After a decade of dominance, could Bayern Munich’s Bundesliga reign finally be coming to an end? Borussia Dortmund could take a huge stride towards claiming the crown with victory in Der Klassiker this evening.
In an incredible reversal since the restart after the World Cup, Dortmund – with England midfielder Jude Bellingham at the heart of their team – have leapt from sixth to first, capping a run of nine wins and a draw in their 10 matches so far in 2023 with a 6-1 thumping of Cologne before the international break.
A day later, Bayern caved to a 2-1 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen – a result and performance which left them reeling in second and cost Julian Nagelsmann his job.
It was a sacking which shocked German football, especially given the team’s superb performances in the Champions League this term, but demonstrated the nervousness in the Bayern hierarchy about the prospect of their 10-season streak of Bundesliga titles coming to an end.
Those two results meant Dortmund are top of the standings for the first time since August 2019. “The hunted has become the hunter,” said Bayern forward Thomas Muller this week about his side’s reversal of fortunes.
Dortmund are just nine games away from a first league title since 2011/12. But their next fixture is the most decisive – and a man who knows them better than most will be in the opposition dugout plotting their downfall.
Former Dortmund boss Thomas Tuchel was swiftly installed as Naglesmann’s replacement at Bayern. He led Dortmund to a German Cup success in 2017 but a first Bundesliga crown is now in his sights.
Given the suddenness of Nagelsmann’s departure, Tuchel only began working with the Bayern squad on Monday – and will not have had contact with many of the club’s players until later in the week due to their international team commitments.
That leaves him with little time to imprint his ideas on the group but his instant impact at Chelsea could be an indication of what his initial approach at Bayern will be.
When Tuchel arrived mid-season at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea went on to concede just twice in the next 14 games. It was an astonishing record. He’s now at a Bayern side who are in need of similar defensive stability.
Bayern have conceded in eight of their 10 league games this calendar year and cannot afford to provide space for a Dortmund attack which is on fire. The visitors are top scorers since the World Cup.
The pace of the Dortmund attack will be a particular worry for Tuchel. Karim Adeyemi, who broke the Bundesliga top-speed record earlier this season, sums up their ability to burst forward at lightning quick pace. Expect Tuchel to shut down the space, with a deep defence. —Sky Sports
