| With 52 points after 23 matchdays, Borussia Dortmund are having a fabulous season so far. Along with their upcoming opponent, Dortmund are one of only two teams from Europe's top five leagues to have suffered just one defeat in the season in the first leg in Munich. Since then, the Black and Yellows have won 16 wins in a row. At home, Niko Kovac's team has also remained undefeated so far this Bundesliga season. These statistics generally suggest that the current second-placed team is certainly capable of a good result against Bayern at their own stadium. A win is essential. Even a draw strongly suggests the title race is all but decided. On the other hand, the UEFA Champions League exit will inevitably have repercussions. The 90 minutes in Bergamo were incredibly intense, both mentally and physically, not to mention the travel fatigue and, of course, the frustration of the unnecessary knockout. While in recent weeks it seemed as if nothing could derail the seemingly unshakeable and stable Borussia Dortmund, their renewed resistance has reached a new level, especially ahead of what is perhaps the most important league match of the season so far. For example, the Munich side suffered their first domestic defeat at home against Augsburg a few weeks ago. They also only managed a 2-2 draw against Hamburger. The dominance of the first half of the season has given way to closer matches and, above all, more goals conceded. Last week, Bayern Munich squandered numerous chances at home against Eintracht Frankfurt, ultimately winning only 3-2. |
