In midweek, both teams had different outcomes in the second round of the DFB-Pokal. Dortmund secured a narrow victory over Hoffenheim, extending their unbeaten streak to eight matches in all competitions. Just two days after an exciting 3-3 draw with Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga, Dortmund returned to winning form with a 1-0 victory in the DFB-Pokal, thanks to a first-half goal from club legend Marco Reus.
Edin Terzic's team now shifts its focus back to the Bundesliga, where they currently hold the fourth position in the standings. They have won six and drawn three of their first nine matches this season. Dortmund's home form in the Bundesliga has been exceptional, with a 20-game unbeaten run at Westfalenstadion dating back to August 2022, including 17 victories. Interestingly, one of the three occasions when they dropped points at home was in a 2-2 draw against Bayern in October last year.
The draw was the only time Dortmund avoided defeat against Bayern in their last 10 meetings. Their last Bundesliga loss, either at home or away, was a 4-2 defeat to Bayern in April. In contrast, Bayern Munich, who crushed SV Darmstadt 98 with an 8-0 win in the Bundesliga just three days ago, suffered a shocking 2-1 defeat to third-tier side Saarbrucken in the DFB-Pokal.
Despite having 75% possession and 18 shots on goal, they were unable to secure a win, and their performance was deemed "unacceptable" by their sporting director.
Bayern's head coach, Thomas Tuchel, denied accusations of arrogance or underestimating their opponents, stating that his team simply lacked the required energy to seal the victory. Bayern's focus now turns to the 134th edition of Der Klassiker against an in-form Dortmund side.
Der Klassiker is the most-played fixture in German professional football, and Bayern has won it 66 times in total compared to BVB's 32 victories. Bayern currently sits second in the Bundesliga, and they must not dwell on their recent defeat as they have less than three days to prepare for the crucial match against Dortmund.
If Bayer Leverkusen wins their earlier match against Hoffenheim, Bayern could find themselves five points behind the league leaders. Nevertheless, Bayern will enter the game with confidence, having won 11 of their last 13 Bundesliga encounters with Dortmund and scoring at least three goals in 10 of those occasions.
INJURIES & SUSPENSION
Borussia Dortmund's midfielder Emre Can has been sidelined for the past two games due to a knee injury, and his availability for Saturday's match is uncertain, although he has been making progress in training this week. Julien Duranville is still out of action with a thigh problem.If Emre Can is unable to play, Salih Ozcan may continue to fill in at center-midfield. He could be joined in the midfield by either Felix Nmecha or the former Bayern player Marcel Sabitzer. In the defensive line, center-back Mats Hummels, another former Bayern player, is expected to return, likely replacing Niklas Sule. In the attacking department, Marco Reus, Julian Brandt, and Donyell Malen might provide support for central striker Niclas Fullkrug.
As for Bayern, they have their share of injury concerns. Matthijs de Ligt is expected to be sidelined for the next four to six weeks due to a partial knee ligament tear. Tarek Buchmann is also unavailable with a hamstring issue, and Joshua Kimmich will miss two matches due to a suspension following his red card against Darmstadt.
It remains uncertain whether Dayot Upamecano (muscle) and Leon Goretzka (hand) will be fit to play. Both players were seen in training on Friday, with Goretzka wearing significant strapping around his left hand following an operation last month. If they pass a late fitness test, Upamecano could return as a center-back, taking the place of De Ligt, while Goretzka would likely replace the suspended Kimmich and partner with Konrad Laimer in center-midfield.
Star striker Harry Kane, who has scored 12 goals in his first nine Bundesliga matches, is expected to return to the attack. He might receive support in the final third from Leroy Sane, Jamal Musiala, and Kingsley Coman.
POSSIBLE LINE UPS
Borussia Dortmund possible starting lineup:Kobel; Ryerson, Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Nmecha, Can; Malen, Reus, Brandt; Fullkrug
Bayern Munich possible starting lineup:
Neuer; Mazraoui, Upamecano, Kim, Davies; Laimer, Goretzka; Sane, Musiala, Coman; Kane
EXPERT PREDICTION
Borussia Dortmund 2-3 Bayern Munich
Dortmund aims to capitalize on Bayern's recent midweek setback, but we anticipate that the perennial Bundesliga champions will recover and secure all three points, especially if Harry Kane maintains his excellent goal-scoring form.
