31 points separate them; yet the glamor of the rivalry does not fade. Borussia Dortmund, on their best day, have exactly what it takes to upset Bayern. They would do well to take a tip or two from Borussia Mönchengladbach as well. Gladbach defended as a unit and took every chance they got to attack Bayern. The counterattack worked to perfection (with a little help from Manuel Neuer of course). Gladbach handed Bayern their first defeat in six matches. Dortmund have done well in their past six matches as well, winning four and drawing two. In their previous Bundesliga match prior to the international break, they beat Hannover, 2-3, in a thrilling contest thanks to two strikes from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang either side of a Shinji Kagawa goal.
Dortmund's mini revival might still help them clinch a place in Europe, even perhaps in the UEFA Champions League. They are 12 points behind Bayern's next DFB Pokal rival, Bayer Leverkusen, in the standings. The fluidity of the Bundesliga in terms of points makes twelve points a much smaller gap than it would be in other leagues. There is no guarantee that Leverkusen will not collapse. Dortmund are only six points behind local rivals Schalke in fifth.
Dortmund, for once, will come in with less injuries than the opposition. Marcel Schmelzer, Lukasz Piszczek and Oliver Kirch are all out, leaving a big gap in defense. Nuri Sahin is also out. For Bayern, two extremely important players in midfield maestro David Alaba and winger Arjen Robben are out. Veteran striker Claudio Pizarro is also out. Javier Martinez is almost fit enough to return. Franck Ribery is doubtful.
The last six meetings between these sides in all competitions is split down the middle with three wins for Bayern and three wins for Dortmund. This shows this rivalry is still in the balance despite the gap between the two sides in the table.
Can Dortmund win this match and heave themselves up further in the table? Interested in learning how you can watch the 2014-15 Bundesliga? Check out our Bundesliga Multi-Platform Broadcast Guide
Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich team sheets
Dortmund's XI: Weidenfeller, Sokratis, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer, Gündogan, Bender, Kuba, Reus, Kampl, Aubameyang.
Bayern's XI: Neuer, Alonso, Dante, Benatia, Lewandowski, Rafinha, Boateng, Bernat, Lahm, Müller, Schweinsteiger.
Dortmund's subs: Langerak, Dudziak, Ginter, Kehl, Mkhitaryan, Kagawa, Ramos.
Bayern's subs: Reina - Thiago, Pizarro, Gaudino, Götze, Rode, Weiser.
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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