Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund preview, team news, line-ups & prediction

Bayern Munich will host arch-rivals, Borussia Dortmund in the 135th Der Klassiker at Allianz Arena in Bundesliga match week 27.  

Over the past 14 years, this clash has mostly been regarded as a title decider with either Bayern or Dortmund sitting on top of the League. However, that’s not the case this time as defending Bundesliga champions Bayern currently sit ten points adrift in second spot, while Dortmund sit 20 points adrift from the League leaders, Bayer Leverkusen in fourth.

A loss for Bayern would be hugely damaging as they’d fall further behind Leverkusen. Thomas Tuchel’s side look to have found their mojo in recent weeks, winning three of their last four matches in the Bundesliga while scoring an emphatic 13 goals in their last two matches.

They recorded a 5:2 victory over Darmstadt at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor, with Harry Kane netting a record 31st goal of the season.

Despite Bayern’s early dominance in the game, the home side took a surprise lead against the run of play through Tim Skarke in the 28th minute of the game before Jamal Musiala drew Bayern level. Kane was then on hand to head home Joshua Kimmich’s corner to give the Bavarians the lead heading into the break.

Tuchel’s side returned from the break guns-blazing and ran riot against the relegation-bound Darmstadt side. Musiala doubled his tally in the 64th minute of the game while Serge Gnabry marked just his seventh appearance and second goal of the season in the Bundesliga when he added Bayern’s fourth goal of the match. Mathys Tel completed the routing before Oscar Vilhelmsson pulled one back for Darmstadt in stoppage time.

The Bavarians now shift focus to a Dortmund side that are unbeaten in 14 of their last 15 matches across all competitions, with their only loss in that run coming in the 3:2 loss at home to Hoffenheim. The Black and Yellows have also won their last three Bundesliga matches and will arrive at this game in top form.

Edin Terzić’s side recorded a 3:1 win over sixth-placed Eintracht Frankfurt in Bundesliga match week 26 as they further retained their fourth-place Champions League spot.

Former Bayern and Dortmund star, Mario Götze, opened the scoring for the Eagles in the 13th minute of the game, before Karim Adeyemi’s strike restored parity.

A plethora of chances fell to both teams but it was the Black and Yellows who capitalised on their dominance in the game to score two late goals . Matt Hummels connected to Julian Brandt’s brilliant cross with a diving header to give Dortmund the lead with nine minutes remaining in regulation time. Terzić’s side doubled their lead in stoppage time as Emre Can’s penalty sealed all three points for the home side who continue to hold their grip on fourth position firmly.

They now face 32-time Bundesliga Champions, Bayern, in a must-win match as they risk being usurped to fourth place by RB Leipzig – who are only one point adrift.

Bayern Vs Dortmund match details

Date: Saturday, March 30, 2024

Location: Munich, Germany

Venue: Allianz Arena

Kick-off Time: 5:30 pm GMT, 1:30 PM ET, 6.30 pm CET, 17:30 UTC

Tickets: You can buy Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund tickets through official club websites or via trusted online ticket resellers.

Match stats and head-to-head

•Bayern are embarking on a ten-game unbeaten streak against Dortmund. The last time the Bavarians tasted defeat in this fixture was in the 2019 DFL Supercup where they lost 2:0.

•At least four goals have been scored in the last nine fixtures between these two teams, including the 4:0 victory in the first leg of this fixture at the Signal Iduna Park where Kane netted his third Bundesliga hat trick.

•Kane became the first player in history to net a hat trick on his Der Klassiker debut when he scored three goals in the first leg of the clash at Signal Iduna Park.

•Bayern are unbeaten in their last 10 competitive meetings with Borussia Dortmund.

•Kane’s 31st Bundesliga goal set a new record for the most number of goals in a debut season since Uwe Seeler scored 30 goals in the 1963-64 season.

•Dortmund have scored multiple goals in 10 out of their last 13 matches across all competitions. They failed to score more than one goal in the Bundesliga fixtures against Heidenheim and Wolfsburg as well as the UEFA Champions League clash against PSV Eindhoven.

•Bayern’s 78 goals is the most number of goals scored by any team in the Bundesliga this season. The Bavarians also have the joint-second best defence in the Bundesliga, alongside VfB Stuttgart, with both teams conceding 31 goals only behind Leverkusen with 18.

•The Bavarians have the most wins in this fixture, with 67 victories against Dortmund’s 33 victories.

•Der Klassiker is the most-played fixture in Bundesliga history.

•Dortmund are winless in their last 12 matches in all competitions against Bayern Munich, their longest such run against the Bavarians since 2002.

•Hummels could set a new record for the most appearances in Der Klassiker with 30 appearances. The 35-year-old has featured 29 times in this fixture(22 for Dortmund and six for Bayern).

Team news 

In a boost to Tuchel’s side, Kane completed individual training at Bayern’s Säbener Straße training ground. Recent reports suggest the England International will be fit to face Dortmund on Saturday.

Club captain, Manuel Neur is a doubt for the match after suffering a fibre tear with Sven Ulreich set to deputise in goal.

Among the trio of Raphaël Guerreiro, Kingsley Coman and Noussair Mazraoui, Guerreiro is the closest to making a matchday squad after the three players returned to light individual training.

Bouna Sarr and Sacha Boey remain long-term absentees with knee and muscular injuries respectively.

For the visiting side, Dortmund will hope first-choice goalkeeper, Gregor Kobel can shake off an abductor issue to feature in the game.

Marcel Sabitzer is out of contention due to suspension while Ramy Bensebaini’s availability hinges on a fitness assessment test after picking up a knee injury while on international duty with Algeria.

Julian Ryerson is available for selection but Sebastian Haller remains doubtful for this clash with an ankle injury.

Predicted starting lineup

Bayern Munich predicted starting lineup

Ulreich; Kimmich, De Ligt, Dier, Davies; Pavlović, Goretzka, Müller; Musiala, Kane, Sane.

Borussia Dortmund predicted starting lineup

Kobel; Ryerson Hummels, Schlotterbeck, Maatsen; Özcan, Can, Brandt; Malen, Füllkrug, Reus.

Prediction

Both teams are heading into this clash in good form, unbeaten in their last three matches.

While Dortmund are in a better streak of results since December last year, historical precedents could once again favour Bayern who hold a significantly higher head-to-head advantage, coupled with the advantage of playing in a stacked Allianz Arena.

It will be a keenly contested clash with either side capable of winning. We’re predicting a 2:2 draw.