Bavarian Podcast Works: Preview Show — Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich (Der Klassiker)

As another eventful year in football comes to a close, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund once again gear up for a game which is undoubtedly the biggest in German football. People may not like the name “Der Klassiker” because, technically, this game isn’t a classic derby — but you can’t deny that the fixture has a compelling enough history to be its own thing at this point. There’s never been a game between Bayern and BVB that is considered low-stakes, which is good for the fans because things never get boring.

Here are our talking points ahead of the game:

• The situation with ghost games in Germany, and reports that the Klassiker may end up with limited capacity.
• Key absentees for both Bayern Munich and BVB, especially the situation with Joshua Kimmich.
• The return of Erling Haaland, and problems he could cause Bayern defense.
• Bayern’s issues with the midfield for this game, including reports that both Goretzka AND Kimmich could be out — who replaces them and what should we worry about?
• Why gegenpressing is Bayern’s kryptonite and how BVB could exploit that weakness.
• How Dortmund has fared this season, including the disappointing performances of Marco Rose (especially in Europe).
• A final scoreline prediction for the game.

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Be sure to stay tuned to Bavarian Podcast Works for all of your up to date coverage on Bayern Munich and Germany. Follow us on Twitter @BavarianFBWorks, @jeffersonfenner, @TheBarrelBlog, @tommyadams71, @bfwinnn, and more.