By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Buckle up, it’s Der Klassiker time! Saturday’s 95th meeting between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich —and their 20th in all competitions in the last four-and-a-half years—is just as intense, keenly contested and passion-filled.
A win for either side could have huge implications as the 2022-23 title race hits the final straight, with Dortmund chasing their first Meisterschale since 2012 and Bayern eager for a record-extending 11th consecutive championship.
An extra layer of intrigue was added during the international break when former Dortmund coach Thomas Tuchel was appointed to replace Julian Nagelsmann in the Bayern hotseat. Will the 49-year-old get off to a winning start, or will in-form BVB maintain their unbeaten domestic run in 2023? We’ll find out on Saturday!
It was a sacking which shocked German football, especially given the team’s superb performances in the Champions League this term, but demonstrated the nervousness in the Bayern hierarchy about the prospect of their 10-season streak of Bundesliga titles coming to an end.
Dortmund are just nine games away from a first league title since 2011/12. But their next fixture is the most decisive – and a man who knows them better than most will be in the opposition dugout plotting their downfall.
Tuchel was swiftly installed as Naglesmann’s replacement at Bayern. He led Dortmund to a German Cup success in 2017 but a first Bundesliga crown is now in his sights.
Before then, however, Eintracht Frankfurt and VfL Bochum kick off Matchday 26 on Friday in a game that could prove decisive at both ends of the table. The Eagles, winless in their last four Bundesliga assignments, need to buck the trend if they are to ensure a desired top-six finish, but Bochum – on a two-game winning run – are locked in a relegation battle they are desperate to escape.
The backdrop is similar for top-four challengers 1. FC Union Berlin and SC Freiburg – each eyeing a maiden UEFA Champions League qualification – as they respectively host VfB Stuttgart and Hertha Berlin, who are both in the bottom three. The form book suggests the home sides are favourites, but Bundesliga relegation battles are famed for producing shock results. The unexpected should, therefore, be very much expected.
FC Schalke 04 are another team far too close to the bottom for comfort, but an eightgame unbeaten sequence has given the Royal Blues hope of surviving the drop. Still, a tough match at home to Xabi Alonso’s attack-minded Bayer 04 Leverkusen side, led by the fit-again Florian Wirtz and boasting FIFA World Cup winner Exequiel Palacios, will provide a stern test of their top-flight credentials.
RB Leipzig, meanwhile, are out to get their top-four ambitions back on track after dropping to fifth following two defeats in their last three Bundesliga games. Superstar Christopher Nkunku is still out with injury, but Marco Rose will be hoping the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai, Timo Werner and Dani Olmo will provide too much firepower for visitors 1. FSV Mainz 05 – themselves climbing the table having not lost in six – to handle.
VfL Wolfsburg and FC Augsburg round out the early Saturday afternoon action. The hosts in seventh are within touching distance of a guaranteed European spot, while the visitors in 12th know any slips could see them dragged into a survival scrap.
Continental adventures are likely out of the equation for Borussia Mönchengladbach for the time being, especially as Daniel Farke’s charges have won just one of 12 away matches all season. The Foals get the ball rolling on Sunday at Rhine rivals 1. FC Köln, who are eager for the derby spoils to also avoid being sucked into another relegation dogfight.
The Matchday 26 curtain is brought down by SV Werder Bremen and TSG 1899 Hoffenheim. Bremen boast 15-goal Bundesliga top scorer Niclas Füllkrug in their ranks – the 30-year-old was also on target for Germany in the international break – so Hoffenheim will have to be on their guard if they are to build on their much-needed Matchday 25 triumph over Hertha and gain momentum in their own struggle for survival.
Teams are lining up in Bundesliga 2 to replace them as well. Hamburger SV are winless in their last two and have slipped outside the automatic promotion spots. They host Fortuna Düsseldorf immediately below them in fourth on Friday night, looking to ensure their seven-point buffer doesn’t shrink further.
City rivals FC St. Pauli are on a record eight-game winning run and have motored up the table ahead taking on SSV Jahn Regensburg. Leaders SV Darmstadt 98 are also in action on Friday away at 1. FC Nürnberg, while 1. FC Heidenheim 1846 – now second and targeting a first top-flight promotion – go to 1. FC Kaiserslautern on Saturday evening.