All set for Bundesliga classic

THE DESTINATION of the Bundesliga title will not be decided tomorrow but the classic encounter between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund will go a long way towards settling the championship.

Dortmund arrive in Munich top of the table and seeking a first league crown since 2012. Bayern, two points behind, are chasing a seventh successive title but are being taken to the wire for the first time in years.

Despite trailing, Bayern remain “clear favourites for the title,” according to Dortmund’s sport director Michael Zorc who hailed the most intriguing Bundesliga in some time.

“It’s not just us who are quite happy the season is going how it is,” he said yesterday. “Neutral fans are also happy that we have an exciting competition again.”

Bayern started the season well under new coach Niko Kovac but a poor run of form sent them tumbling down the table. At one point Dortmund, boosted by beating Bayern 3-2 at home, were nine points clear of their rivals only to suffer their own collapse after the turn of the year.

Bayern closed in, levelled on points and took the lead in the title race on goal difference but Dortmund refused to fade away. And last week there was another thrilling twist when Bayern were held 1-1 at Freiburg and Dortmund struck twice late on to beat Wolfsburg and regain top spot.

“It’s great that we managed to end the game like that,” Dortmumd chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke said. “It’s a psychological boost for us to travel to Munich as league leaders and to know that we can edge things a little further in our direction if we win there.”

Coach Lucien Favre will be without defenders Abdou Diallo and Achraf Hakimi, both recently injured, but Dortmund could be fresher having not played in the cup midweek.

What was expected to be a comfortable warm-up for Bayern against second division Heidenheim on Wednesday turned into a ninegoal thriller.

“We adjusted at half-time and turned in a very good display until our fourth goal,” said Thomas Mueller.