Verdict: Draw
Best Odds: 13/5
Bookmaker: William Hill
Der Klassiker is probably last chance for Borussia Dortmund to revive their title bid after a slow start, and we have absolutely no doubts the Millionaires will be looking to take the game to their opponents. The Bavarians haven’t exactly been relentless this season, although they did really well on last few visits to Signal-Iduna Park.
Borussia Dortmund
Many believed that Borussia Dortmund would crumble after the departure of Jurgen Klopp, but the club officials and new coach Thomas Tuchel have done really well to keep the club near the top of German and European football. With the squad having undergone major changes in the summer and key attacker Marco Reus missing the opening exchanges through injury, the Millionaires were always going to experience problems, although the under-par performances were exclusively reserved for the domestic campaign. BVB impressed to secure their place in the Champions League knockout stages with two games to spare, as they currently sit two points clear of holders Real Madrid, but their performances in the German Bundesliga have at times left something to be desired. The good news is that a four-match winless run in the league finally came to an end as Borussia hammered Hamburg 5-2 on the road, and they now hope to kick-start their title bid with a triumph over Bayern Munich that has been long overdue. Dortmund have now failed to win any of their last seven meetings with the Bavarians, which is definitely a cause for concern.
Team News
Key attacker Marco Reus returns after a lengthy injury lay-off, but he will have to settle for a place on the bench as Ousmane Dembele and Andre Schurrle should start on the wings.
The injury situation is better than few weeks ago, but Sven Bender, Neven Subotic and Erik Durm remain in the treatment room.
Bayern Munich
Bayern Munich continued to dominate German Bundesliga, but the European success they crave for has gone missing in recent years. Pep Guardiola stepped down after failing to lead the club to Champions League glory and it is now up to three-time winner Carlo Ancelotti to right his wrongs. And while the Bavarians did well to secure their place in the Last 16 stage with two games to go, they are probably not too happy to be looking at Atletico Madrid’s backs. Meanwhile, team’s Bundesliga campaign has been going according to plan and nobody at the club will be worried by the fact that RB Leipzig are level on points with them when Borussia Dortmund sit six points behind. Having said that, Bayern now have a perfect opportunity to all but eliminate the Millionaires from the title chase and we definitely expect them to adopt a positive approach at Signal-Iduna Park. The Bavarians have experienced some problems on domestic stage of late, winning just two of last five fixtures, and it is clear that they are not in the best shape at the moment. And with some key men doing plenty of travelling during the international break, and some returning injured, Bayern could be in for a difficult match in Dortmund.
Team News
Kingsley Coman and Fabian Benko are definitely out injured, while Arturo Vidal is struggling through injury and is unlikely to play.
Franck Ribery has resumed training and he will take his place on the bench, just like Javi Martinez, who is still not fully fit.
Key Factors to Consider
- Dortmund are winless in last seven meetings with Bayern (regular time)
- BVB haven’t scored in last three home games vs Bayern
- Bayern won four of last six away games vs Dortmund (D1 L1)
- Dortmund are unbeaten in last seven (W3 D4)
- Bayern have yet to lose in Bundesliga this season
Conclusion
Each edition of Der Klassiker proves both an entertaining affair and a very close game, and we believe that the two sides are pretty evenly matched at the moment. Even though both Borussia and Bayern will be hoping for maximum points, we believe they will cancel each other out.
Verdict: Draw
Best Odds: 13/5
Bookmaker: William Hill
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