Thomas Müller vs. Marco Reus: Messrs Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund compared
Thomas Müller at Bayern Munich, Marco Reus at Borussia Dortmund - some players just belong. The German duo live and breathe their respective clubs, but how do they compare ahead of Der Klassiker? bundesliga.com finds out...
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Bayern to the bone, Müller has made more Bundesliga appearances for the record champions than any outfield player in the club's decorated history. The Matchday 26 visit of Dortmund will mark his 434th outing in the top flight, and 655th in Bayern colours. He's produced 232 goals and 255 assists to date, whilst collecting some 32 titles - an outright record among German footballers past or present. Make no mistake, the man nicknamed 'Radio Müller' deserves his airtime.
Watch: Thomas Müller - a man made for Der Klassiker
Since debuting in the German top tier in August 2008, Müller has lifted a record 11 Bundesliga titles. He has played in more wins than any outfield player (311), whilst scoring at least once in 14 different seasons. It's a goal-scoring streak matched at Bayern by three men: Gerd Müller, Mehmet Scholl and former teammate Robert Lewandowski.
Indeed, namesake Müller and Lewandowski are the only Bayern players to have outscored the Bavarian native in the Bundesliga, but no one has more goal contributions since data collection began (1992). The defending champions' present-day No.25 has registered 141 goals and 164 assists in 433 matches to date - that's a direct hand in a goal every 1.43 games.
Even into his 30s, Müller has finished the last three seasons as the Bundesliga's top provider, and is Bayern's biggest goal threat nine matches into 2023. Six of his 11 goal involvements have fallen since the turn of the year - a team-leading two of his own, plus four assists.
Watch: Der Klassiker - time to get real
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The history books suggest Müller will make a telling contribution when Bayern attempt to overturn a one-point deficit on Bundesliga leaders Dortmund in Der Klassiker. The 33-year-old Germany international has played in 24 Bundesliga Klassikers - more than any outfield player for one club - winning a club record 14 of them (D3, L7). He's contributed 15 goals, including his maiden Bundesliga strikes in a 5-1 win at the Signal Iduna Park on 12 September 2009, aged 19.
It was the first of 10 Klassikers involving a Müller goal, assist or both - only one of which has not resulted in maximum points (1-1, 2012/13). Needless to say, few players have a better appreciation of the need - or Bayern's ability - to turn in a stellar performance in Der Klassiker.
"It's always special playing Dortmund - they've been our biggest rivals for years," the self-styled 'Raumdeuter' (space interpreter) told bundesliga.com a couple of seasons ago. "Fortunately, we've pretty much always been able to turn it on against them."
As much as he'd like to, Reus cannot say the same about Dortmund. BVB have faced Bayern 21 times in the Bundesliga since he rejoined his boyhood club from Borussia Mönchengladbach in summer 2012, losing 14. He was in the side for 15 of them, producing three goals and two assists in their only two wins - 3-0 in Munich (2013/14) and 3-2 in Dortmund (2018/19), incidentally their last victory in Der Klassiker.
Despite the unfavourable bigger picture - Dortmund are currently winless in their eight against Bayern - 'Rolls Reus' is cruising in the fast lane behind only club legends Lothar Emmerich (eight) and Manfred Burgsmüller (seven) for most goal involvements in the fixture by a Dortmund player. And the form books indicate he might just overtake them when Die Schwarz-Gelben travel to the Allianz Arena on 1 April.
Although injuries have restricted Reus to 16 Bundesliga appearances so far in 2022/23, he is Dortmund's second best for goals (six) and assists (four). The 33-year-old has scored the opener on three occasions, each time paving the way for victory. Like Müller, he's also setting the pre-Klassiker bar as BVB's biggest attacking threat after seven Rückrunde matches (four goals, two assists), and is in the best of company historically.
With 114 Bundesliga goals across 11 seasons in a Dortmund jersey, Reus could yet end his career among the club's top three all-time scorers in the division. Ahead of the 108th Klassiker of the Bundesliga era, only Emmerich (115), Michael Zorc (131) and Burgsmüller (135) have outscored the one player every BVB diehard wants to see lift the Meisterschale more than any other, before he eventually hangs up his boots.
Watch: All Marco Reus's 150 Bundesliga goals for Dortmund and Gladbach
"Marco knows how highly I regard him," said head coach and dyed-in-the-wool Dortmund fan Edin Terzic, after Reus put away his 150th Bundesliga goal in the 6-1 shellacking of Cologne that sent the five-time Bundesliga champions top of the table on Matchday 25.
"He was unbelievable in all areas. He was a constant threat in front of goal and very diligent and disciplined defensively. Hopefully he can maintain that form after the international break and climb even further up the club scoring charts. We've got a huge game on the horizon."
Read more of our Klassiker comparisons here:
- Coaches: Thomas Tuchel vs. Edin Terzic
- Goalkeepers: Yann Sommer vs. Gregor Kobel
- Centre-backs: Matthijs de Ligt vs. Nico Schlotterbeck
- Midfielders: Joshua Kimmich vs. Jude Bellingham
- Strikers: Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting vs. Sebastien Haller
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