Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund can take a giant step towards sewing up this season’s crown if they can beat Bayern Munich in De Klassiker at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.
Niko Kovac’s titleholders drew 2-2 at Freiburg on Saturday and fell two points off the pace, but Bayern can leap back to the summit and ahead of Dortmund with a home win in Week 28.
Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund
Date: Saturday, April 6
Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
Location: Allianz Arena, Munich, Germany
TV: FOX
Live Stream: fuboTV (watch for free)
Tension is at fever pitch ahead of what has the potential to be the biggest meeting between these two teams in living memory. After six years of Bundesliga title dominance, Bayern has looked shaky at times under Kovac this season, while Dortmund continues to impress under Lucien Favre.
The Black and Yellows haven’t beaten Bayern on their own turf in league competition since April 2014 when Marco Reus and Henrikh Mkhitaryan netted their first in a convincing 3-0 victory. Reus is ready to have an impact and has scored in two of Dortmund’s last three games. Striker Paco Alcacer has rediscovered his top form, meanwhile, after netting four times in his last three league appearances.
Yet German juggernauts Bayern will still be considered the hard-to-beat favorites in a big-match occasion, and Swiss coach Favre told reporters his side need to play a perfect game to emerge intact:
“I think that if we win, nothing is decided yet. If we draw, nothing is decided. And if Bayern win, then it will still be completely open. We have to put in a top performance and do everything perfectly if we want to win. That’s clear.”
Both teams have extensive injury concerns. Leaders Dortmund will be without injured trio Christian Pulisic, Achraf Hakimi and Maximilian Philipp, while Alcacer is a doubt.
Bayern boss Kovac could welcome goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and left-back David Alaba back from injury, though Arjen Robben, Corentin Tolisso and Canadian Alphonso Davies are out injured.
The stage is set for the most highly anticipated matchup between Germany’s two biggest heavyweights for some years, where the winner promises to take all the Bundesliga marbles.
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