The summit of German football is not the title of the Bundesliga, as is usual
When the classic Bundesliga summit between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund begins at the Allianz Arena on Saturday evening, both sides of the match face the assumption that they will play while they are 13 and 23 points away from leaders Bayer Leverkusen if the latter wins over Hoffenheim early on the same day!
13 and 23 points, two numbers that explain why the “Classicer” this year is not the event in Germany as is usual when the two greats meet, and the reason is the miraculous season that Xabi Alonso’s men are experiencing and making everyone, including Bayern and Dortmund, live in light of what his team offers.
Suffice it to say that for the first time in 14 years, the two teams will meet in the second half of the season, and neither side of the meeting is in the lead, and the coincidence is that at that time Leverkusen was also leading in the 2009-2010 season on goal difference from Bayern.
It can be said that there is a similarity in the season of the two sides of the Saturday summit. The two teams that competed until the last round last season for the title shield completely stayed away from the competition, firstly because of Leverkusen, and secondly because of the significant decline and internal problems of each team, but on the other hand the duo is experiencing a successful continental season. They reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League and are performing at a much better level on the continental level than on the local level.
The deteriorating technical situation locally has opened the door to change in the two clubs. Bayern has already announced the departure of Thomas Tuchel at the end of the season, regardless of what the team’s continental adventure will result in, while Dortmund, according to reports, is internally discussing changing Edin Terzic, the technical director, and Sebastian Kiel, the sporting director, especially since the team’s negligence. The Bundesliga title in the final round last season is still in the mind, and the management holds the team’s coach and staff mainly responsible for “gifting” the championship to Bavarian.
Talking about the technical change in the two clubs takes us to another clash outside the field away from Saturday’s match, as the two are linked to a contract with the German national team coach, Julian Nagelsmann, firstly Dortmund, which German reports said already has an agreement to succeed Terzic, while reports emerged recently about talks between Max Eberl, The new sporting director of Bayern, with the coach of the towels, to seek his opinion on the idea of returning after his departure in the middle of last season after major disagreements with the previous board of directors.
The decision remains in the hands of Nagelsmann, whose situation has begun to change in recent weeks after he was more inclined to leave Germany after the Euro. He has become more open to the idea of continuing and hinted at the matter in press conferences prior to the recent friendlies of France and the Netherlands, although he left the door ajar for those interested in his services, waiting for what will happen in the future. Euro 2024 is a few months away.
The Bundesliga is witnessing exciting conflicts in almost all parts of the table except the top due to Leverkusen’s dominance, and if the “Classicer” is for the first time in years, it will not have a say in deciding the title, but it may be important in deciding third place and European seats, as Bayern is separated by only 4 points from… Stuttgart, in turn, is ahead of Dortmund by six points, and the latter is ahead of fifth-placed Leipzig by only a point!