Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund preview: Can Bayern clinch ten in a row in Der Klassiker?
On Saturday, Bayern Munich could seal a tenth consecutive Bundesliga title if they can beat a Borussia Dortmund side, who will be desperate to delay Bayern's impending celebrations.
Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich could complete a monumental feat this weeekend, when they face Dortmund in Der Klassiker. A win over the second-placed side would clinch a tenth consecutive league title for Bayern.
The Bavarians would love nothing more than to wrap up the title with a win over their rivals, with Bayern also searching for a fifth consecutive Bundesliga victory.
After suffering a demoralising Champions League quarter-final exit, Bayern bounced back in style last weekend, sweeping aside Arminia Bielefeld via a 3-0 scoreline. An own goal from Jacob Barrett Laursen opened the scoring before Serge Gnabry doubled the advantage in first half stoppage time. The victory was wrapped up five minutes from time when Jamal Musiala grabbed his fourth league goal of the season.
Bayern's 23rd Bundesliga win of the season leaves them nine points clear of Dortmund ahead of Der Klassiker. It is easy to see why the league leaders enjoy such a comfortable cushion at the top, as they are the highest scorers in the Bundesliga after scoring 89 goals in their 30 games, while they also boast the best defensive record in the topflight.
As the Bavarians prepare for the all-important clash on Saturday, they will draw confidence from their impressive head-to-head record against Dortmund, with the last seven competitive meetings between the two sides going the way of Bayern, who have also scored at least three goals in their previous five matches against Die Schwarzgelben.
Team News
Omar Richards is ruled out for the hosts due to illness, while Corentin Tolisso and Bouna Sarr are also sidelined. Kingsley Coman is rated as doubtful for the contest, with an ankle issue troubling the Frenchman.
In positive news, Julian Nagelsmann has confirmed that Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, Lucas Hernandez and Leon Goretzka are all available.
Borussia Dortmund
Dortmund know that hopes of lifting the title have effectively dissipated, but they will be hoping to at least make Bayern wait a little longer to clinch ten in a row.
As Die Schwarzgelben bid to beat Bayern in a competitive match for the first time since August 2019, the visitors will be looking to draw inspiration from their last two outings.
After beating Stuttgart 2-0, Dortmund upped the ante by thrashing Wolfsburg 6-1 last weekend. Marco Rose's side blew away their opponents within 38 minutes. The demolition job was started by Tom Rothe, who made history by becoming the youngest player to score in his German top-flight debut. The 17-year-old had only just finished celebrating his strike before the net was rippled once again as Alex Witsel doubled the advantage.
Goals from Manuel Akanji, Emre Can and Erling Haaland followed before Haaland grabbed his second after the interval, and though Ridle Baku struck late on, nothing could stop Dortmund from cruising to a remarkable victory.
Although they sit nine points adrift of their hosts, Dortmund can take confidence from the fact that they have picked up the same number of points (29) as Bayern in the second half of the season.
The visitors are also the only Bundesliga side yet to lose an away league game in 2022, while they are currently enjoying a seven-match unbeaten away run in all competitions.
Team News
Dortmund's long absentee list has received two additions, with Rose confirming that Gregor Kobel and Axel Witsel will miss Saturday's encounter. With Kobel out, Marwin Hitz will be thrown into the lion's den, with the goalkeeper facing the unenviable task of resisting Bayern's attacks.
The visitors are also without a number of other players including Donyell Malen, Mahmoud Dahoud, Mats Hummels, Giovanni Reyna and Thomas Meunier. Meanwhile, there are also doubts over the availability of Dan-Axel Zagadou and Marius Wolf.