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What makes Bayern vs. Dortmund such a standout fixture
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- What makes Bayern vs. Dortmund such a standout fixture
What makes Bayern vs. Dortmund such a standout fixture
When the league leaders welcome their closest rivals – who are level on points – to their own turf on Saturday ( 18:30 CET ), it's not just on paper that this will be an absolute crunch match. FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund are the only teams still unbeaten in the Bundesliga this season – and FCB are even the only side across all competitions in Europe's top 5 leagues who have yet to lose a game! Extending back to last season, BVB haven't lost in nine consecutive games since their 1–0 defeat at Borussia Mönchengladbach on 3 May (seven wins, two draws). Bayern's run stands at 22 matches (17 wins, five draws) – their 2–1 defeat to FC Augsburg in January was their only loss in their last 50 Bundesliga outings.
The Munich side go into Der Klassiker on the back of an impressive run of home form: the record champions have scored 18 goals in their first three matches on their home turf this season – more than any other club at this stage in Bundesliga history. Stretching back to last season, Bayern have also scored at least five goals in four consecutive Bundesliga home games for the first time. 1. FC Köln (5–1), VfB Stuttgart (5–1), Union Berlin (7–0) and, most recently, RB Leipzig (6–1) have all been swept aside by the Munich men's attacking prowess at the Allianz Arena.
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Borussia Dortmund, however, bring a truly top-class back line to Munich. With just four goals conceded, BVB boast the best defence in Europe's top 5 leagues. Only in the 1999/2000 and 2017/18 campaigns did the Black and Yellows concede even fewer goals.
Both teams with strong record in prime-time clashes
The kick-off time on Saturday evening will suit both teams: FC Bayern are unbeaten in 21 of these top Bundesliga matches played at prime time on Saturday evenings, with their last defeat coming in March 2024 against Dortmund. BVB, on the other hand, have won their last six Bundesliga encounters that kicked off at 6:30 on a Saturday evening, setting a new club record in the process. It remains to be seen which of these runs will still be intact after this weekend.
Michael Olise has been in superb form for weeks. In three of his last four Bundesliga matches, the Frenchman has scored at least one goal and provided at least one assist. With six goals and three assists, the forward has been directly involved in nine goals this season and tops the Bundesliga scorer rankings alongside teammate Harry Kane .
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The 24-year-old has also been particularly impressive at home: no other player has scored more goals in front of their own fans this Bundesliga term than Olise, who has already found the net five times at the Allianz Arena. Against Dortmund, he could now score for the first time in four consecutive Bundesliga home matches.
More facts on the crunch match against BVB
141 meetings –This will be the 141st time Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern have faced each other since the founding of the Bundesliga. No other fixture in German professional football has been contested more often.
Just one defeat in 17 encounters – FC Bayern have lost just one of their last 17 competitive matches against BVB. During this period, they've recorded 13 wins and three draws.
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21 matches unbeaten as the team being pursued – FC Bayern are unbeaten in their last 21 Bundesliga matches as league leaders against the team in second place. It's the longest run of its kind in Bundesliga history.
Five clean sheets – Dortmund kept a clean sheet in five of their first seven Bundesliga matches. In doing so, they equalled their club record set in the 2017/18 campaign and equalled in 2020/21.
550 Bundesliga appearances –Should Manuel Neuer feature against BVB, it would be his 550th Bundesliga appearance. This would make him the fifth player in the competition's history to reach this milestone. What's more, at the age of 40 years and 218 days, he would become the oldest player to turn out for FC Bayern in the Bundesliga.
Behind for just 24 minutes – BVB have been behind just once this Bundesliga season (for 24 minutes in their 3–2 win at TSG Hoffenheim on Matchday 2) – a shorter spell than any other club in Europe's top 5 leagues.
Check out your knowledge of Der Klassiker in our Matchday Quiz:
