Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund
It’s always a big deal whenever Bundesliga Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund is next on the fixture list. But this upcoming edition of Der Klassiker will have even more significance than usual.
That’s because Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich know that the Bundesliga title will essentially be on the line when they square off at the Allianz Arena on Saturday.
Dortmund have a two-point lead atop the table over Bayern heading into the match after Bayern’s recent slip-up. A win for them would give them some much-needed breathing room for the stretch run. But a win for Bayern would put them right back in the driver’s seat for a seventh successive Bundesliga crown.
SBOBET Bundesliga 2019 fans should be all over this match, and with good reason. It’s by far the biggest match in Germany — and might just be the biggest in all of Europe’s top five leagues this season, too.
Talking Points
Bayern’s home-field/experience advantage
Bayern Munich ceded top spot back to Dortmund last weekend as they stumbled to a 1-1 draw away at Freiburg. Robert Lewandowski had a golden opportunity to grab all three points in the final minutes, but he was unable to convert his header.
Bayern’s slip-up was a bit surprising given how dominant they’d been heading into the match. In their previous three outings, they hammered Borussia Monchengladbach, Wolfsburg, and Mainz by a combined score of 17-1.
Overall, they had won 13 of their last 14 Bundesliga assignments prior to the Freiburg draw, scoring three or more goals in 11 of those matches.
But being back at home for Der Klassiker should be a major boost for Bayern. They’ve won their last seven matches at the Allianz Arena, conceding just two goals during that span.
Manuel Neuer and David Alaba both missed Bayern’s 5-4 win over Heidenheim in the DFB-Pokal in midweek due to injury. But it wouldn’t be surprising to see them make their way back to the side for this huge match against Dortmund.
With the likes of Neuer, Alaba, Thomas Muller, Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng, and Lewandowski, Bayern obviously have the significant experience advantage over the young Dortmund side. And the atmosphere around the Allianz Arena should only add to the pressure on Dortmund in Der Klassiker.
Dortmund’s injury issues
Dortmund may be top of the table heading into Der Klassiker, but they have been far from convincing in their recent outings. They’ve needed some very late goals — in the 84th minute or later — in each of their last three games to secure hard-fought wins.
Paco Alcacer scored three of those late goals, including two in injury time in their 2-0 win over Wolfsburg. However, the big Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund news is that the Spanish striker is a doubt to play in Der Klassiker due to an arm injury, which would be a massive blow to Dortmund.
Moreover, Dortmund manager Lucien Favre also has to deal with injuries to two key defenders: left-back Achraf Hakimi and centre-back Abdou Diallo. Right-back Lukasz Piszczek has already been out since February, which means Dortmund could be without three of their top four defenders against Bayern.
On the bright side, Dortmund will have Marco Reus back in the side after he missed the Wolfsburg match due to the birth of his child. Reus scored twice in Dortmund’s big 3-2 home win over Bayern in the first Der Klassiker of the season. He also scored a dramatic injury-time winner against Hertha Berlin prior to his absence.
But with Christian Pulisic out and possibly Alcacer too, Dortmund could find themselves short of firepower off the bench.
Dortmund’s makeshift defence will be the key in Der Klassiker, though. With Bayern back to banging goals in for fun at home, Dortmund will need a heroic effort from their defenders to keep the home side at bay.
History
Dortmund’s win against Bayern earlier this season snapped the Bavarians’ streak of three straight Der Klassiker Bundesliga wins. And over the last 13 Bundesliga meetings, Bayern have had the upper hand with seven wins. Dortmund have won just three times, with three draws.
Matches at the Allianz Arena have been similarly one-sided. In their last 14 visits to Munich in the Bundesliga, Dortmund have come away with all three points just three times. Bayern have won nine times, with two draws.
Betting Tip
Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund | Bayern Munich Asian Handicap -1.5 @ 2.31 | |
April 7, 00:30 (GMT+8) |
Dortmund have had a great season, and the fact that they find themselves in this position is a tremendous accomplishment. However, the signs are seemingly pointing against them in Der Klassiker.
The bad condition of their defence is obviously not great, especially against a Bayern side that’s rediscovered its scoring touch at home in recent weeks. It’s just hard to see Dortmund preventing Bayern’s attack from finding the back of the net given all their injury problems.
Bayern’s experienced campaigners won’t be fazed by the situation of Der Klassiker with the title at stake; they’re more likely to rise up to it and put on an outstanding performance in front of their home fans.
So as far as Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund betting odds go, take Bayern to cover the 1.5-goal spread on the Asian handicap market.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR () BETS ARE WORTH: | |||
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= €20 (Highly confident) | = €10 (CONFIDENT) | = €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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