Bayern vs Dortmund… A Fiery “Der Klassiker” in the Bundesliga

Bayern Munich will host their fierce rivals Borussia Dortmund this Saturday in the highly anticipated “Der Klassiker” of the German Bundesliga, with both teams dealing with injuries and underwhelming performances in the Champions League.

The two sides clash at the Allianz Arena in Matchday 29, following disappointing defeats in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals — Bayern fell 2-1 at home to Inter Milan, while Dortmund suffered a heavy 4-0 loss against Barcelona.

The Bavarian giants are aiming to bounce back quickly and maintain their title chase, while Dortmund are hoping for a solid result to ease the pain of their European setback and boost their hopes of qualifying for next season’s Champions League.

Bayern currently sit top of the Bundesliga with 68 points, six ahead of second-placed Bayer Leverkusen, with six rounds remaining. Dortmund, meanwhile, are in 8th place with 41 points — just five shy of the top four.

Bayern have racked up 21 wins, 5 draws, and only 2 losses, scoring 81 goals and conceding 27. Dortmund have recorded 12 wins, 5 draws, and 11 losses, with 52 goals scored and 43 conceded.

Since the end of the international break last month, Bayern have picked up back-to-back wins against St. Pauli and Augsburg, and have now won 11 of their last 12 home matches.

Dortmund, for their part, are also coming off two straight Bundesliga wins — beating Mainz 3-1 at home and Freiburg 4-1 away — and will be looking to pull off a statement win in Munich. The first leg between these two sides ended in a 1-1 draw.

In Bundesliga history, the two teams have met 111 times, with Bayern winning 54, Dortmund 26, and 31 matches ending in draws. Across all competitions, they’ve met 136 times, with Bayern leading the way with 67 wins to Dortmund’s 33, and 36 draws.

In those Bundesliga meetings, Bayern have scored 224 goals to Dortmund’s 126. Across all competitions, the tally stands at 266 for Bayern and 169 for Dortmund.

Bayern coach Vincent Kompany is dealing with a growing injury list, missing the likes of Alphonso Davies, Jamal Musiala, Dayot Upamecano, and Manuel Neuer.

The Bavarians will be banking on the prolific Harry Kane, who leads the scoring charts with 23 goals. Fellow Englishman Eric Dier could also feature in defense alongside Min-jae Kim.

As for Dortmund, they’ll be without Marcel Sabitzer and Nico Schlotterbeck due to injury, which could open the door for Niklas Süle to return to the starting lineup for the first time since mid-February.

Dortmund’s main attacking threat remains Guinean striker Serhou Guirassy, who has netted 15 league goals this season.

Meanwhile, Leverkusen will be closely watching “Der Klassiker,” hoping for a Bayern slip-up to revive their own title hopes. If Bayern drop points, Leverkusen could close the gap and dream of snatching the Bundesliga shield away from the Allianz Arena and taking it to the BayArena.

Leverkusen face 13th-placed Union Berlin on Saturday afternoon, aiming for their fourth consecutive Bundesliga win after recent eliminations from both the German Cup and the Champions League.

Leverkusen have recently beaten Stuttgart 4-3, Bochum 3-1, and Heidenheim 1-0 in their last three league games.

Eintracht Frankfurt, currently third with 48 points, will host 16th-placed Heidenheim on Sunday. Heidenheim are in real danger, and another loss could plunge them deeper into the relegation zone.

Frankfurt will be looking to bounce back after a 2-0 loss to Werder Bremen last weekend. Heidenheim, however, have shown some resilience lately — with two wins, two losses, and two draws in their last six league outings.

Matchday 29 kicks off Friday with 5th-placed RB Leipzig (45 points) taking on 12th-placed Wolfsburg (38 points).

Leipzig have won two of their last three league games but exited the German Cup earlier this month with a 3-1 loss to Stuttgart. Wolfsburg, on the other hand, are still chasing their first win since early last month, having suffered three losses and one draw in their last four games.

Saturday also sees 4th-placed surprise package Mainz (46 points) visiting 14th-placed Hoffenheim (27 points). Mainz have dropped points recently, with two draws and a loss in their last three, while Hoffenheim have gone winless in their last four — two draws and two defeats.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Borussia Mönchengladbach (6th, 44 pts) host Freiburg (7th, 42 pts), bottom-placed Bochum (18 pts) take on Augsburg (11th, 39 pts), and second-bottom Holstein Kiel (18 pts) face 15th-placed St. Pauli (26 pts).

The round wraps up Sunday with Stuttgart (9th, 40 pts) playing host to Werder Bremen (10th, 39 pts) in what promises to be a tight mid-table clash.