Dortmund vs Bayern Munich – News and Probable Lineups

Bayern Munich has the opportunity to deal a significant blow to Borussia Dortmund’s ambitions for the title by defeating them at Signal Iduna Park this Saturday, marking the second Der Klassiker of the 2025-26 Bundesliga campaign.

Currently sitting in second place, BVB’s points tally rose to 52 after their 2-2 draw with RB Leipzig last weekend, which leaves Bayern eight points clear with only 11 matches left to play.

Match overview

While a draw against Leipzig isn’t necessarily a poor result in isolation, Niko Kovac will be worried that his team had to come back from being two goals down just to earn a point.

BVB experienced a damaging 4-1 loss to Atalanta in the Champions League on Wednesday, with the Italian team coming back from a 2-0 deficit in the first leg of their playoff to advance to the round of 16 at Dortmund’s expense.

In the last two matches, Kovac’s side has conceded more goals (six) than in their previous six games (five).

Dortmund remains undefeated in their last 16 Bundesliga matches, winning 11 of them, and they have recorded nine wins and two draws from 11 league games at home.

No team has allowed fewer goals at home in the Bundesliga this season than Dortmund (eight). Additionally, they have scored at least two goals in eight of their last nine fixtures at Signal Iduna Park.

Bayern Munich held a 3-0 lead against Eintracht Frankfurt by the 68th minute on February 21, and although they secured the three points, the Eagles scored twice in the final 13 minutes, creating a tense finish for Vincent Kompany’s squad.

The Bavarians’ victory marked their fourth consecutive win; however, they have appeared more defensively frail, conceding 10 times in their last eight league fixtures while they had allowed only 11 goals in their first 15 Bundesliga matches.

In attack, the visitors are faultless, having scored 85 goals in the league and are on course to hit 126, potentially breaking the record for the most goals in a single season (101).

Recent encounters between these teams have been fiercely contested, with both sides winning once and drawing twice in their last four meetings, though it was Kompany’s team who triumphed 2-1 in October 2025.

Should Bayern secure three points, it would mark their eighth win in nine away games and their ninth consecutive match without a loss on the road.

Team News

Dortmund has primarily relied on Emre Can and Niklas Sule in defense, but due to injuries affecting their groin and thigh respectively, Ramy Bensebaini may team up with Waldemar Anton and Nico Schlotterbeck in the back line.

Jobe Bellingham and Felix Nmecha have often been deployed together in a double pivot, and they must work hard defensively to keep Bayern’s attack at bay.

Striker Serhou Guirassy has netted six times in six matches, but with a two-match goal drought, Dortmund might need to depend on the offensive capabilities of Karim Adeyemi and Julian Brandt.

The main absentee for Bayern is left-back Alphonso Davies, who unfortunately sustained another injury during the match against Frankfurt and is expected to be out for several weeks.

Josip Stanisic may step in on the left side of the defense, while Joshua Kimmich is likely to take his place in midfield alongside Aleksandar Pavlovic.

Harry Kane will lead Bayern’s front line, supported by Michael Olise, Jamal Musiala, and Luis Diaz.

Borussia Dortmund probable starting XI:

Kobel; Anton, Schlotterbeck, Bensebaini; Couto, Bellingham, Nmecha, Svensson; Adeyemi, Brandt; Guirassy

Bayern Munich probable starting XI:

Neuer; Laimer, Upamecano, Tah, Stanisic; Kimmich, Pavlovic; Olise, Musiala, Diaz; Kane

Borussia Dortmund’s recent displays have a significant potential for enhancement, although their form at Signal Iduna Park has been exceptional.

Bayern Munich’s ability to score goals is unmatched, and while they might struggle to keep a clean sheet, they should still be capable of avoiding defeat.