Despite Bayern Munich’s recent Bundesliga dominance and last year’s disastrous campaign for Borussia Dortmund,die Schwarzgelben (literally black-yellows) have only been beaten once by the Bavarians in the last seven league meetings.
Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund 2015 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Der Klassiker is back, and it matters again.
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Germany’s biggest rivalry, der Klassiker, will be played on Sunday for the first time since Thomas Tuchel took over for Jürgen Klopp this summer. Two familiar teams with a few new faces make this one a must watch. Bayern lead the league, having made a perfect start and winning all seven matches so far. Dortmund are four points behind, matching their foes through five games, but drawing their last two.
Julian Weigl was a transfer that went under the radar, as the 20-year-old defensive midfielder swapped Munich - 1860 Munich, that is - for Dortmund this summer. Costing just €2.5 million, he’s started every Bundesliga match so far, and appears to be just the man Tuchel needed to be the linchpin of his 4-1-4-1 formation.
Pep Guardiola finally has a healthy winger in Douglas Costa. The Brazilian, formerly of Shakhtar Donetsk, already has five assists. Arturo Vidal joined from Juventus to replace Bastian Schweinsteiger in the middle of midfield.
In the middle of the park is where the main battle will take place. Pep’s been known to play a suicidally-high backline, and Dortmund have the pace to expose it, but only if they can bypass that midfield. It’s easier said than done, especially with players like David Alaba and Philipp Lahm pushing forward to make it a crowded area. That means İlkay Gündoğan and Julian Weigl will have their work cut out for them, and will need help from wingers Marco Reus and Henrikh Mkhitaryan to tuck in and provide an outlet in efforts to relieve the pressure.
Not too much else has changed. Robert Lewandowski and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are still banging in goals left and right, with 10 and 9 respectively. Thomas Müller isn’t far behind with six. Bayern’s defence is still stingy, allowing just three goals so far, even though Pep maintains his disdain for traditional central defenders.
Leading up to this match, Bayern smashed Dinamo Zagareb 5-0 in the Champions League before heading to Oktoberfest. Will they show signs of a hangover Sunday against BVB? It seems unlikely.
Bayern Munich injuries and suspensions
Out: Arjen Robben (abductor), Franck Ribery (ankle). In doubt: Holger Badstuber (thigh), Arturo Vidal (knee). Mehdi Benatia (thigh).
Borussia Dortmund injuries and suspensions
Out: Erik Durm (knee). In Doubt: Nuri Sahin (tendon).
For the first time in over a year, Dortmund are virtually full strength at the back.This has been a big reason for their early league success, especially compared to last season, but the 2-2 draw against Darmstadt showed they can still be exposed. Bayern will be hoping Vidal is fit, or else Guardiola may need to alter his formation. He missed the most recent match.
Projected lineups
Bayern Munich: Manuel Neuer, Philipp Lahm, Jérôme Boateng, Javi Martinez, David Alaba, Xabi Alonso, Mario Götze, Thiago Alcântara, Thomas Müller, Douglas Costa, Robert Lewandowski.
Borussia Dortmund: Roman Bürki, Łukasz Piszczek, Mats Hummels, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, Marcel Schmelzer, Julian Weigl, İlkay Gündoğan, Marco Reus, Shinji Kagawa, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Match Date/Time: 11:30 a.m. ET, 5:30 p.m. local
Venue: Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany
TV: Fox Sports 2 (U.S.), BT Sport Europe (U.K.), Sportsnet World (Canada), Sky Bundesliga 1 (Germany)
Online: Fox Sports Go, Fox Soccer 2 Go (U.S.), BT Sport (U.K.), Sportsnet World Now (Canada), Sky Go Deutschland (Germany)
Listings via Live Soccer TV.
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