Last season German giants Bayern Munich made a poor start to their Bundesliga campaign and sacked iconic Italian boss Carlo Ancelotti. Club hero Jupp Heynckes parachuted in to save the day by turning the team’s fortunes around and winning the title.
This time around, Bayern have stuck with the head coach in Niko Kovac, despite a poor start and the Bavarians form has improved slightly of late.
Big clash with Dortmund
On Saturday, the reigning German champions travel to face arch-rivals Dortmund in Der Klassiker. BVB are currently top of the table and four points ahead of the third-place visitors.
The home side are in-form, but an away win would put Bayern just a point behind their perennial rivals in the fight for the Bundesliga title. Dortmund look to be the strongest team in the German top-flight so far this season.
BVB started last season in a similar manner and lead the table early on. However, their early season form dissipated and they ended up having a fight on their hands for a top-four spot.
One factor in Dortmund’s strong performances this season has been the presence of experienced coach Lucien Favre in the dugout. His experience could be vital in keeping his team at the top of the table.
Defeat for Bayern could prove vital in the title race
Although a defeat for Bayern in Saturday’s fixture will not be fatal to their title defence, it could be vital in the context of the season.
However, an away victory could well lead to a repeat of last season’s Bundesliga campaign. The German champions certainly have the quality to come back and win the title, as they have experienced a mini-revival of late.
A victory in Dortmund would be massive for Bayern boss, Kovac. Only time will tell whether it will be a case of history repeating in the Bundesliga this season.