| Bayern vs Dortmund | |
| MATCH | DFL Super Cup |
| DATE | 23 - 08 - 2026 |
| TIME | 12.00 AM IST |
| STADIUM | Signal Iduna Park |
Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich: Match Preview
Borussia Dortmund head into another edition of Der Klassiker after a significantly improved 2025-26 Bundesliga campaign. The Black and Yellow collected 73 points, 16 more than the previous season, while conceding 17 fewer goals and finishing two places higher in the table.
Despite that progress, Dortmund were once again forced to watch Bayern Munich celebrate the Bundesliga title, extending their wait for a league championship. Niko Kovac will now be focused on building on last season’s improvement and closing the gap on the reigning champions.
One area Dortmund will want to improve is their attacking output. They scored 70 Bundesliga goals last season, only one more than their tally from the previous campaign. Their pre-season has also been inconsistent, with three wins, one draw and two defeats from six friendly matches.
Dortmund’s home record provides plenty of encouragement, however. They won 13 of their 17 Bundesliga matches at Signal Iduna Park last season. One of their only two home defeats came against Bayern, who secured a narrow 3-2 victory in February.
Bayern Munich enter the new campaign as the clear favourites to retain their crown after an extraordinary 2025-26 season.
The Bavarians scored a remarkable 122 goals in the Bundesliga, setting a new record for the most goals scored by a team in a single German top-flight season. Vincent Kompany has also managed to retain key attacking players such as Harry Kane and Michael Olise, further strengthening Bayern’s title credentials.
Bayern also lifted the DFB-Pokal after comfortably defeating Stuttgart in the final and will be confident of continuing their domestic dominance.
The champions won both meetings with Dortmund last season, although each victory came by a single goal. Bayern have also dominated recent encounters at Signal Iduna Park, remaining unbeaten in their last eight visits and winning seven of those matches.
Their pre-season form has been impressive as well, with Bayern winning five of their six friendlies, including victories over Aston Villa and RB Leipzig.
Recent Friendly Form
Borussia Dortmund: W, L, L, W, W, D
Bayern Munich: L, W, W, W, W, W
Team News
Dortmund are expected to field a strong lineup for the weekend’s Klassiker. Serhou Guirassy and Samuele Inacio are likely to lead the attack, while Felix Nmecha should operate at the base of midfield alongside Jobe Bellingham.
Niko Kovac has regularly used a back-three system, and injuries to Nico Schlotterbeck and Emre Can could see Filippo Mane, Joane Gadou and Ramy Bensebaini form the defensive trio.
Bayern have concerns of their own, particularly surrounding Jamal Musiala. The midfielder suffered an issue during the friendly against RB Leipzig on August 15 and is unlikely to be risked from the start.
Harry Kane has also suggested that he may only be fit enough for around 45 minutes, potentially leading to a less familiar Bayern attacking setup.
Luiz Diaz, Arijon Ibrahimovic and Ismael Saibari could therefore feature in the forward line, depending on Kompany’s final selection.
In midfield, Bayern could deploy Joshua Kimmich, Tom Bischof and Aleksandar Pavlovic, giving the visitors a strong technical presence in the centre of the pitch.
Dortmund’s improved performances last season suggest they are better equipped to challenge Bayern than they were in recent campaigns. However, Bayern’s extraordinary scoring record, strong pre-season and dominance in recent Der Klassiker meetings make the defending champions favourites heading into this highly anticipated clash.
