It’s been a season to forget for both Bayern and Borussia Dortmund on the domestic front.
The relentless pace set by Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen juggernaut has left Thomas Tuchel’s men a remarkable 10 points adrift in second, while Die Borussen sit a further 10 points off the pace in fourth.
To compound their struggles in the league, both sides were also eliminated before the quarter-final stage in the DFB-Pokal.
With ground to be made up in the Bundesliga and crucial Champions League fixtures on the horizon, Saturday’s Der Klassiker is an intriguing one.
Not only are bragging rights on the line, the magnitude of the contest also presents the perfect opportunity for both teams to build valuable momentum heading into the business end of the campaign.
Title hopes hanging by a thread
Bayern will be keen to remain as close as possible to Leverkusen during the run-in, with Alonso’s men looking to shake off the ‘Neverkusen’ tag and finally claim their maiden top-flight title.
The Bavarians have not yet given up on a record-extending 12th successive title, however, no side has ever overturned such a deficit at this stage of the season.
Tuchel's men can ill afford another slip-up between now and the end of the season, and the former Dortmund boss will hope Harry Kane is fully fit to return after the striker missed both of England’s friendlies over the international break.
The talismanic Englishman has already found the net 31 times in 26 Bundesliga outings so far, and will surely have one eye on Robert Lewandowski’s record tally of 41.
Kane, along with the in-form Jamal Musiala, are central to the Bavarians’ hopes of winning silverware this campaign, and the duo will need to be at their very best against Dortmund to keep Bayern in contention.
Recent Bayern dominance
Since winning back-to-back titles in 2010/11 and 2011/12 under Jurgen Klopp, Dortmund have remained the only team capable of challenging Bayern at the top of the Bundesliga.
There have been several fascinating title races between the pair, most notably last season when Bayern pipped their rivals on the final day thanks to a superior goal difference.
Given the small margins that often separate the two teams, the head-to-head meetings take on added significance.
This has proven to be a major stumbling block for Dortmund, with the Bavarians winning 15 of the last 18 Der Klassikers dating back to August 2017.
Bayern have made a habit of flexing their muscles in matches between the pair, dishing out a number of heavy defeats to stamp their authority in the rivalry.
You only need to look at the reverse fixture earlier this season when Kane’s hat-trick helped Bayern to an emphatic 4-0 victory at Signal Iduna Park.
Different dynamic for Dortmund
Having registered four wins on the bounce before the international break, Dortmund will be desperate to carry that kind of form into Saturday’s match.
Bayern have looked vulnerable in recent months after shock defeats to Werder Bremen and Bochum, providing plenty of encouragement to the likes of Donyell Malen, Jadon Sancho and Marco Reus.
Furthermore, despite being embroiled in a tight race for the top four, Dortmund can approach the game on Saturday with a greater amount of freedom than usual.
So often they have been the team chasing Bayern at the top of the league, knowing a defeat in Der Klassiker could prove fatal to their hopes.
However, this time around, the roles are reversed, with the Bavarians knowing a loss would likely spell the end of their pursuit of league-leaders Leverkusen.
Can Edin Terzic’s side turn the tables and put the final nail in Bayern’s title challenge? It would certainly be a moment to cherish for all those connected to BVB.
