Why Bayern Munich will beat Borussia Dortmund in Der Klassiker
Bayern Munich can lay down an early marker in the Bundesliga title race when they face Borussia Dortmund in an eagerly anticipated Klassiker on Saturday evening. Here are five reasons why they will prevail at the Allianz Arena…
1) Golden Kane…
Bayern fans have long known just how special Harry Kane is. Now the whole world knows, too, after he was crowned the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner in London on Monday.
He received the award after a stunning 2025/26 campaign in which he scored 73 goals in 65 games for club and country, won three trophies with Bayern, and reached the UEFA Champions League and FIFA World Cup semi-finals.
This term, he has picked up where he left off, scoring 10 goals in 12 outings in all competitions for Bayern, and six in four for England. This is a player at the very peak of his extraordinary powers and, with a career record of 10 goals in 11 games against Dortmund, you would not bet against him creating more BVB nightmares.
2) … and friends
You don’t score a record 122 goals in a single Bundesliga season, as Bayern did last term, and a league-high 25 after seven games this campaign, without a plethora of attacking talent. While Kane is the star of the show, Michael Olise is far more than just a sidekick, as illustrated by his nine goal contributions (six goals and three assists) this term, more than any other player.
He finished ninth in the Ballon d’Or rankings and was one of four Bayern players inside the world’s top 30 alongside Kane, Luis Díaz and Dayot Upamecano. Díaz will miss this encounter with injury, but his likely replacement, Serge Gnabry, is fresh off scoring his 100th Bundesliga goal last weekend and brings years of experience.
Ismael Saibari and Lennart Karl, meanwhile, have already displayed their ability, while the likes of Tom Bischof have stepped up in the absence of Joshua Kimmich and others. Real quality runs through the squad, and they can hurt Dortmund from numerous angles.
3) Recent upper hand
There is no other way to put it – Bayern have had Dortmund’s number over the past few years. The Black-Yellows have won just three of the past 23 meetings between the two teams in all competitions, while Dortmund have triumphed just once at the Allianz in the Bundesliga since 2013/14.
The Bavarians have scored at least twice in their last three games against Dortmund and won both times they met last term. Both games were close encounters, too, but Bayern showed exactly why they are top of the pile by finding a way to win.
Of course, this is a fresh season under different circumstances, but they can count on those victories to give them extra confidence and inspiration to do it again.
4) Strong home form
Any team worth their salt is strong in front of their own supporters, and Bayern are no exception. So far this term, they are unbeaten at the Allianz Arena, scoring a record 18 Bundesliga goals in front of their adoring public.
Their imperious home form is not a new phenomenon, either. In fact, they have lost just once on their own turf since the start of last season, a run that includes fixtures against the likes of Arsenal, Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid and Chelsea.
Remarkably, they have been beaten in Munich on only 12 occasions across all tournaments since the start of the decade. For Dortmund, that makes for ominous reading.
5) An impressive defence
While they are strong in the final third, Bayern can more than hold their own at the back, too. Dortmund are the only team to concede fewer than their six goals in the Bundesliga so far this term, after all.
Manuel Neuer is a doubt here, but Jonas Urbig is a strong replacement who has already proven his worth filling in for the legendary goalkeeper. In Upamecano, meanwhile, they have a centre-back who has developed into one of Europe's best.
To underline his importance at Bayern, they haven't lost any of their past 51 games when he has featured. Meanwhile, he has built a formidable partnership with Jonathan Tah at the heart of the defence; Bayern have not lost any of the 19 Bundesliga games in which the two have lined up together. With Konrad Laimer, Nathaniel Brown, Alphonso Davies and Josip Stanišić all reliable options on the flanks, the record German champions will be supremely difficult for Dortmund to break down.
