Dortmund's new guard aiming to revive 'Der Klassiker'

The appeal of "Der Klassiker" as a competitive fixture has waned, and it would even be generous to say that its decline is a recent phenomenon.

Viewers still tune in, holding onto false hope that they'll witness a contest, but are perpetually disappointed with lop-sided scorelines and the inevitable Bayern victory.

Since the 2013 Champions League final, the pinnacle of "Der Klassiker," Dortmund have won just three of the past 14 Bundesliga matches in the fixture. Bayern have tripled Dortmund's goal tally in that stretch, a differential of 36-11. It hasn't even been close.

But Erling Haaland and his cohort of exciting young teammates have revamped the hype around Dortmund and brought hope to a fixture that lacks history and can only thrive on true competition.

Dortmund's new dawn

The Norwegian has reinvigorated Dortmund and not just with his goals. He's banged in almost a goal a game since his arrival in January, but Haaland brings a lot more than just statistics.

His off-the-ball movement is exceptional, and he's struck up a incredible understanding with Jadon Sancho. On top of that, Haaland's drive and determination has instilled much needed leadership and hunger into this team.

The striker celebrates every goal, whether his own or a teammate's, with infectious enthusiasm that it's only inevitable his teammates take stock and get on board. Dortmund's suspected mentality problem is slowly being debunked.

On top of Haaland and Sancho are two even younger stars in 17-year-olds Giovanni Reyna and Jude Bellingham. Bellingham has especially been outstanding with his mature understanding of the game, quick feet, vision, and nonchalant passing range.

Coupled with Mats Hummels rediscovering his best form and Dortmund's defense looking a lot more solid than in recent years, there are good signs the Bundesliga's biggest showcase could be revived.

Rivalries can't be fabricated

Of course, "Der Klassiker" is a marketing slogan designed to pump up the Bundesliga for international audiences.

But the fact that no team outside Bayern and Dortmund have won the league since 2009 means it's the best matchup the league has to offer.

At the same time, the gulf between the two teams should never be underestimated. The discrepancy between turnovers is more than €200 million, and Bayern's wage bill is almost double that of their rivals. That gap in finances is very difficult to overcome.

However, a Dortmund victory on Saturday will make hope of snatching a title and momentarily breaking Bayern's monopoly much more plausible.

It's a tough ask considering Bayern's air of invincibility around them under Hansi Flick. But the Bavarians had next to no offseason and that could perhaps give Dortmund a chance.

Bayern still favorites

The last two meetings suggest Dortmund may be creeping closer to making this a contest again.

In May's decisive title showdown, Bayern ran out a somewhat fortunate 1-0 victory. A freak wonderstrike from the brilliant Joshua Kimmich was enough to seal victory, while the VAR inexplicably ignored a handball from Jerome Boateng in the box.

In September, Bayern only just edged out a 3-2 thriller in the Super Cup, again thanks to a Kimmich strike. And there’s at least one other good omen for Dortmund: they have managed to win two of the last fixtures at the Westfalenstadion.

This is still Bayern's domain, however, and it's their game to lose. Flick's team continues to stroll through their fixture list with relative ease and are most recently coming off a 6-2 thumping of RB Salzburg.

The 4-1 defeat against Hoffenheim on matchday 2 has been their only loss in 2020.

Their defense has looked a little more shaky this season though and Dortmund's brutal counter attacks could cause them problems. If Dortmund can hold their nerve in defense and exploit gaps within Bayern's backline, "Der Klassiker" could finally live up to its name once again.