Neither Bayern Munich nor Borussia Dortmund are top of the Bundesliga table so far - that early season honour lies with Union Berlin, with both the bigger clubs two points back in third and fourth respectively ahead of their weekend encounter.
Der Klassiker takes place at BVB’s stadium and a win for either side would seriously push their own title credentials, with Bayern in particular under scrutiny after several draws this term.
No longer are the goal machines Erling Haaland and Robert Lewandowski on show in this game, but plenty of elite talent remains including Alphonso Davies, Jamal Musiala and Jude Bellingham.
Another player of intrigue is Niklas Sule, who left Bayern for Dortmund in the summer and is likely to start at centre-back for his new club.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of der Klassiker.
When is Dortmund vs Bayern?
Der Klassiker kicks off at 5:30pm BST on Saturday 8 October.
Where can I watch it?
The game will be shown live on Sky Sports Football. Subscribers can stream the match via the Sky Sports app. It will also be shown on Sky Sports Football’s YouTube channel. If you’re not a Sky customer you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
What is the team news?
Dortmund are without midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud and striker Sebastien Haller on long-term absences, the latter as he battles testicular cancer. Goalkeeper Gregor Kobel should return but Marco Reus is out with a severe cold. Mats Hummels may be back in defence, however.
Bayern still have Lucas Hernandez and Bouna Sarr on the injury list, but Kingsley Coman is ready to return. Thomas Muller will miss the game after illness.
Predicted line-ups
BVB - Kobel, Meunier, Sule, Schlotterbeck, Guerreiro, Malen, Ozcan, Bellingham, Brandt, Hazard, Moukoko
FCB - Neuer, Pavard, Upamecano, De Ligt, Davies, Kimmich, Sabitzer, Gnabry, Musiala, Sane, Mane
Odds
Dortmund 7/2
Draw 39/10
Bayern 9/13
Prediction
Dortmund will surely go all-out to try and make the most of a Bayern side who haven’t hit top gear domestically yet, but it’s still hard to see anything other than the usual outcome: several goals and an eventual win for the Bavarians. Dortmund 2-4 Bayern.
