Bundesliga heavyweights Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich will meet at Signal Iduna Park for an eagerly anticipated clash this weekend.
Both teams have started the season in fine form, and Bayern now leads Dortmund by just one point at the top of the table. This game could prove pivotal in deciding which team lifts the trophy at the end of the campaign.
Borussia Dortmund vs. Bayern Munich
Saturday, December 04, 2021 – 12:30 PM EST at Signal Iduna Park
The Title Battle
Bayern is bidding for a 10th consecutive Bundesliga title this season. Dortmund won it in 2011 and 2012 under Jurgen Klopp, but Bayern has been dominant ever since.
It is the -750 favorite with FanDuel to secure yet another triumph this season, while Dortmund is out at +600, but the teams have a similar record so far this season.
Bayern has ten wins, one draw, and two defeats from 14 games, leaving it with 31 points. Dortmund also has ten wins, but zero draws and three defeats, so it is just one point off the pace. The third-placed team, Bayer Leverkusen, is a further six points behind, so it could develop into a two-horse race.
Bayern Dominates Head-To-Heads
Bayern has won its last six games against Borussia Dortmund. Their most recent encounter was in the German Super Cup at the start of the current campaign, which resulted in a 3-1 victory for Bayern.
Last season, it beat Dortmund 3-2 on the road and 4-2 at home in the Bundesliga, along with a 3-2 Super Cup victory. It has not lost or drawn a league game against its great rival since 2018.
That is a remarkable period of dominance when you consider that they are generally the top two teams in the country.
Dortmund Boasts Strong Home Record
Dortmund has won all seven of its home games this season. In that time, it has scored 21 goals and conceded nine.
Bayern’s away record is reasonably good – four wins, one draw, and one defeat from six road trips, with 19 goals scored and eight conceded.
Yet Bayern is generally unintimidated by a trip to Signal Iduna Park. It normally boasts a boisterous atmosphere, but it could be relatively subdued this weekend.
We do not yet have official confirmation, but there is a chance that this game could be played behind closed doors, or with a significantly reduced capacity. German officials are concerned about the Omicron variant of Covid-19, and Borussia Dortmund canceled all 67,000 tickets that were to be sold for the Der Klassiker Derby against Bayern Munich.
Team News
Dortmund welcomed star striker Erling Haaland back from injury for its 3-1 win against Wolfsburg last weekend. He came off the bench to score Dortmund’s third goal in that game, and he should play from the start on Saturday.
Dortmund is missing three of its best players. Jude Bellingham and Giovanni Reyna are injured and Thorgan Hazard tested positive for Covid-19.
The only notable absences for Bayern are Joshua Kimmich (Covid-19) and Marcel Sabitzer, who has a calf injury. Corentin Tolisso can slot into the midfield alongside Leon Goretzka in their absence.
Manager Julian Nagelsmann can unleash Robert Lewandowski, Thomas Müller, Leroy Sané, Kingsley Coman, and Serge Gnabry upon Dortmund in this game. Bayern is likely to concede, as it does not keep many clean sheets these days, but that attacking quintet could ultimately fire it to victory.
Picks
Bayern has a great record against Dortmund, so Bayern to win at -120 with Caesars Sportsbook looks really appealing.
Lewandowski has fired in 20 goals in 14 Bundesliga games for Bayern against Dortmund, his former club, so +125 on Lewandowski to score the first or last goal is tempting.
Soccer Pick: Bayern to Win (-120) at Caesars Sportsbook
