Created on 30-03-2012 at 00:00 AM
Saturday sees the 184th all-Bavaria derby - FCB versus FCN, Old Bavaria versus Franconia, and Germany’s most successful club versus the team they displaced in 1987, when Bayern’s tenth league title took them ahead of nine-time winners Nürnberg. This, the fact the cities are less than 150 km apart, and a traditional rivalry between the different regions of the state, make for an intoxicating derby mixture.
“It's a very important match for the fans. And that means it’s important to us too,” said David Alaba, who expects “passionate” opponents on Saturday afternoon. “It's always been tight in Nuremberg,” observed Thomas Müller, reflecting on FCB’s frequent struggles to come away with all three points against FCN, especially away from home.
The record books confirm that Bayern have tended to struggle in Franconia. Munich last won at the Frankenstadion in 2005, drawing three and losing one since then, and have won only 12 times in 27 Bundesliga visits, with eight defeats and seven draws. FCB even have a negative goal difference, with 39 scored to 42 conceded. The most recent edition of the fixture was in April 2011 and ended 1-1, although that was only one of many memorable and unusual derby clashes. fcbayern.de has delved into the archives for more.