Old foes Bayern and Dortmund face off as European exit looms

BERLIN: Bayern Munich´s home ´Klassiker´ clash with Borussia Dortmund takes place on Saturday (today) against the backdrop of potential Champions League elimination for both sides.

The clash, which has emerged as the Bundesliga´s showpiece rivalry over the past 15 years since Dortmund won back-to-back titles under Jurgen Klopp, falls in between the two legs of both clubs´ Champions League two-legged quarter-finals.

On Tuesday, an injury-decimated Bayern lost 2-1 at home against Inter Milan in the first leg. In the second leg, Vincent Kompany´s side will need to win by two goals to avoid extra time, or by one and hope to triumph on penalties.

The Bavarians can take hope from their record at the San Siro against Inter: three wins and a draw in five games. The Milan stadium was also the scene of Bayern´s 2001 Champions League final victory over Valencia.

The situation for Dortmund, who were Champions League finalists last season, is far more dire. Niko Kovac´s men were thumped 4-0 in Barcelona and will need to pull off one of the biggest turnarounds in the competition´s history to reach the semi-finals. Complicating matters for both Bayern and Dortmund is that there is still plenty at stake in the league.

With six games remaining, Bayern could be just three points clear of second-placed Bayer Leverkusen at kick-off, should Xabi Alonso´s side beat Union Berlin earlier on Saturday. Bayern cannot afford a slip against Dortmund as Leverkusen have won 14 of their past 18 games and have lost just once. Wanting to keep their slim hopes of Champions League qualification alive, Dortmund will go to Munich to fight for every point. Dortmund sit eighth, five points off the top four. Fresh from the humbling in Barcelona, Kovac warned his side could expect more of the same on Saturday, saying: “Bayern are on the same level as Barcelona. We need to do better defensively.”

“A defeat is always a setback, but the Bundesliga is a different story. Bayern are fighting for the title and we know it will not be easy.” A slight glimmer of hope for Dortmund will be their 2-0 win in the same fixture last season, the first time they had won a league game in Munich since 2014.