Bayern Munich: Five things to watch for in trip to Dortmund

Bayern Munich faces Borussia Dortmund in a top-of-the-table clash on Matchday 14 of the Bundesliga season. Bayern occupies first place in the German top-flight entering this fixture and Dortmund sits in second place. Only a single point is what currently separates these two sides in the table. Here are five things to watch for ahead of Bayern’s trip to Dortmund.

Can Bayern’s offense reignite?

November’s Bundesliga schedule did not yield the number of goals Bayern was accustomed to recording earlier this season. They scored just four goals in three matches which was their lowest monthly goal total so far this season in the Bundesliga. Having scored three goals against Dortmund in the DFL-Supercup in August, it will be interesting to see if Bayern can put together a similar performance or if they will struggle to score against Dortmund on Saturday.

Dortmund was able to score more goals than Bayern last month as they registered six goals in three league matches. Currently, they have scored the second-most goals in the German top-flight with 31 scored in 13 matches. While Bayern still leads the league in goals scored with 40, recent Bundesliga results indicate Dortmund is capable of matching Bayern in goal production.

Dortmund look to remain perfect at home

It’s been a strong start to the season for Dortmund at home as they have won all seven of their fixtures at the Westfalenstadion. Not a single Bundesliga club has even been able to earn at least a point against Dortmund when they face them away from home.

Seven consecutive wins?

Bayern has won six consecutive matches against Dortmund in all competitions. This impressive winning streak can be extended further if Die Roten can deliver another victory against their rivals. The last win for Dortmund against Bayern was in August of 2019.

The top two goal scorers

Robert Lewandowski and Erling Haaland are unsurprisingly the top two goal scorers in the Bundesliga so far this season. Lewandowski tops the standings at 14 goals scored with Haaland four goals adrift at ten goals scored. They are the first two Bundesliga players to reach double-digit goals in the league this season.

Both players have been able to put together impressive goal-scoring records in Der Klassiker. Lewandowski has scored 24 goals in 24 appearances against Dortmund while Haaland has four goals in five appearances against Bayern. Both of these star strikers should be front and center once more when these two clubs meet on Saturday. (Stats courtesy: fbref)

Thomas Muller’s assist streak

Thomas Muller has recorded at least one assist in each of his last six Bundesliga appearances. With eight assists being recorded during this streak, the veteran has already reached the ten assist mark in the league. On Saturday, expect Muller to be generating plenty of scoring opportunities for his teammates. He’s in terrific form and has shown no signs of slowing down in recent weeks.