Factsheet: All you need to know about Der Klassiker

In front of a sold-out Allianz Arena, this prestigious game will keep the fans on the edge of their seats by showcasing the best of the Bundesliga’s football, as well as the league’s unique atmosphere. Find out more about the historical significance of this fixture, information on some of the most memorable matches, and everything else you need to know about Der Klassiker going into this weekend’s showdown.

‘Der Klassiker’: First meets second in the Bundesliga

This weekend, FC Bayern München and Borussia Dortmund will meet again in one of the biggest fixtures in world football – ‘Der Klassiker’. In the sold-out Allianz Arena, this prestigious game will keep the fans on the edge of their seats by showcasing the best of the Bundesliga’s football, as well as the league’s unique atmosphere.

The history of ‘Der Klassiker’

• As two giants of German and European football, the games between FC Bayern München and Borussia Dortmund have always been a special feature in the Bundesliga calendar.
• The label ‘Der Klassiker’, however, is a more recent addition. Whilst FC Bayern have celebrated many Bundesliga titles over the years since joining the Bundesliga in 1965, BVB were rarely contenders for the Meisterschale. However, that changed in the 1990s, when Dortmund began to climb up the table under legendary coach Ottmar Hitzfeld.
• In 1994-95, the Black and Yellows claimed their first Bundesliga title. The following years saw many legendary duels between the two teams including a game in the quarter finals of the 1997-98 UEFA Champions League.
• Dortmund were able to claim another title in 2001-02 under new coach and former player Matthias Sammer. And under Jürgen Klopp, BVB’s style of play, combined with excellent signings such as Robert Lewandowski and Shinji Kagawa, propelled BVB to the summit of German football. Klopp’s passionate management style pushed ‘Der Klassiker’ to the next level.
• In 2010-11 and 2011-12, BVB won back-to-back titles. In the following season, Bayern were keen to fight back. Having secured the Meisterschale in 2012-13, they were also in the final of both the UEFA Champions League and DFB Cup and finally had their eyes on the treble.
• In the Champions League Final, the biggest stage of club football, they faced Borussia Dortmund of all teams – truly taking ‘Der Klassiker’ to the world stage. In one of the most breath-taking finals in the history of the competition, Bayern won 2-1 and later completed their treble by winning the DFB Cup Final against VfB Stuttgart.
• This weekend’s ‘Der Klassiker’ is the 106^th edition in the Bundesliga. Bayern are ahead with 51 wins compared to Dortmund’s 25.
• Borussia Dortmund and FC Bayern München have some of the Bundesliga’s best players in their ranks. FIFA Best Men’s Player Robert Lewandowski has certainly left his mark on ‘Der Klassiker’ in recent years. He managed to score in six ‘Der Klassiker’ games in a row between 2017 and 2019 – totalling 12 goals during that timeframe.
• He is also the player who has won the most Bayern-Dortmund fixtures in history. Of the 23 matches he has played, Lewandowski has triumphed 17 times. In the first leg this season, it was also Robert Lewandowski who made a big contribution with two goals in the 3-2 victory over Borussia Dortmund.

FC Bayern and Borussia Dortmund: Two clubs representing the best of the Bundesliga

FC Bayern München

• FC Bayern München was founded on 27 February 1900. Today, Bayern is the biggest sports club in the world with around 290,000 members. With 30 Bundesliga titles, Bayern is the most successful club in the history of the league.
• FC Bayern’s Allianz Arena is one of the most modern and innovative stadiums in the world. With a capacity of 75,000, it is Germany’s second-largest arena. It is widely known for its exterior of inflated plastic panels and is the first stadium in the world with a full colour changing exterior.
• Positioned in the south stand of the Allianz Arena, Bayern’s vocal supporters are advocating for values such as tolerance, solidarity and respect. In 2006, fans established the anti-racism football competition Kurt Landauer Cup, named after former club president and Holocaust-survivor Kurt Landauer.
• A special characteristic of Bundesliga clubs is the strong bond between former players and their clubs. At Bayern, Oliver Kahn and Hasan Salihamidžić took over key management positions after retiring as active players. Before them, Uli Hoeneß and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge shaped the club for decades as managers after already wearing Bayern’s colours as players.

Borussia Dortmund

• Borussia Dortmund was founded on 19 December 1909. BVB has 150,000 members. As one of the traditional clubs of the Rhine-Ruhr, they strongly identify with their roots in the coal mining and steel manufacturing community.
• The Signal Iduna Park, where Borussia Dortmund plays its home games, is one of the temples of world football and the biggest stadium in Germany. Its ‘Yellow Wall’, housing 25,000 fans, is the largest standing terrace in the world.
• BVB has become the centrepiece for countless events and initiatives in the club’s hometown over recent years. During the pandemic, Signal Iduna Park was converted into a vaccination centre, providing thousands of doses of vaccine to the people of Dortmund.
• Former players are in charge at BVB as well: Michael Zorc, Sebastian Kehl and Lars Ricken lead the club in various management positions, and Matthias Sammer is a valued consultant supporting the club’s development.

The very best of ‘Der Klassiker’

• Borussia Dortmund 4-4 FC Bayern München – MD 32, 1982-83
• Borussia Dortmund 3-2 FC Bayern München – MD 11, 2018-19
• Borussia Dortmund 5-2 FC Bayern München – DFB Cup Final, 2011-12
• FC Bayern München 2-1 Borussia Dortmund – UEFA Champions League Final, 2012-13
• Borussia Dortmund 2-3 FC Bayern München – MD 14, 2021-22