Bayern Munich-Borussia Dortmund is a match in the 26th day of the Bundesliga and is played on Saturday at 18:30: TV, formations, predictions.
Borussia Dortmund 53 points, Bayern Munich 52. Yes, you read that right: no mistakes. With nine days to go in the 2022-23 Bundesliga, Edin Terzic’s yellow-and-whites are at the top of the table. A rarity, given that in recent seasons at this point in the tournament the Bavarians had already mortgaged the title.
This year the script is different. The fight for the Schale, at least for now, appears more alive than ever. There is no doubt who is the stronger of the two teams, but the defending champions’ missteps have been many. Despite scoring a barrage of goals – Bayern have scored seventeen more than their rivals – Muller and his team-mates have not only won 15 matches, but also collected seven draws and three defeats. An unusual balance for a battleship accustomed to leaving no crumbs on the road. The management realised that something was wrong: the 2-1 comeback defeat against Bayer Leverkusen sounded the alarm bell and Julian Nagelsmann was relieved of his duties during the national team break. A dismissal that left everyone, really everyone, stunned. Who could have predicted that the club would end the relationship with the young coach a few months before the end of the season, especially after qualifying for the Champions League quarter-finals by beating Psg in both the first leg and the return leg?
Tuchel immediately up against his past
Some say Nagelsmann had broken with part of the dressing room, but that is just a rumour. The fact of the matter is that Thomas Tuchel is now on the Bavarian bench, having just got back on track after being fired last September by Chelsea.
Bellingham
Curiously enough, the new coach will make his debut against his old team, Borussia Dortmund, in the most important – and potentially most decisive – Klassiker of recent years. Tuchel will therefore find himself on the other side of the fence, having to lead the club he tried to chase in vain in the Bundesliga from 2015 to 2017. It’s a complicated debut, bearing in mind that the Gialloneri have never lost in 2023 in the league and are without a shadow of a doubt the most in-form and continuous formation in the tournament. The feeling is that this could really be the year to break the Bavarian dictatorship, but the direct clash will be crucial in this respect. It would already be a great thing to avoid defeat and keep the point lead over Bayern. In Bavaria, Dortmund have only managed nine victories and have not won at the Allianz Stadium since 2014. Terzic should recover Moukoko and Brandt, but Adeyemi remains unavailable. On the other side, Tuchel could adopt the three-man defence, formed by Pavard, Upamecano and de Ligt, while in attack Muller and Sané will support Choupo-Moting, a striker the former Chelsea coach had at both Mainz and Psg. Musiala in doubt
The Prediction
A decidedly more uncertain Klassiker than the last ones, which can be worth the title. As for Bayern Munich, there is the unknown factor of Tuchel, who has just arrived and is immediately called upon to face a crucial game. The Bavarians, however, hardly make mistakes in the decisive moments and that is why they remain favourites for victory. However, it will be a spectacular match at the Allianz Arena, which will guarantee at least three goals in total.
Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund likely line-ups
- BAYERN MONACO (3-4-2-1): Sommer; Pavard, Upamecano, de Ligt; Coman, Kimmich, Goretzka, Davies; Sané, Müller; Choupo-Moting.
- BORUSSIA DORTMUND (4-3-3): Kobel; Wolf, Süle, Schlotterbeck, Ryerson; Bellingham, Emre Can, Guerreiro; Malen, Haller, Reus.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 3-2
