Bayern and Dortmund compared
August 19, 2014
If you ask most Bundesliga coaches who they think will win this year's competition, you'll get a clear answer: Bayern Munich. Germany's record-breaking club has not only the finances to destroy the competition, but also the personnel. In a recent questionnaire conducted by German news agency dpa, only two coaches tip Dortmund to win the title this season. But still, Bayern's coach Pep Guardiola is holding himself back."It will be a challenge to play better than Borussia Dortmund this season," the Spanish coach said recently.
In the last two seasons, Bayern has dominated Dortmund. But Dortmund keeps showing again and again - most recently in the Supercup - that they have what it takes to beat Bayern on the right day. All bodes well for an exciting title fight this season, especially with the recent injuries suffered by Bayern's squad leveling the playing field. So, DW has had a closer look at how the parts of each team match up and is ready to pick a winner.
Goalkeeping: Neuer ahead
In goal, Bayern definitely have the advantage with Manuel Neuer in their ranks. The best goalkeeper at the World Cup performs well in the Bundesliga too, week after week. His opposite number, Roman Weidenfeller, also isn't a bad player either though. The 34-year-old may not be the youngest, but he has fast reactions and has been a reliable contributor to the Dortmund team effort for years.
Defense: Subotic fit
Dortmund's Neven Subotic has been back in action in the German Cup and - beside Mats Hummels - is one of the best central defenders in the league. With new signing Matthias Ginter, as well as Erik Durm, Marcel Schmelzer, Lukasz Piszczek, Sokratis and Kevin Großkreutz, coach Jürgen Klopp really is spoilt for choice. This defense will be tough to beat and it seems more stable than the back line of Bayern Munich.
The defending champs are having to re-build their defensive line after the injury to Javi Martinez. Although Philipp Lahm is probably the best wing back in the world, and Jerome Boateng is doing well too, at the moment, there's no replacement for Martinez. Many expect Bayern to be active on the player market on this front before the transfer window closes. Holger Badstuber is returning from injury and new signing Juan Bernat needs time to settle in. Austrian David Alaba will likely have a big role to play.
Midfield: Reus and Götze in focus
He may have scored the winning goal at the World Cup in Brazil, but Mario Götze still isn't guaranteed a starting position in Bayern's star-studded midfield. After all, the competition in his team is strong: Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben, Thomas Müller and Bastian Schweinsteiger to name but a few.
The only doubt remaining, surrounds the Spanish midfielder Thiago. The 22-year-old is tipped to take longer than expected to recover from injury and until then Götze may have to take over his creative playmaking role.
Dortmund also has some key midfield players still not fully fit. If Marco Reus can recover properly from injury he's obviously likely to play a key role for Dortmund, with his strong passing and acceleration in attack. It's the same story with Ilkay Gündogan and Jakub Blaszczykowski, who are both not quite as fit yet as Reus. For the moment Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been carrying the load in the creative department in Dortmund's midfield and he's been in good form in pre-season.
Sven Bender, Nuri Sahin and Sebastian Kehl are three strong performers in Klopp's team, who will play more in defensive midfield. It's definitely a good unit, but it's not world class like at Bayern.
Strikers: Lewandowski on song
Over the last four years Robert Lewandowski scored a whopping 74 goals in 131 games for Borussia Dortmund. But, of course, in the summer break he moved to league rivals Bayern Munich. The 26-year-old is in many people's opinion the best striker in the world at the moment. In fact, he's been replaced by two new faces at Dortmund: Ciro Immobile and Adrian Ramos. Lewandowski's departure should also mean more minutes of playing time for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in his second season at Dortmund. All three players have the quality, but will they be able to show it when it counts this season?
Coaches: Klopp v Guardiola
Pep loves to keep possession, Kloppo loves to press: the match-up between these two tactically different coaches is one of the most intriguing aspects of the season ahead. Guardiola has managed to win some amazing domestic and continental trophies, while Klopp has arguably directed the biggest club turnaround in Europe in the last 10 years. Both coaches are known to be good communicators.
Klopp has started the season in front with the Supercup win and is keen to make the most of it. But he's not getting too carried away. "We play with Bayern Munich in the same league, one of the best football teams in the world. In every competition they are among the favorites. But, from the first round, in every game, we want to be as tough an opponent as possible," Klopp said ahead of the season.
Conclusion: Dortmund just ahead
Bayern Munich is staring down the barrel of a tough season. A number of World Cup stars are still not fit and Martinez and Thiago's absence will surely play a role. "We will have difficulties until the start of winter," Guardiola predicted recently. A dominant season like their last two seems very unlikely. Dortmund also has to take care with its top players, but on the whole they seem to be the fitter and stronger of Germany's two star teams.