Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski line up on opposing sides for the first time in the Bundesliga when second-placed Borussia Dortmund welcome leaders Bayern Munich to the Signal Iduna Park.
Bayern were given a scare in their meeting with Eintracht Frankfurt, before powering over the finish line to maintain their record as the Bundesliga's only unbeaten team this calendar year courtesy of a 5-2 win. RB Leipzig were the last side to take points off the record champions, and first this season to stop Bayern from scoring when they held the record champions to a goalless draw at the start of February, but you have to go all the way back to 7 December 2019 for their last defeat - 2-1 away to Borussia Mönchengladbach.
Bayern have hit nine goals without reply across the previous two Bundesliga meetings between these sides (4-0 and 5-0), but Dortmund ran out victors the last time they met at the Signal Iduna Park in the league, winning 3-2 on Matchday 11 last season. In fact, Dortmund have lost just one of the last four (W2, D1, L1) Klassiker matches on home soil.
Dortmund also clinched the Supercup at their famous home back in August, meaning coach Lucien Favre has a 100 per cent record at home against Bayern with two wins from two.
Haaland's return of 10 goals in as many games mean the Black-Yellows are the only Bundesliga team this term with three players on double figures for goals: Haaland (10), Reus (11) and Sancho (14).
Lewandowski is the league's top scorer this term with 27 goals, scored at a rate of one every 82 minutes. Haaland, who joined in January, has bagged his 10 at a rate of one every 69.
The Poland captain is also this Bundesliga fixture's record scorer (17 goals) across spells at both clubs (16 for Bayern, one for Dortmund) and Lewandowski has notched 12 goals in his last six Klassiker outings - scoring on every occasion. He's also scored at least twice in each of the last four league games against Dortmund, a run that dates back to his hat-trick in the 6-0 demolition of his former employers on March 31, 2018.
The 125th will undoubtedly be the most anticipated match of this crowdless Bundesliga era.
No fewer than four points separate the league’s top two teams with Bayern, who are aiming for an eighth successive championship, leading the way. Hans-Dieter Flick’s men are on a five-match winning streak and unbeaten in their last 13 league games.
Given the plethora of incredible talent on both sides, this is a game that should live up to the hype. The onus, though, is on Dortmund, who know defeat could all but hand Bayern this season’s league title.
Jadon Sancho is pushing for a start having now begun on the bench in Dortmund‘s previous three league outings. Serge Gnabry is another in-form winger that is expected to start at the Westfalenstadion after playing the final 26 minutes in Bayern’s comprehensive 5-2 win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
Probable line-ups
Dortmund: Bürki - Piszczek, Hummels, Akanji - Hakimi, Can, Brandt, Guerreiro - Sancho, Haaland, Hazard
Bayern: Neuer - Pavard, Boateng, Alaba, Davies - Kimmich, Goretzka - Gnabry, Müller, Coman - Lewandowski
