Dortmund Aims for Upset Against Bayern in Bundesliga Showdown

Roy Makaay has never been one for sentimental Bundesliga nostalgia, and he wasn’t about to start now.

On the eve of the latest showdown between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, the former Bayern striker coolly dismissed the idea of the German “Klassiker” as the fixture of his lifetime. For him, there is only one true Klassiker – Ajax against Feyenoord in the Netherlands.

Speaking to Sport1, Makaay pointed out what many quietly remember: when he led Bayern’s line between 2003 and 2007, this game simply did not carry the same weight. Dortmund were drifting in mid-table, far from the snarling title rival they have since become.

Back then, Bayern’s real battles lay elsewhere.

“Our main rivals were Schalke, Hamburger SV and Werder Bremen,” he said, a reminder of an era when other clubs pushed the champions to the edge. Schalke came agonisingly close to the title in 2001 and 2005. Werder Bremen, under Thomas Schaaf, stormed to the championship in 2004. Dortmund, by contrast, were more bystanders than protagonists.

That history makes the present all the more striking.

Fuss Backs Dortmund’s Steel

Today, Bayern and Dortmund stand side by side at the top of the Bundesliga table, separated only by goal difference. The stakes are clear: a Dortmund win in Munich would flip the standings and ignite the title race.

Sky commentator Wolf-Christoph Fuss believes this Dortmund, under Niko Kovac, are built to withstand the pressure.

“Defensively, they are remarkably solid under Niko Kovac,” he told ntv, highlighting a side that has traded chaos for control. Bayern, he argued, will have to grind their way through a compact, disciplined unit, where every loose touch could be punished.

This is the version of Dortmund that travels well. Organised, pragmatic, hard to rattle. Fuss credits Kovac with bringing clarity to a club that has too often lived on emotional swings. The coach, he said, has “managed to establish clear guidelines in Dortmund that everyone knows they can rely on. Those are things that give you confidence. Even in Munich.”

That last line matters. Winning in Munich has long been Dortmund’s mental hurdle. Kovac’s framework, Fuss suggests, gives them a chance not just to compete, but to believe.

Karetsas Returns to the Big Stage – From the Bench

Kovac’s squad for the trip to the Allianz Arena carries a quiet boost. According to Ruhr Nachrichten, 18-year-old attacking talent Konstantinos Karetsas has made the 20-man travelling party to Munich.

Two weeks ago, the teenager looked set for a spell on the sidelines after suffering an ankle ligament injury in the Bundesliga match against Union Berlin. The initial concern in Dortmund was that they might lose him for longer. The diagnosis turned out to be kinder.

Now he is back on the team sheet, even if not yet in the starting XI. A place on the bench is the realistic scenario for the Allianz Arena. For a player still at the beginning of his journey, simply being part of this occasion is a significant step.

Dortmund also regain experience in key areas. Defender Ramy Bensebaini, available again after serving a red-card suspension, strengthens the back line. Goalkeeper Alexander Meyer, who had been out with a flu-like infection, is expected to return to the squad as well, restoring depth behind the first-choice keeper.

It is not a flood of headlines, but these are the small margins that matter in Munich: a deeper bench, a few more options, an extra spark if the game tightens in the final half-hour.

Pulisic’s Milan Chapter Gathers Pace

While Dortmund prepare for Bayern, one of their former prodigies is quietly writing a heavyweight chapter elsewhere.

Christian Pulisic, once the bright young face of Borussia Dortmund before his move to Chelsea in 2019, has committed his long-term future to AC Milan. The Italian giants announced that the 28-year-old US international has signed a new contract running until June 2031, a day before the Derby della Madonnina against Inter.

Milan underlined his impact with hard numbers: 44 goals in 141 appearances for the club. For a player whose early career in Germany was defined by promise and potential, those figures now speak of status and responsibility. Milan described him as a “key player” since his arrival in July 2023 – a role many in Dortmund always believed he would eventually grow into at the very top level.

From Dortmund to London to Milan, Pulisic’s trajectory mirrors the club he left behind: raw talent sharpened by big nights and bigger expectations.

A Klassiker That Finally Fits the Name

Makaay’s words cut to the heart of how much has changed. The fixture he once saw as just another date on the calendar now shapes title races and narratives. Bayern still carry the aura of the “German record champions”, but Dortmund no longer arrive as under-resourced challengers clinging to a dream.

They come with structure, with defensive steel, with a coach whose blueprint has impressed seasoned observers like Fuss. They travel with a squad that blends youth like Karetsas and hardened professionals like Bensebaini.

The old Klassiker Makaay talks about belongs to Amsterdam and Rotterdam. The new one, in Munich, will be decided by whether Dortmund can finally turn their renewed belief into something more brutal and unforgiving: three points on Bayern’s turf.