It’s a meeting of giants in the Bundesliga this weekend, as first takes on second at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern Munich, the early pacesetters, host Borussia Dortmund in what promises to be another fiery edition of Der Klassiker at 17:30 BST on Saturday evening.
Both sides remain unbeaten after six matches, but something may have to give in Munich.
Team form
Vincent Kompany’s Bayern Munich have made a blistering start to the defence of their title, winning all six of their opening Bundesliga fixtures and doing so in devastating fashion.
The German champions have scored 22 goals and conceded just three, with commanding victories over Leipzig (6-0), Hamburg (5-0), Werder Bremen (4-0) and Frankfurt (3-0) setting the tone for a fantastic run of form.
For Dortmund, it’s been a strong, if slightly less emphatic, start under Niko Kovac. BVB have won four and drawn two of their opening six league games, sitting just four points behind Bayern in second place.
Their four-game winning streak came to an end in a 1-1 draw at home to third-placed Leipzig before the international break, a result that perhaps exposed their limitations against top opposition.
Head-to-head
Recent meetings between these two powerhouses have been more competitive than in previous years.
Bayern are winless in their last three encounters with Dortmund, following back-to-back draws in last season’s Bundesliga fixtures (2-2 and 1-1) and a 2-0 defeat at the Allianz Arena in 2024.
That victory for Dortmund was their first league win in Munich since a 3-0 triumph under Jürgen Klopp in 2014, ending a nearly decade-long streak of frustration away to their rivals.
Goals are usually a guarantee, too. Each of the last five Klassikers has featured at least two goals, while the game hasn’t ended goalless in the Bundesliga since 2016 at Signal Iduna Park.
Team news
Hiroki Ito, Alphonso Davies and Jamal Musiala remain the major absentees for Bayern Munich. While Davies recently returned to training, he’s still set to be out for a number of weeks.
Ito is perhaps the closest to a return, but Dortmund will come too soon for the centre-back. Right-back Josip Stanisic also continues to recover from an injury sustained last month.
For Dortmund, Niko Kovac is without defenders Emre Can and Chelsea loanee Aaron Anselmino. The visitors were handed another potential setback during the international break when striker Serhou Guirassy withdrew from Guinea’s squad with an injury.
The forward, who has netted four goals in five Bundesliga appearances, is a significant doubt ahead of Saturday’s clash, and his absence would be a considerable blow for BVB.
Key stats
Harry Kane has 11 goals and three assists in six Bundesliga games for Bayern this season.
Bayern Munich have averaged 4.2 goals per game in the league.
Karim Adeyemi has contributed two goals and one assist in six Bundesliga appearances.
Dortmund are averaging two goals per game so far this season.
Prediction
Dortmund have made a solid start, but their draw against Leipzig arguably highlighted how difficult they find it to impose themselves against top-tier opponents.
Bayern, meanwhile, continue to look like a well-oiled machine under Kompany; ruthless in attack and disciplined in defence.
With Kane in devastating form and the home crowd behind them, the champions should have enough to extend their perfect start to seven wins from seven.
