2 weeks ago
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Derek RaeOct 17, 2025, 04:15 AM ET
MUNICH -- Modern shot hype prefers it erstwhile we spot everything successful a convenient container that doesn't ever bespeak reality. I accidental it's understandable.
Covering the German crippled arsenic a commentator, however, you rapidly defy the temptation to marque Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund what advertizing moguls mightiness person america bash with a fixture that has travel to beryllium known arsenic der Klassiker.
It doesn't lend itself to a simplistic "clash of the titans" narrative. Nuance and discourse are needed erstwhile knowing what this confrontation is.
Yes, it is the most-high illustration Bundesliga fixture that the wider satellite often associates with the league and it features 2 heavyweight clubs, so the 2 astir avidly followed successful the Bundesrepublik. The enactment -- arsenic was the lawsuit past play successful a brace of thrilling people draws -- tin beryllium highly absorbing successful beforehand of immoderate of the largest crowds successful the satellite and offers a model into who is presently the champion squad successful Germany.
However, this is not the German rivalry to extremity each rivalries on the lines of Real Madrid against Barcelona, Celtic vs. Rangers oregon Galatasaray against Fenerbahce. Nor should we unreal it is. Bayern fans simply don't obsess connected a play Schadenfreude ground implicit BVB, and the aforesaid is existent of those of a schwarzgelb persuasion with respect to the Rekordmeister.
Some would reason that calling it a rivalry is stretching it, though it is surely a Spitzenduell (a duel of apical teams).
The fixture began to summation prominence successful the 1990s with the menace to Bayern from the concern westbound nether the aegis of Ottmar Hitzfeld, who would aboriginal instrumentality his coaching talents to Munich. Back then, Bayern were not arsenic ascendant arsenic they are present and players didn't presumption Bayern-BVB arsenic a chopped supra different matches.
Arguably the top epoch for this tussle was during Jürgen Klopp's clip successful complaint of BVB. Dortmund lifting the Meisterschale successful 2011 and 2012 added spice and hostility and it acceptable the array for the all-German 2013 Champions League last astatine Wembley. This time, Bayern were victorious successful a nailbiter.
The information remains that BVB person travel up bare successful their Bundesliga rubric quest since 2012, astir painfully successful 2023, erstwhile they failed to play the sizeable cards successful their platform and talented Bayern a winning manus connected the last day.
In the past 2 seasons, der Klassiker, portion inactive the astir watched fixture successful the Oberhaus, has played 2nd fiddle connected a competitory ground to Bayern's meetings with 2024 champions Bayer Leverkusen.
This term, there's nary uncertainty the pecking bid has shifted again. Bayern, nether Vincent Kompany look to person 1 of their astir formidable formulas successful respective years. It raises the question: Can anyone get adjacent to them successful the Bundesliga?
The grounds of the archetypal six matchdays is that BVB are apt the lone squad with a accidental of preventing a Bayern runaway. They deficiency Bayern's wide prime but determination is simply a tenacity and antiaircraft resilience astir Dortmund successful their existent guise nether Niko Kovac that makes you deliberation they could, connected a precise bully day, extremity Bayern's flawless grounds successful each competitions truthful acold this season.
I find determination is simply a wide erroneous content among casual fans that Bayern astir ever bushed BVB, and surely successful Munich. In fact, Dortmund's past 2 visits person produced a 2-0 triumph and a 2-2 draw, the second good merited with the unit connected to assistance themselves up into a Champions League spot against the odds.
Bayern volition beryllium steadfast favorites connected Saturday, though. How could it ...
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