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Historic rivals Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich square off at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday for an enticing Der Klassiker in the Bundesliga.
The sides are separated by just a point at the top of the table. The Bavarians are in pole position with 31 and Der BVB breathing right below their neck in second with 30.
The visitors have been dominant in this fixture over the last few years. They will be hoping to go four points clear at the top with a win, although Dortmund have won all their home games this season.
When the sides clashed in the German Supercup in August, Bayern came away with a 3-1 win in Dortmund. Now, can they pull off a seventh consecutive Klassiker win? or can the hosts manage to hold them off?
Ahead of the mouth-watering kick-off, let's see how the Bundesliga giants line-up in a combined XI: (Formation: 4-1-3-2)
Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich)
No surprises here. Manuel Neuer has been fantastic for Bayern Munich this season and slots into our XI without much dispute.
In 13 games, the German custodian has conceded only 13 times, while keeping four clean sheets, joint second-most in the league.
Neuer is widely considered one of the greatest 'keepers of all-time. He is known for his consistency, agility, speed, footwork, and exceptional reflexes.
A Der Klassiker veteran of 38 games, he's kept a clean sheet on 13 occasions, nearly a third of the time. This is a great record considering how fierce this rivalry is.
Right-back: Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich)
While Thomas Meunier has three assists and Benjamin Pavard has none, the latter is stronger defensively. Hence he gets the nod over his Dortmund counterpart.
The Frenchman has excellent game-reading acumen. He has averaged 2.5 clearances per game in the league, while also having an 88.2% passing success.
Centre-back: Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich)
What a fine addition to Bayern's defense has Dayot Upamecano been, with the Frenchman taking little to no time to settle in Bavaria.
He's brought tremendous robustness to their backline while also making four assists, a testament to his attacking potential.
Centre-back: Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund)
Dortmund's old guard Mats Hummels has been a mainstay at the heart of their backline since returning from Bayern Munich in 2019.
Hummels is a physically strong player with powerful tackling ability and aerial prowess. The German international is one of the best centre-backs in the Bundesliga.
Left-back: Alphonso Davies (Bayern Munich)
Bayern's very own road-runner, Alphonso Davies, is well-known for his electric speed, ball control, eye-catching dribbles and exquisite crossing. All these traits make him one of the best U-23 players in the world.
He's already racked up four assists for the season in the league, twice as many as he managed in the whole of the 2020-21 season. He will be the key for Bayern Munich to opening up Dortmund's defense.
Defensive midfielder: Emre Can (Borussia Dortmund)
Emre Can has struggled with plenty of injuries this season, starting only thrice in the Bundesliga. But he has still managed to strike twice for Dortmund.
It shows how much attacking threat he brings to the side, while his versatility has allowed him to excel in various midfield positions.
Right winger: Marco Reus (Borussia Dortmund)
The Dortmund skipper has largely managed to keep himself fit and Der BVB has reaped incredible benefits. Marco Reus has scored four while assisting eight goals so far.
He's been their chief playmaker, orchestrating Dortmund's attacking play with intelligent movement and sublime crosses.
Attacking midfielder: Thomas Muller (Bayern Munich)
Speaking of playmakers, could there be anyone better than Thomas Muller? He's currently leading Europe's top five leagues for assists this season with 12!
While his spatial intelligence is unmatched, Muller's range of passing is awe-inspiring too. He also occasionally weighs in with goals, having netted four times in the top-flight.
Left winger: Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich)
Following a mixed first year in Bavaria, Leroy Sane has hit peak form with Bayern Munich this season. He has scored and assisted four times each in eight league starts.
His finishing has vastly improved. He also offers energy, flair, invention and technique from the flanks, becoming a thorn in the opposition's face.
Striker: Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich)
Since the start of January 2020, Robert Lewandowski has netted an insane 109 goals. He finished as last year's most prolific and is well on course to repeat the feat in 2021 too. He, just a few days ago, won the 'Striker of the Year' award for 2021. He also finished just a few points below Lionel Messi in the race for the Ballon d'Or.
In the current Bundesliga campaign, the Polish hitman has netted 14 times from 13 games. He will be hungry to add to his ridiculous tally against his old club in a fixture he simply loves.
Striker: Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund)
Erling Haaland took no time to announce his return from a lengthy injury spell. He was reported to be out until next year. But he came off the bench to score against Wolfsburg last weekend for his 10th league goal of the season.
Being the talisman that he is, the irrepressible Norwegian will be the single biggest threat coming from the home side. He also boasts a good record in the Klassiker with four goals in five.
