Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund preview, H2H, team news, lineups and prediction

Bayern Munich will host archrival Borussia Dortmund in the 137th Der Klassiker at Allianz Arena in the Bundesliga match on week 29.

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 Dortmund are far off their best this season. Their underwhelming performances have seen the club undergo managerial changes already this season, and they’re now in a tight race to qualify for any of the European competitions next season.

Bayern are on track to clinch their 33rd Bundesliga title and their 13th in 14 years, as they sit on top of the Bundesliga table.

Kompany’s side has won 20 of the league games, lost only one and recorded five draws. They’re also the highest scorers in the league, with a sky-high 78 goals, 16 more than second-placed Bayer Leverkusen.

Defensively, the summer addition of Hiroki Ito and Eric Dier on permanent deals is paying dividends, as the Bavarians’ 26 goals are the fewest number of goals conceded in the German top flight after 27 games.

The encounter between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, dubbed ‘Der Klassiker’, continues to captivate football supporters in Germany and globally, standing as one of the sport’s most eagerly awaited matchups.

Over time, these two German powerhouses have consistently set the standard for domestic football, producing iconic encounters across the Bundesliga, DFB Cup, and UEFA Champions League.

Bayern’s season has been remarkable, both on and off the field, so fans with Bayern Munich tickets are confident ahead of this game. By locking down long-term contracts for pivotal players such as Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies, the club has bolstered its foundation for sustained success, enabling young talents to flourish.

Under Vincent Kompany’s leadership, Bayern currently holds a six-point advantage at the top of the Bundesliga with 65 points. They have also advanced to the Champions League quarterfinals, where they will face Italian giants Inter Milan.

Although they were eliminated from the DFB-Pokal, Bayern’s overall performance remains solid this season, as they continue to dominate with their possession-focused style while adopting a more intense pressing game. Kompany’s tactical brilliance, refined during his time playing under Pep Guardiola, has introduced a new edge to Bayern’s gameplay, further enhancing their strength.

Niko Kovac’s tenure as boss has not gone according to plan, given that he has experienced four defeats in his seven Bundesliga games in charge. Die Borussen have only scored three goals in their past four matches and have not netted in their last two in the league. They’re also 27 points behind Bayern in first place and four points behind sixth-place RB Leipzig in the European spot.

Hopes of European qualification are not entirely out of their reach, as they only need to string up a run of wins to close the gap on Leipzig and will also hope Die Roten Bullen drop points.

Dortmund’s form is poor, with the club losing two, drawing one and winning two of their five most recent outings, and they have been defeated in seven of their last 12 in the league.

Kovac’s side have also struggled for positive results at home, having only triumphed in three of their past 11 at Signal Iduna Park and losing on four occasions. However, the game against Bayern will be away from home, and it’ll be a daunting task for the Black and Yellow to defeat a Bayern side that have lost only two games this season.

Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund match details

• Date: Saturday, 12th April 2025
• Location: Munich, Germany
• Venue: Allianz Arena
• Kick-off time: 05:30 PM GMT, 04:30 UTC
• Tickets: Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund tickets can be bought through the clubs or via a trusted online reseller

Match stats and head-to-head

• Bayern are on an eight-game scoring streak across all competitions. The last time they failed to find the back of the net was in February in the 0-0 draw against Leverkusen.

• Dortmund have won just one of the last 13 games against Bayern, coming in the 2-0 victory at Allianz Arena last season.

• Two of Die Borussen’s last four victories against Bayern have come at the Allianz Arena.

• Interestingly, Dortmund have remained unbeaten in the four Bundesliga games that Serhou Guirassy has missed this season. They kicked off the campaign with a 2-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt and a draw against Werder Bremen, during which the Guinean forward was sidelined due to a knee problem. Later, on Matchday 11, they thrashed Freiburg 4-0, with Guirassy missing out due to illness.

• Centre-back Nico Schlotterbeck contributed two assists from five corners during the Matchday 27 clash with Mainz and will be looking to increase that tally when Dortmund face Bayern.

• Vincent Kompany’s squad has secured victory in 20 of their 27 Bundesliga matches, suffering just two defeats while settling for five draws. They also boast the most prolific attack in the league, having netted an impressive 78 goals—16 more than Bayer Leverkusen, who sit in second place.

• Nico Kovac’s side won three of their last five games, with the only exception being the back-to-back losses against Augsburg and RB Leipzig.

Bayern have lost only one of their 11 games played in 2025, with that loss coming against relegation-battling Bochum in March.

Team news

Bayern suffered a double injury setback last week, with defenders Alphonso Davies and Dayot Upamecano joining Tarek Buchmann on the injury list.

With goalkeeper Manuel Neuer also unavailable, Jonas Urbig is set to continue in goal.

Midfielder Aleksandar Pavlovic may be sidelined until early May, but both Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka are fit and ready to feature in a double pivot.

Unfortunately for Bayern, their injury woes continue, as Hiroki Ito has now been added to the list of sidelined players following a foot injury. The Japanese defender sustained the injury shortly after coming on as a substitute for Raphaël Guerreiro in the 58th minute.

While the severity of Ito’s injury is yet to be determined, his ongoing battle with a metatarsal issue since preseason suggests that the news may not be promising.

Winger Kingsley Coman will miss the match due to an ankle injury, and his absence may prompt Kompany to position Leroy Sane and Michael Olise on either flank of Harry Kane.

Dortmund could be without midfielder Marcel Sabitzer for this clash, while Felix Nmecha is expected to recover from an illness that kept him out of the game against Mainz.

Due to his adaptability, defender Waldemar Anton might be placed alongside Pascal Gross in a double pivot. The duo would likely be assigned the responsibility of shielding central defenders Emre Can and Nico Schlotterbeck.

Serhou Guirassy was missing from Dortmund’s squad that faced Mainz. The extent of Guinean’s injury is unknown, but Dortmund hope to have him back for this clash.

Carney Chukwuemeka and Daniel Svensson were back on the squad last weekend after recovering from injuries, and they hope to make the trip to Munich for the clash against Bayern.

Jamie Bynoe-Gittens underwent surgery on a hand injury he struggled with for some time. However, the forward is okay to play, as the injury is not deemed critical.

Predicted starting lineup

Bayern Munich predicted starting lineup:

Urbig; Laimer, Dier, Jae, Guerreiro; Kimmich, Goretzka; Olise, Musiala, Sane; Kane.

Borussia Dortmund predicted starting lineup:

Kobel; Ryerson, Can, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Anton, Gross; Adeyemi, Brandt, Bynoe-Gittens; Guirassy.

Prediction

Bayern are a few wins away from securing the Bundesliga title, and as long as they don’t slip up, the race will unlikely drag to the last day.

The game against Dortmund could be one of those games in which they edge closer to winning the Bundesliga title in what has been a dominant season for Vincent Kompany’s side.

For Dortmund, they started the season poorly but are beginning to impress under new boss Nico Kovac. While they sit in 10th place, their 38-point tally is not far off the top six, with fourth-place Borussia Monchengladbach and sixth-placed RB Leipzig leading them with five and four points, respectively.

Die Borussen hope to make it back-to-back wins at Allianz Arena against Bayern, but it’ll be a difficult task as the home side will look to get revenge for last season’s defeat.

We’re predicting a 3-1 win for Bayern.