The all-important clash between Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern is set to place this week in the Bundesliga. Interestingly, though, using the cliche ‘six pointer’ will be wrong as Dortmund have struggled to start the season well and will be looking for the upturn in fortunes when they host Bayern at the Signal Iduna Park. Here is the predicted lineup for the Black and Yellows against the record champions.
Goalkeeper: Roman Burki has kept only two clean sheets in the Bundesliga this season. Probably explaining the situation of Dortmund’s defence, if Thomas Tuchel’s team are to keep Bayern at bay, Burki will need to be at his best.
Right Back: Lukasz Piszczek had constantly suffered niggles in his career as a Dortmund fullback, this season has been no exception. The Polish fullback has already missed a few games due to his knee problems but will be fit to play against Bayern. His experience could prove to be key in defence.
Centre Back: Sokratis is undoubtedly Dortmund’s best defender at the moment, sure the departure of Mats Hummels helped. That’s not to say however, the Greek has been excellent. Truth be told, Dortmund need a much better defensive reinforcement than Sokratis if they are to challenge Bayern for the title, however, The Greek loves challenges and on the weekend, Bayern would provide just that.
Centre Back: Marc Bartra arrived as the replacement for departing Mats Hummels. After a mixed start to the season, provided with a few injuries, Bartra needs to settle in quickly and managing a good performance against Bayern could well be the perfect platform.
Left Back: The Dortmund vice-captain missed six games due to his adductor muscle injury but is all set to come back to fitness against Bayern Munich. Marcel Schmelzer’s experience on the left side could well be crucial for Thomas Tuchel’s team.
Centre Defensive Midfield: This will be Julian Weigl‘s fifth match against Bayern, the 21-year-old is yet to taste a victory against the Bavarian giants but anything can happen. Weigl has completed the second most number of passes after Matthias Ginter, and once again been a crucial man for Tuchel’s team in the centre of the park.
Right Midfield: Ousmane Dembele, the talented French winger has filled in the injured pros admirably but the lack of experience gets the better of him at times. His pace and sharpness down the right wing could cause Bayern some trouble.
Centre Midfield: Gonzalo Castro was the go-to man for Thomas Tuchel in the early season but his form faded away due to injury and some dip in form. Castro needs to be at his best in order to breach Bayern’s defence.
Centre Midfield: Mario Gotze will face his former club for the first time since moving back to Dortmund this summer. Even though the 24-year-old world champion has admitted that he learnt a lot at Bayern Munich, he will, at the same time, be eager to prove his credentials.
Related Reading: Predicted Bayern Munich Lineup Vs Borussia Dortmund: Is This The Bayern Team That Can Establish Dominance?
Left Midfield: Marco Reus has finally returned to full fitness but Bayern would be too early for Marco to settle in with the team, in his place, Christian Pulisic is set to fill in, the American continues his steady improvement of making a mark on the Dortmund first team.
Striker: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has undoubtedly been Dortmund’s best player this season. Scoring 11 goals, the Gabonese international is currently the joint top scorer of the league along with Koln’s Anthony Modeste. Aubameyang’s hattrick helped Dortmund get a convincing 5:2 victory against bottom club Hamburg in matchday 10.
