Bundesliga Blog: The stage is set for Bayern v Dortmund, the biggest clash of the year

It's the Bundesliga clash of the titans this weekend; Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund. Let's just say that we're a tiny bit excited about the prospect.

By Emmet Purcell

We’re going to open ourselves right up to allegations of bias by saying it, but it would be a relief if Bayern Munich didn’t win this weekend’s crucial clash against Borussia Dortmund.

Let us explain. After 12 games, there are in many minds only two viable contenders for the Bundesliga crown (apologies, Werder Bremen and Gladbach fans), and that's Bayern and Dortmund.

Both are the only teams to boast a positive goal difference in double figures (17 for Dortmund, an incredible 28 for Bayern) and in the youthful, reigning champs of Germany and their rivals, the ever-present giants of the game, there is a clear divide in the philosophies and play styles of each.

The real problem is that while we expect Bremen to eventually burn out and ship too many goals, or winger Marco Reus to falter in single-handedly dragging Gladbach up the table, that really only leaves Dortmund as a current viable challenger to Bayern – yet they’re already five points behind Jupp Heynckes’ lot.

In fact, if Bayern succeed, and home advantage means that they are favoured, they could go at least seven points ahead of all three rivals, as Gladbach and Bremen also face one another this weekend.

Yes, as crazy as it sounds, the top four sides in the Bundesliga table all play each other on Saturday, and not a single UK or Irish broadcaster is showing those games. You’d best get your internet streams loaded and ready to go early on Saturday afternoon.

With just three goals getting past the gloves of Manuel Neuer and a still rampant Mario Gomez hitting the net 20 times in 18 appearances in all competitions this season, Bayern are the team to beat yet Dortmund couldn’t have asked for a better time to play them.

Having stuck five past a sorry VfL Wolfsburg two weeks ago and watched Bayern Munich grind out a result against relegation certainties Augsburg, Dortmund look rampant.

To compound things, Bayern’s key cog, Bastian Schweinsteiger, will not play any football for the rest of the year due to a broken collarbone, while – surprise, surprise – Arjen Robben got himself injured 24 hours after groin surgery. Schweinsteiger’s inferior centre midfield replacement, Antoliy Tymoshchuk, will also sit out the game as he has to serve the first of a three-game ban following his dismissal against Augsburg.

Bayern ready for "revenge"

Although Dortmund will be without centre-back Neven Subotic, they’re clearly ready for a fight, with CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke having told Bild earlier this week that “For Bayern, it is the game of the year. They had to wait nine months to take revenge on us”.

Indeed they have but with a side shorn of creativity, pace and its talisman, Bayern will doubtless wish that perhaps they could have waited a further one or two months to kick-off.

For Dortmund fans, however, this is the moment their season can finally achieve lift off, especially as the prospect of a Champions League exit looms ever closer.

Although the club’s CEO sounded ready for combat this weekend, he did slightly underplay the importance of this game, a match will ultimately may decide whether Bayern run away with the title before its race has even started.

This is not the game of the year for Bayern fans; it’s the game of the year for every Bundesliga fan and we’ll be glued to the screen, whether it’s a TV screen or a spotty Internet connection, for the full 90 minutes.

Results:

FSV Mainz 05 3-1 VfB Stuttgart, Borussia Dortmund 5-1 VfL Wolfsburg, Hertha BSC Berlin 1-2 Borussia M'gladbach, FC Nuremberg 1-2 SC Freiburg, 1899 Hoffenheim 1-1 FC Kaiserslautern, SV Werder Bremen 3-2 FC Köln, Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2-2 Hamburger SV, Hannover 96 2-2 Schalke 04, FC Augsburg 1-2 FC Bayern Munich

Fixtures (November 18-20):

Fri: FC Kaiserslautern v Bayer 04 Leverkusen (Live on ESPN, 19:30)

Sat: Schalke 04 v FC Nuremberg, SC Freiburg v Hertha BSC Berlin, FC Köln v FSV Mainz 05, VfL Wolfsburg v Hannover 96, Borussia M'gladbach v SV Werder Bremen, FC Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund

Sun: VfB Stuttgart v FC Augsburg, Hamburger SV v 1899 Hoffenheim (Live on ESPN, 16:30)