The Bundesliga returns with full force with the first Der Klassiker of the season, as Bayern Munich aim to extend their unbelievable winning streak by beating Borussia Dortmund for the first time since 2023.
Vincent Kompany has put all his doubters to rest, as his Bayern Munich recorded their best start in the last 60 years by winning the first 10 games of the season in all competitions. The Bavarians have been breaking records week in and week out, and show no signs of stopping, as they scored 3+ goals in their last nine matches in a row.
Borussia Dortmund are the only other unbeaten Bundesliga side and while their overall performance is impressive, it can’t compare with Bayern’s results. Niko Kovac’s men hit the highlights multiple times this season with results like 4-4 with Juventus and 4-1 over Athletic Bilbao in the Champions League, so we shouldn’t rule them out at all.
How the bookies view it: Bayern's streak will continue
Bayern Munich have always been favourites at home against Borussia Dortmund but the gap in the odds has rarely been this significant. You can currently back the Bavarians at 7/20, while Borussia are available at 13/2. The draw is also high-priced at 9/2.
Recent head-to-head: Dortmund are unbeaten in the last three
On Saturday, we will witness the 138th edition of Der Klassiker, making it the most played match in Bundesliga history. And while Bayern failed to win any of the last three H2Hs, they lost only twice in the last 15 meetings. And the overall stats show 67 wins for Bayern, 33 wins for Dortmund, and 37 draws.
Players to watch: Kane loves playing Dortmund
We simply can’t neglect Harry Kane’s form and his experience against Borussia Dortmund, although the odds for him to score are never good anymore. With 11 goals in six Bundesliga rounds, the Englishman has been breaking all possible records. He only failed to score in one of Bayern Munich’s 10 matches since the start of the season.
Moreover, he has a wealth of experience against Borussia Dortmund dating back to his days in Tottenham. He’s faced BVB seven times with both Bayern and the Spurs and has scored seven goals against them.
Probable line-ups
Bayern Munich: Neuer, Laimer, Tah, Upamecano, Boey, Goretzka, Kimmich, Diaz, Gnabry, Olise, Kane
Borussia Dortmund: Kobel, Bensebaini, Schlotterbeck, Anton, Ryerson, Sabitzer, Nmecha, Svensson, Beier, Adeyemi, Silva
Anything else catch the eye?
The Bavarians are going after Borussia’s record of winning their first 11 matches of a season from 2015/16. All they need is to win to tie the record and it’s hard to expect anything else from this game. BVB have been incredible since the start of the campaign and are also unbeaten after nine matches, but we can’t argue with Bayern’s 25 goals in six Bundesliga rounds.
This Der Klassiker will be one for the books and we have to back the champions to extend their winning streak and hand Dortmund their first defeat of the season. But it will not be as one-sided as most of their matches to date, and BVB should be able to find their way to at least one goal too.
GambleAware