Borussia Dortmund have incredible home form, star strike power and recent history on their side as they aim to land a statement win over Bayern. bundesliga.com outlines why Nuri Şahin's side can come up trumps...

Yellow Wall more solid than ever

Borussia Dortmund have experienced a striking difference in home and away form in the current campaign. With Bayern making the trip to Dortmund, the Black and Yellows can focus on the positive side of that coin - a remarkable 100% home record in all competitions at Signal Iduna Park.

The cauldron-like atmosphere has long been a big asset for Borussia - having over 81,000 fans, the highest average attendance in world football, roaring you on could hardly fail to give you a lift as a footballer, after all.

Some 26 goals scored and just seven conceded in their eight straight home wins to start the season with has shown that Nuri Şahin's side can always be counted on to get the job done in front of their famously passionate home fans. League leaders Bayern Munich are sure to provide the biggest test to Dortmund's immaculate home record, yet the fans will also be at their nosiest as they aim to cheer their side to their first home Klassiker win in the Bundesliga in over six years. 

Watch: The two faces of Borussia Dortmund

Goalgetter Guirassy

Another pleasing element of Dortmund's season so far is the way strike signing Serhou Guirassy has seamlessly settled into the side and wasted no time in unleashing his goalscoring mastery.

Super Serhou has smashed four of the six Bundesliga goals in his first eight appearances of 2024/25 at home - and demonstrated a knack for decisive strikes in the process. A brace in a 4-2 comeback win over regional rivals Bochum was followed by two successive headed second-half winners, as Dortmund saw off both St. Pauli and RB Leipzig by a single goal. 

After pushing Harry Kane close in the race to be 2023/24 top goalscorer, Guirassy has all the confidence and motivation he needs to show the watching world he can cut it with the very best of the goalscoring business by providing a vital strike or two in Der Klassiker.  

Watch: Serhou Guirassy - Delivering for Dortmund

About the players

27

Karim David

Adeyemi

Borussia Dortmund

9

Serhou Yadaly

Guirassy

Borussia Dortmund

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Returning forces 

A serious mitigating factor in Dortmund's mixed recent form - which has made their impeccable home form even more impressive while explaining some of their away difficulties - was a massive injury crisis that has forced some improvisation. Central midfielder Pascal Groß was called on to slot into right-back for meetings with Leipzig and Mainz, while a shortage of fit senior players was reflected in depleted substitutes' benches.  

The situation eased over the international break, however. Karim Adeyemi did not recover from a thigh injury in time to appear in Dortmund's 4-0 win over Freiburg on Matchday 11, but may well return in time for the big meeting with Bayern. The speedy striker was in sparkling form before sustaining the issue at the start of October, with five goal involvements in his opening five Bundesliga performances, and a brilliant hat-trick at home to Celtic in the UEFA Champions League.

In Waldemar Anton and Ramy Bensebaini, two defenders were back in time to start against Freiburg (the latter after a suspension), while Niklas Süle was also on the road to recovery - and Emre Can has completed a two-match suspension following his red card against Mainz. First choice shot-stopper Gregor Kobel was also back in between the sticks for Dortmund at home to Freiburg. Getting a full squad together again might just make the difference that fires up a hot-and-cold Dortmund for the big clash. 

Watch: Why Der Klassiker is still Germany's biggest game

Klassiker curse banished

A lot of the Bundesliga has been scratching its collective head again this season as the question of just how to beat Bayern re-emerges. Dortmund have a clear blueprint from the not-so-distant past to follow, however, in their 2-0 success in Munich in the last edition of Der Klassiker in March. 

Should Vincent Kompany's league leaders pen Dortmund back again, a fit-again Karim Adeyemi will be lurking in anticipation of bursting open the Bayern defence on the break again as he did in the opening stages of that encounter. 

Not only did Dortmund win that clash away from home, they also managed to keep a clean sheet thanks to the defensive efforts of Schlotterbeck, Ryerson and Can, who will all be available and looking for a repeat of that result this time around.

Watch: Dortmund stun Bayern in Munich

Dortmund rise to the big occasion

As impressive as it was, that victory in Munich was Dortmund's first in 13 games in all competitions against Bayern, a record they'd certainly like to avoid recreating. While their recent results against their fierce rivals have certainly been underwhelming, this doesn't speak to Dortmund's ability to come out on top against big teams, as they demonstrated in last season's run to the Champions League final; their journey to Wembley saw them topple AC Milan, Atletico Madrid and PSG twice.

Dortmund have shown again this season that they're capable of providing big performances under pressure, ending a run of three consecutive defeats in all competitions by beating Leipzig 2-1 on Matchday 9, halting their opponents' unbeaten start to the season in the process.

Their ability to rise to important occasions bodes well for them, especially considering that Bayern's only two defeats this season have come away from home against tough Champions League opponents - Aston Villa and Barcelona. That should provide Dortmund with the belief that away from home, a chink in the armour of Vincent Kompany's men can be found.

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Borussia Dortmund

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