Borussia Dortmund's ability to compete for the Bundesliga crown will meet its toughest examination on Saturday when Bayern Munich come up against them at the Allianz Arena.
Both sides are currently level at 17 points each but the Bavarians currently occupy top spot in the Bundesliga standings by virtue of better goal-difference.
Having started their campaign with four wins on the trot, the BVB appeared to lose steam post the international break as they drew twice in row to allow Bayern to close the gap on them.
Niko Kovac's side then recovered to beat Eintracht Frankfurt 1-0 last weekend for their fifth top-flight win of the season, but it came through a late winner from Maximilian Beier.
Dortmund have struggled to put away their chances while chronically relying on substitutes to come off the bench and produce a moment of magic to get them through.
By contrast, Bayern have largely been dominant, posting a few big wins such as the 7-0 drubbing of Union Berlin and the 6-1 thumping of RB Leipzig.
While this marks the first Der Klassiker of the season in the Bundesliga, the eternal rivals have already clashed once in the new campaign, contesting the 2026 Franz Beckenbauer Supercup in August.
Bayer beat Dortmund 2-1 at the Signal Iduna Park, with Michael Olise and Harry Kane getting on target in the first half before Fabio Silva pulled one back for the BVB late on.
Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund Team News
Luis Diaz is one marquee absentee for Bayern as the Colombian is ruled out until November with a hamstring injury. But in a major boost for the home side, Harry Kane is all set to return into the XI for the first time since winning the Ballon d'Or on Monday.
Dortmund will remain without long-term casualties Emre Can, Giannis Konstantelias and Justin Lerma, whereas Konstantinos Karetsas is still recovering from an ankle injury and will miss out too.
Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund Predicted XI
Bayern Munich's probable lineup: Manuel Neuer; Konrad Laimer, Dayot Upamecano, Jonathan Tah, Nathaniel Brown; Joshua Kimmich, Aleksandar Pavlovic; Michael Olise, Lennart Karl, Serge Gnabry; Harry Kane.
Borussia Dortmund's probable lineup: Gregor Kobel; Joane Gadou, Waldemar Anton, Nico Schlotterbeck; Julian Ryerson, Jobe Bellingham, Felix Nmecha, Daniel Svensson; Marcel Sabitzer, Maximilian Beier; Serhou Guirassy.
Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund Prediction
In spite of their recent surge of three wins in three, Dortmund remain far from convincing. Bayern should be able to cruise through the match without any hassle.
Prediction: Bayern Munich 3-1 Borussia Dortmund
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