Bayern to get a second bite at the cherry against Dortmund
BAYERN MUNICH have a second opportunity to wrap up a 27th Bundesliga title – and the first to be clinched at the Allianz Arena – in Saturday’s Der Klassiker against Borussia Dortmund.
Since the Allianz Arena opened in 2005, Bayern have been crowned German champions on eight occasions, but in a quirk of fate, none of those title parties have started with the final whistle being blown at a home game.
That would also have been true 10 days ago had Jupp Heynckes’ team equalled their own record for securing a title so early with victory at RB Leipzig, but their 2-1 defeat – coupled with wins for Schalke and Dortmund – means having to wait at least another 90 minutes.
“Obviously we want to win the title as soon as possible,” said goalkeeper Sven Ulreich. “Hopefully we can bounce back at home to Dortmund and wrap things up.”
To do that, second-placed Schalke – currently 17 points behind with seven games left – must lose at Freiburg earlier on Saturday and Bayern then need to beat Dortmund.
If Schalke lose and Bayern draw, the Royal Blues could still theoretically catch the league leaders. However, Bayern’s significantly better goal difference – currently +46 to +11 – means they would be all but champions in name. A defeat for Bayern against their age-old rivals would mean the pursuit of the title goes on for another week at least.
Though Heynckes missed the opportunity to match his successor Pep Guardiola last time out, the veteran Bayern boss could this weekend equal his own record for a early Bundesliga title win – his fourth – which he set in 201213, the year the club won the treble.
Whether such a domestic triumph is an omen and will be repeated this year remains to be seen, but it will give Heynckes crucial wriggle room in terms of squad rotation with Bayern set for a punishing few weeks.
With a German Cup semifinal against Bayer Leverkusen and a Uefa Champions League quarter-final with Sevilla looming, Bayern’s squad will play every three days over the next three weeks. Make that a muscle-straining, strength-sapping five weeks if they see off Sevilla and progress to the Champions League semi-finals.
“It’s great, yes, but it’s also going to be very tough,” declared centre-back Mats Hummels, who has gotten little downtime while on international duty with Germany.
“It’ll be a real test if we stay in all competitions. Of course we’re looking forward to it – that’s what we want – but it will also be a challenge physically.”
Alongside Hummels is Thomas Muller, who acknowledged that “a change of scenery can do you good”, and sent out the ominous warning that Bayern are ready for success: “We’re still hungry.”
They will need to be against a Dortmund side unbeaten in 12 in the league under Peter Stoger, who has rejuvenated the squad and BVB’s season since replacing Peter Bosz in December.
Lying in eighth, five points off second when Stoger took charge, Dortmund have charged up the table, slotting snugly into third place, a point behind arch-rivals Schalke ahead of Der Klassiker. Stoger, who was beaten by Bayern in the German Cup in only his third match in charge, insisted his podium-pursuing players will play party poopers in Bavaria.
“We haven’t lost in 12, and we don’t want to facilitate the title party in Munich,” Stoger explained. “We absolutely don’t want to be there when Bayern celebrate the title.”
While Bayern are expected to be at full strength, Dortmund have concerns over Shinji Kagawa and Marco Reus. Kagawa has sat out the last five matches with an ankle injury, while Reus’ adductor problem meant he missed the 1-0 win at home to Hannover.
“I wouldn’t bet on it,” replied a poker-faced Stoger, who could also be missing Omer Toprak (thigh), when asked about the pair featuring this weekend. Reus’ absence, in particular, will be felt, with the German international blowing hot and cold recently.
Since returning from a longterm knee injury, Reus had been in stunning form, but the hectic playing schedule has taken its toll recently.