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Bayern vs Dortmund: How the Der Klassiker rivalry will shape up in the 2025/26 season

Bayern Munich restored normalcy in the Bundesliga, steamrolling their way to a record-breaking 33rd German top-flight title after seeing off a timid challenge from Bayer Leverkusen.

Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund endured another chaotic season. BVB started poorly under Nuri Sahin. They axed the Turkiye tactician for Niko Kovac, who steered the club to fourth place against the odds.

Another season is on the horizon, and the onus is on Dortmund, more than other Bundesliga rivals, to knock Bayern off their perch again.

Read on as we analyse how this storied rivalry could play out in the 2025/26 season as Der Klassiker opens another exciting chapter.

Bayern and Dortmund: A tale of two cities

Bayern demanded a response from themselves after Leverkusen pipped them to the 2023/24 Bundesliga title, parting ways with Thomas Tuchel for the unforgivable slip-up.

The Rekordmeister eventually landed former Burnley head coach Vincent Kompany. As expected, he was not a fan favourite. Many questioned his pedigree, but he made Bayern a fearless force domestically.

French playmaker Michael Olise added more firepower to the Bayern frontline. Olise bagged 12 goals and 15 assists (32 big chances created) in 34 Bundesliga appearances.

Olise gave Bayern a creative spark and final-third precision that proved decisive in their title run.

Kompany and Olise helped recover the Meisterschale. Their next target must be holding on to the crown and fending off any threats, chief among them a Dortmund side desperate to find stability and relevance.

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Edin Terzic left Dortmund last summer, and it was an opportunity for the club to show some well-meaning ambition. 

However, they went down an unimaginative route, hiring former midfielder Sahin.

When he left in January, Dortmund were 10th in the Bundesliga, 20 points behind the leaders Bayern. Another uninspiring hire followed as former Bayern manager Kovac took charge.

Interestingly, after a poor start, Kovac galvanised the squad for a remarkable run as they surged into one of the UEFA Champions League slots despite many fans already preparing for a season outside Europe.

Dortmund entered the final day of the Bundesliga season with their hopes of Champions League football hanging in the balance.

They needed to win by at least three goals, and the pressure was on to deliver against Holstein Kiel and cap a late-season surge. They rose to the occasion.

Dortmund won seven of their final eight games (D1) to book their place among Europe’s elites, and the remarkable finish to the campaign is a reason to believe they can challenge for the title next season.

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Transfer plans ahead of the 2025/26 season

Bayern won the title despite their issues. The Bavarians are still missing a top-quality right-back, and it is a hole the club desperately needs to plug in the summer transfer window.

Bayern could also use a successor or at least a back-up to Harry Kane. The Englishman is a fantastic striker, but it will be nice to have a different profile up top.

The departure of Leroy Sane, Kingsley Coman’s persistent injuries, and Serge Gnabry’s inconsistent form mean the club is in the market for a winger.

Unfortunately, Bradley Barcola of Paris Saint-Germain is not keen on leaving for Germany, while second-choice target Nico Williams is angling for Barcelona. Bayern might have to look elsewhere.

As for Dortmund, they need a refresh. The club is reportedly open to letting Julian Brandt and Giovanni Reyna leave the Signal Iduna Park.

They will need creative attacking midfielders that fit into the Kovac 3-4-3 system behind Serhou Guirassy.

Speaking of the Dortmund striker, the club will also benefit from having a similar profile behind him in the ranks.

Maximilian Beier and Karim Adeyemi are fantastic strikers, but they are different profiles. They need someone of a target man ilk.

The BVB rearguard could also use strengthening this summer transfer window. Even though they found stability towards the end of this season, they need to give Kovac options for the backline.

A rapacious left-wing-back should also be on the agenda for the club. Daniel Svensson was an exciting addition in January, but they need numbers for the long haul.

Head to head in 2025/26

Despite storming to the title, Bayern struggled to find a way past Dortmund in their two fixtures this season.

Bayern dominated the first leg on enemy soil. But despite recording more than double Dortmund’s expected goals, they needed a late goal from Jamal Musiala to cancel the early Jamie Gittens opener.

In Bavaria, Bayern dominated proceedings again but still could not find a way to beat their arch-rivals. They settled for a 2-2 draw after an explosive 90 minutes of back-and-forth action.

Despite Bayern’s dominance in this fixture, BVB have refused to be pushovers, especially in recent meetings.

Before the two draws this season, Bayern mullered Dortmund 4-2 in front of the famous Yellow Wall, serving them a spectacular embarrassment last term.

However, BVB got their revenge with a 2-0 win in March 2024, further derailing Bayern in the title race.

Before that, Bayern had upstaged BVB in this fixture, winning eight of their previous nine meetings (D1).

With both clubs entering the 2025/26 season on the back of significant changes and renewed ambition, the upcoming Der Klassiker clashes promise to be fiercely competitive.

Bayern may have Kompany’s blueprint and many world-class players, but Dortmund now boast steel under Kovac and a revived belief.

If Bayern address their defensive gaps and find depth in attack, they remain favourites. But if Dortmund can build on their late-season surge and add the right pieces, they might finally close the gap.

These showdowns could decide the title or at least define it.

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