Der Klassiker arrives with the table finally in balance
Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund meet on Saturday with the Bundesliga’s top two level on points after seven matchdays. That makes this season’s first Der Klassiker a sharper test than last year’s: the teams are separated only by goal difference, and Dortmund’s defense has conceded just four times, fewer than any other side. The contrast with 2025/26 is striking. Before the first Klassiker, played on Matchday 7, Bayern already led Dortmund by four points. Bayern’s 2-1 victory stretched that advantage to seven; by the end of the season, they were 16 points ahead of their nearest challengers. This time, the standings offer no such cushion. The gap could open quickly, but the numbers so far point to a genuinely close contest.Dortmund’s defensive spine
Under Niko Kovač, Dortmund have found a clearer shape at the back. Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel has become one of the squad’s senior figures, setting the tone through both his performances and his presence. His numbers make the point plainly: five clean sheets, the league’s best total, after leading the Bundesliga with 15 last season. He’s also saving 82 percent of the shots he faces. Yet Bayern are a personal hurdle. Kobel has played them 10 times in the Bundesliga and has never won.
Gregor Kobel leads the way with five Bundesliga clean sheets this season. - Bundesliga/Getty Images/Christian Kaspar-Bartke
Ahead of Kobel, Nico Schlotterbeck has become a dependable presence in defense and an increasingly important voice in the dressing room. A serious injury disrupted his FIFA World Cup campaign with Germany, but he has since taken on the captain’s armband when Emre Can is absent. His role on the pitch reflects the style Kovač wants Dortmund to play. The obvious read is that Bayern face a more competitive Dortmund than they did a year ago. The harder question is whether this defensive record can hold against Bayern’s attack. The statistics establish Dortmund’s resilience; they don’t yet tell us how it will look under the pressure of this fixture.Dortmund’s delivery problem
Julian Ryerson is putting the ball into the box. Dortmund need more players ready to meet it. He has sent in a league-high 34 crosses, but after recording 15 Bundesliga assists last season—second only to Bayern’s Michael Olise—he is still waiting for his first assist this campaign.
That shortage of targets matters because Dortmund haven’t scored freely. Serhou Guirassy has four goals in three UEFA Champions League matches, but only two in the Bundesliga. He remains the team’s central attacking figure, yet the league numbers leave Ryerson’s deliveries without a reliable finisher at times. Maximilian Beier and Felix Nmecha are joint-top scorers alongside him, with BVB’s total of 12 goals placing ninth in the division.
The defensive picture is stronger. One centre-back missed the opening two games while completing his recovery, but has since won 67 percent of his duels, a team high, and built a solid partnership with Waldemar Anton. That platform will be tested: Bayern have scored 25 league goals, and their defence has conceded only six, joint second-best in the Bundesliga. Dortmund’s limited scoring puts extra weight on their back line.
Harry Kane, the newly crowned Ballon d’Or winner, has scored four league goals and sits sixth in the scoring chart. “Only” four is a revealing measure of the standard he has set. Bayern’s leading scorer is Olise, with six goals and three assists in the 2026/27 Bundesliga season, plus two goals and one assist in the Champions League; he also has his first top-10 Ballon d’Or finish. Bayern’s 18 home league goals at this stage of a campaign are a record.
Here’s the thing: Bayern’s threat isn’t limited to its headline attackers. Serge Gnabry has supplied when called on, scoring his 100th Bayern goal in last week’s win over Freiburg. That depth helps Bayern compete on three fronts, though injuries are testing it. Joshua Kimmich, Aleksandar Pavlović and Manuel Neuer are doubts, while Luis Díaz is ruled out. Jamal Musiala is working to be fit for the Allianz Arena, with a return expected soon.
There’s a further complication on the touchline. Head coach Vincent Kompany is continuing his recovery from health problems and won’t be present, leaving assistant Aaron Danks to make the key decisions.