Lothar Matthäus on Der Klassiker, Borussia Dortmund’s transformation and ‘energetic’ Vincent Kompany
Eight points could become five when leaders Bayern Munich travel to Borussia Dortmund for the 114th edition of Der Klassiker on Matchday 24. Ahead of the game, Germany legend Lothar Matthäus gave his thoughts on Saturday’s mouth-watering clash and Vincent Kompany’s man-management skills among a number of topics.
With all eyes descending on Signal Iduna Park, Saturday’s Klassiker promises to be an exciting one. “It’s magical,” Matthäus told bundesliga.com. “Because the two best German teams of the last two decades are playing each other.
“Great players, great coaches, a long tradition and a big rivalry.”
Watch: Klassiker preview - who will have the edge when the title rivals meet?
Famed for its boisterous atmosphere, Dortmund’s spine-tingling Yellow Wall will spur Kovač’s charges on.
“Bayern might even be a bit jealous when you see a stand with 26,000 fans that you have to play towards or defend against,” added Matthäus. “And I do think it gives the players extra motivation because you know all of German football, and the whole football world, is watching.”
Watch: Inside the Yellow Wall
Boasting the best defence and attack - having conceded 21 goals and plundered 85 strikes - Matthäus believes Bayern are favourites because “they simply have the best individual players,” but their former star spoke positively of Dortmund, believing the Black-Yellows are on an upward trajectory under Kovač.
“They have a coach who has put the team back on the right track, similar to Kompany at Bayern. Within 12 months, he has positioned Dortmund from mid-table to Bayern’s number one challenger,” he added.
“I do believe that Niko, with his coaching team and certain changes at Dortmund, has contributed to the team being stable again,” continued Matthäus, who discussed improvements within Dortmund since the tactician's arrival.
“There's a cohesion in the team that's important, which perhaps wasn’t necessarily there before, because he also probably talks to every player, makes it clear that due to certain situations, he might be more important in one game than another. He gives the players the feeling that everyone is important for the whole.”
Watch: How to beat Bayern Munich
In the opposite dugout, Kompany is making waves, developing Bayern into “one of the three best teams in Europe".
“His modesty is what stands out - the ways he deals with his players,” said Matthäus. “Everything is very professional and, in the end, good for the atmosphere in the team.
“Outwardly, he protects his players. Internally, I would say, he would certainly not be loud, but energetic. So it’s certainly not just cuddling in the dressing room - there are also open discussions, perhaps emotional or loud ones but that all stays in the dressing room and I believe that is a huge advantage.”
Spearheading Bayern’s attack with 28 goals, Harry Kane is seemingky scoring at will. Michael Olise is chasing down Thomas Müller’s assist record while Bayern are looking to smash the highest points tally in Bundesliga history, when Jupp Heynckes’ side amassed 91 points in 2012/13.
“They’ve become confident in their actions and the coordination is there,” said Matthäus. “And what I like most is that I have the feeling that the team has an incredible amount of fun playing football with one another on the pitch.
“But they don’t just play with each other, they also fight for each other, and that's what makes Bayern particularly strong this season.
Watch: How do Kane and Lewandowski compare after 23 games?
Searching for their first win over Bayern at Signal Iduna Park since November 2018, Dortmund’s transitional game is a pillar to success.
“You have to be hard in the tackles and repeatedly try, whenever you come out of defence, to put the Bayern defence in trouble with a quick transition game, because they are offensively orientated,” analysed Matthäus.
“Guirassy is a machine up there, a goal guarantee,” the former defender added.
Watch: All of Guirassy's Bundesliga goals
“He is still one of the top strikers in the Bundesliga. He’s proven that in the last two or three weeks. He’s hitting the target again, and he’s a player who remains very important for Dortmund.”
An enticing clash between Germany’s two leading clubs, Saturday’s edition of Der Klassiker takes centre stage on the footballing calendar.
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