Bayern Munich host rivals Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga at the Allianz Arena on Saturday evening in one of the weekend’s most exciting fixtures.
Bayern won 3-0 at Eintracht Frankfurt in their last league fixture, extending their flawless start to the campaign.
Dortmund, on the other hand, were held to a 1-1 draw at home by RB Leipzig, ending their four-match winning streak in the top-flight.
Match preview
Bayern have won all 10 matches across all competitions this season and are aiming for the German record of 11 consecutive victories at the start of a season — a milestone set by Dortmund.
Vincent Kompany’s side are looking very strong to defend their title. They have scored the most goals (25) and conceded the fewest times (three) in the division.
Striker Harry Kane, who was on target for England in their victory over Latvia, Michael Olise, and summer signing Luis Diaz have been Bayern’s standout players so far.
Meanwhile, Dortmund are also unbeaten across all competitions this term.
Niko Kovac’s side boast the joint-third best attack in the Bundesliga, scoring 12 goals and second-best defence, conceding just four times.
Nico Schlotterbeck, Ramy Bensebaini and Waldermor Anton are Dortmund’s best players so far, forming a solid three-man defence.
Dortmund are expected to continue with their 3-4-2-1 formation, while Bayern are likely to stick to their 4-2-3-1 set-up.
Head-to-head
Saturday’s showdown will mark the 138th meeting between Bayern and Dortmund, making it the most-played fixture in Bundesliga history.
Bayern have won 67 times, while Dortmund have 33 victories, with the rest ending in draws. However, the Bavarians have failed to win any of their last three games against Dortmund across all competitions.
Team news
Kovac has confirmed that Schlotterbeck has a ‘slight cold‘ but is optimistic that he will recover in time for the fixture.
However, Dortmund will be without Aaron Anselmino, Emre Can, Julien Duranville and Cole Campbell.
Bayern will miss the services of long-term absentees Jamal Musiala and Alphonso Davies, as well as goalkeeper Jonas Urbig. Raphael Guerreiro is also a doubt.
Key players
Bayern Munich
Harry Kane: Kane is the most in-form player in Bundesliga, winning September’s Player of the Month. He has seven goals in eight games against Dortmund.
Luis Diaz: The Colombian has had a blistering start to life at Bayern, registering six goals and four assists in 10 games.
Borussia Dortmund
Nico Schlotterbeck: The Germany international is one of the leading centre-backs in the Bundesliga and his imperious form has been pivotal for Dortmund.
Serhou Guirassy: The Guinean has four goals in five league games and will be aiming to score his first goal against Bayern since the 2022/23 season.
Stats from fcbayern.com
