The beating Der Klassiker drums are drawing ever closer, their thundering rhythm building toward a 100th Bundesliga meeting between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund sides intent on producing a gladiatorial epic.

It’s a rivalry that has developed into one of the most intense in world football and Saturday’s centurions are set to meet with so much at stake. Munich’s awesome Allianz Arena will act as the modern-day footballing Colosseum, providing the perfect stage for a game that could prove a pivotal point in the destiny of this year’s top-flight title.

Standing face to face on the battlefield, the big names will reverberate like those of gods to the legions looking down upon them. Dortmund’s chariot arrives carrying the warriors Reus, Sancho, Witsel, Götze, Alcacer et al, the Yellow and Blacks rolling into Bavaria boasting a two-point Bundesliga advantage.

Mats Hummels (l.) will be steeled for Jadon Sancho (r.) when Borussia Dortmund go in search of the spoils in Bavaria. - 2018 DFL

Niko Kovac’s cavalry are well-armed for the coming challenge, however, the protection supplied by men-mountains Süle and Hummels complemented by the slick and deadly attacking force of James, Gnabry, Coman and the legendary Lewandowski. And if the current standings favour BVB, the record books rank with Bayern who hold a 45 wins to 25 lead in this running Bundesliga battle that first began back in 1965.

Saturday’s visitors have also left Bavarian fields a wounded army in recent years, four straight Bundesliga losses at the Allianz coming via a morale-sapping 17-3 aggregate scoreline, with last term’s 6-0 reverse proving particularly bruising for the black and yellow clan.

It was all hail Lucien Favre last October, though, when the new Dortmund coaching emperor led his rejuvenated warriors to a 3-2 win against Bayern that helped BVB open a seven-point lead over their rivals, a gap that would later stretch to nine points. Emerging from Munich’s ranks this week was Serge Gnabry to remind us all that, “We made up that nine-point deficit from the winter break, which a lot of people doubted we’d do,” the Stuttgart native saying that this was why, “We’re looking at Saturday’s game with a positive mindset.”

Watch: Dortmund fought to the end to edge the reverse fixture

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Also taking a positive view was a man that has featured for both teams, Mario Götze. The 26-year-old – who made 73 Bundesliga appearances in Bayern red – recently told bundesliga.com: “It’s important to remember that away from home we have quality and we’re always dangerous, even up until the 95th minute.” Indeed, the men from Germany’s third-largest city have found the net in the 90th minute or added time a total of nine times this term, equating to six points. “We know our strengths and what we can bring,” Götze added.

Among those strengths is Marco Reus, the gladiator whose deadly finishing and clinical assists often act like a poisoned spear through the heart of his victims. Scorer of a double in the aforementioned Dortmund win against Bayern earlier this season, Reus has been involved in 16 goals in 24 competitive games against the reigning champions.

Watch: Reus, key to Dorrmund's chances?

Yet if Reus’s numbers are impressive, then what of those belonging to the true titan of the Klassiker tussle, the league’s current leading marksman, Robert Lewandowski? Now just one goal shy of his 200th in the Bundesliga, the Polish powerhouse – another who has featured for both teams – has amassed a combined total of 17 Klassiker appearances in the Bundesliga, scoring 13 goals in the fixture – 12 for Bayern and one for Dortmund. Only Gerd Müller [14] has netted more in this particular clash of the German top-flight titans.

Add Europe’s young assist prince, Jadon Sancho – the BVB teen currently leading even Lionel Messi in the assist ranks with 13 so far this term – and Bayern’s goal-creating specialist Joshua Kimmich [10 assists] and we look to have a game for the ages. Expect an encounter that helps to enhance the 3.4 goals-per-game average built up over the last 10 meetings between the teams.

And so, with the gladiatorial battle about to commence, all that’s left to say is, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, we salute you. This is the Bundesliga!