’s highly-anticipated clash, while long-term absentee Julien Duranville remains sidelined with a thigh problem. Dortmund’s head coach, Edin Terzic, used the DFB-Pokal clash against Hoffenheim to rest some players but also to give a chance to some players who had not played that much so far this term.

Mats Hummels and Marcel Sabitzer did not participate in the midweek win and are expected to return to the starting XI against their former club. Sabitzer, in particular, could certainly make an impact in making the transition from defence to attack smoother, while Salih Ozcan could slot into the pivotal defensive midfield role should Can miss out here.

In the early stages of the season, Dortmund appeared to lack spark and creativity, with performances often coming across as flat and uninspiring. However, as the weeks have gone by and changes have been implemented, the squad has shown signs of becoming more fluid and exciting.

Felix Nmecha, brought in from Wolfsburg to fill the gap left by Jude Bellingham, initially faced criticism for underwhelming performances. However, recent impressive performances, including the winning goal against Newcastle United, have seen his stock gradually rise. But he may have to settle for a bench role in this game.

Club legend Marco Reus’s return to the starting XI has also provided a positive impact, both on and off the ball, while his work rate inspires his teammates to elevate their performances.

Starting striker Niclas Fullkrug’s involvement in four goals only tells part of the story, as his hold-up play and aggressive duelling nature allow the likes of Donyell Malen and Brandt to bomb into the vacated space and cause damage in terms of goals and assists.

Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Kobel; Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Özcan, Sabitzer, Brandt; Malen, Füllkrug, Reus 

Bayern Munich

Former Borussia Dortmund head coach Thomas Tuchel will have to make do without the services of suspended Joshua Kimmich, who will serve a two-match suspension following his red card against Darmstadt. Noussair Mazraoui is also a doubt, having missed the DFB-Pokal tie due to illness.

Manuel Neuer returned last weekend after breaking his leg in a skiing accident last winter and could retain his place in between the sticks here. Raphael Guerreiro has also recovered from his muscle injury and is set for a reunion against his former club this weekend.

Matthijs de Ligt picked up a knee injury in midweek. Dayot Upamecano has a muscle injury and may be rushed back for this one. Leon Goretzka broke his hand recently but could recover in time to partner Konrad Laimer in centre-midfield, while Noussair Mazraoui will likely replace Bouna Sarr at right-back.

Harry Kane will get his first taste of Der Klassiker on Saturday, with the England international looking to continue his fine start to life in the Bundesliga. He has scored 12 goals in his first nine Bundesliga appearances, the best start for any player in the German top flight’s history and grabbed his second hat-trick of the season last time out.

The Englishman will be supported in the final third by an in-form attacking trio comprising Leroy Sane, Jamal Musiala, and Kingsley Coman.

Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Mazraoui, Upamecano, Kim, Davies; Laimer, Goretzka; Sane, Musiala, Coman; Kane

Key Stats

• Saturday’s clash will be the 134th meeting between these two sides in all competitions, with Bayern boasting the upper hand in the head-to-head record with 68 victories to Dortmund’s 34.
• Borussia Dortmund have not beaten Bayern in their last ten meetings — their longest such run against the Bavarians since 2002.
• The visitors’ have won four of their five home games this season and have not tasted defeat in the league this season.
• Bayern Munich have accumulated 23 points from their first nine games in the Bundesliga—their best start to a league campaign in over seven years—which shows the strength of the German top flight this season.
• Bayern Munich have scored at least two goals in their last 10 Bundesliga matches.

Player to Watch

Julian Brandt

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Goal-machine Harry Kane is bound to get a lot of attention in this game. But Borussia Dortmund have a match-winner of their own. With eight goal involvements in nine Bundesliga games already this season, attacking midfielder Julian Brandt is in his career-best form ahead of Der Klassiker, recovering from a calf injury to make a timely impact as a substitute against Frankfurt.

He was formerly a key part of the engine room. But it is safe to say that he’s discovered his real potential on the attacking area of the pitch and will be the hosts’ most potent offensive weapon here.

Prediction

Borussia Dortmund 2-2 Bayern Munich

The hosts are underdogs for this clash. But Bayern are struggling and will miss midfield cornerstone Joshua Kimmich through suspension. On the other hand, Dortmund are cruising in confidence and showing resilient character in tough spots, having made an unbeaten start to this Bundesliga campaign.

They have scored 20 times to prove their attacking intent, which has included Julian Brandt scoring in three straight league games. However, the improvement from Dortmund has come at the defensive end. Eden Terzic has sacrificed a bit of free-flowing attacking moves, swapping in a good dose of pragmatism, making BVB incredibly difficult to beat.

With their fanatic support behind them, Bayern looking injury-stricken, and Dortmund stepping up their defensive organisation in recent times, the hosts look set to avoid defeat on Saturday. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-2 draw in the biggest game of the Bundesliga season thus far.