Both almost unbeatable: What makes Dortmund vs. Bayern a true clash of titans

Borussia Dortmund vs. FC Bayern – the Bundesliga’s top-of-the-table clash not only sees the league leaders visit their closest challengers. It’s also a meeting of two virtually unbeatable teams at the moment, whose form is unrivalled in Europe. BVB have lost just one of their last 31 Bundesliga matches, FCB only one of their last 32. No other team in Europe’s top five leagues have only suffered one defeat so far this season.

If this remains the case after the meeting on Saturday evening (18:30 CET), the Munich men will have maintained their comfortable eight-point lead over the Black-and-Yellows in the table. Or will the contest produce a winner? Read on to find out what the facts say ahead of the heavyweight clash.

Home comfort on the one side, love of travel on the other: while Borussia Dortmund are the only team yet to be beaten on home soil in the current Bundesliga season, Bayern are the only club who haven’t yet lost on the road. In fact, BVB have won each of their last six home league games, but Vincent Kompany’s side can point to a run of 20 Bundesliga away outings without loss (W15, D5). The last time the German record champions were beaten away from home was in the 2-1 reverse at Mainz in early December 2024, almost 15 months ago. What’s more, BVB have the best home defence in the league with just eight goals conceded at Signal Iduna Park, FCB the best away attack with 37 goals in 11 matches.

Top attacks face defensive bulwarks

Overall, Bayern boast the best defence in this Bundesliga season with 21 goals conceded, with Dortmund just behind on 22 goals. So will the two forward lines be frustrated by the opposition rearguards?

It’s unlikely when you consider these stats: with 85 goals after 23 matchdays, Munich have set a new record figure in the competition. Closest to them again are Dortmund with 49 goals. Plus, the two rivals are, along with Barcelona, the only teams in Europe’s top five leagues to have scored in every league match so far this term. Borussia have even equalled a 30-year-old club record in doing so – only in the 1995/96 campaign did the Schwarzgelben score in each of the first 23 league matches. That was before a 1-0 defeat at home to Bayern followed on Matchday 24.

Whether it’s now classed as the Bundesliga Klassiker or not, one thing’s for sure: FC Bayern versus Borssia Dortmund is the most-played fixture in German professional football, with the two clubs set to meet for the 139th time since the formation of the Bundesliga on Saturday. FCB have come out on top in 68 of those clashes, BVB 33 times. The German record champions have enjoyed their recent trips to Dortmund, having not lost in seven competitive trips since the 2-0 defeat in the 2019 Supercup (W5, D2). In the league, their last defeat at Signal Iduna Park dates from November 2018 (3-2).

You can only be amazed at Harry Kanes’s record from the last three Bundesliga games. The Englishman netted twice in the 5-1 victory over Hoffenheim, the 3-0 win at Bremen and the 3-2 success against Frankfurt. Now he has the chance to become only the third player in Bundesliga history to score braces in four consecutive matches, after Dortmund’s Lothar Emmerich in 1967 and Tomislav Marić for Wolfsburg in 2001.

This is Kane’s third attempt at this Bundesliga best in his third year in Germany. Both in autumn 2023 and late summer 2025, the striker didn’t manage to make it four braces in a row. Will it be third time lucky in Dortmund?

BVB in flying form

The hosts are enjoying their best Bundesliga season in seven years with 52 points from 23 games. Since the introduction of the three-point rule 30 years ago, this tally would’ve been enough to be top of the table in half of all seasons (15 of 30) – had Bayern not gone one better, as is the case currently. With 60 points at this stage, the Bavarians are currently playing their third-best season in the competition – only 2013/14 (65 points) and 2015/16 (62) were even better from FCB.

However, Dortmund go into this meeting unbeaten in 16 league games (W11, D5) – longer than any other team in Europe’s major leagues. Their last defeat came against Bayern in the reverse fixture – perhaps the next one will too.

Learn more about the opponents here: