Borussia Dortmund host Bayern Munich on Saturday for the first Klassiker of the German Bundesliga season and it is shaping up to be fascinating. Neither side are top with Union Berlin and SC Freiburg both two points clear of the pair. Saturday's loser faces dropping out of the European places. Julian Nagelsmann's future has already been the topic of debate in recent weeks so the visitors cannot afford to lose this one. Edin Terzic is not under the same pressure, but Dortmund have been unable to capitalize on Bayern's struggles so far.
Here are our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
Date: Saturday, Oct. 8 | Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
Location: Signal Iduna Park -- Dortmund, Germany
TV: None | Live stream: ESPN+
Odds: Dortmund +333; Draw +350; Bayern -154 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
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Storylines
Borussia Dortmund: Three losses from the last five games across all competitions is not good enough for the North Rhine Westphalia giants and an inability to make the most of Bayern's stuttering form will be a source of major frustration. However, regular unavailability of key figures like Sebastien Haller, Karim Adeyemi and Gio Reyna since the start of the season is costing this side. Anthony Modeste as an emergency addition up top is not working out as hoped and goals have been extremely hard to come by given the collective talent.
🎙 Edin Terzic:
— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) October 7, 2022
"Marco Reus will not be able to play. With Gregor Kobel, we'll see how he feels after the final training session. Reyna, Hummels, and Wolf will all take part in final training and could be available." pic.twitter.com/FYOWQ3dv7Y
Bayern Munich: The German champions look good in the UEFA Champions League with three wins from three, but domestic form has suffered. Nagelsmann has been without Thomas Muller, Joshua Kimmich, Kingsley Coman and Lucas Hernandez of late, but it is the lukewarm start to life at Allianz Arena made by Sadio Mane which poses most concern at present. With Thomas Tuchel now a free agent, Nagelsmann knows that a successor of the highest caliber could be waiting in the wings the next time his side drop points.
🗣️ @J__Nagelsmann on Kimmich and @esmuellert_: "Both have been able to test negative. Thomas still has some cold symptoms, so he won't play. With Joshua, we will wait and see how he feels after training and will then decide whether it makes sense for him to travel."#BVBFCB pic.twitter.com/vUxUiWRZbS
— FC Bayern Munich (@FCBayernEN) October 7, 2022
Prediction
I am very tempted to go for a draw here, but I think that Bayern will just about get the job done. Nagelsmann's side cannot afford to lose, and a draw would not really cut it either. Expect the pressure to really increase if Dortmund do manage to take all three points. PICK: Borussia Dortmund 1, Bayern Munich 2.
