Bayern aim to clinch title against Dortmund in ‘Klassiker’

DUSSELDORF, Germany: Bayern Munich are used to winning the Bundesliga title. Even so, this one is special.

Not only would it be Bayern’s 10th in a row — a feat never achieved in any of Europe’s top five leagues — but the club can clinch the title at home on Saturday with a win in the “Klassiker” against Borussia Dortmund.

Bayern’s stadium will be packed for the match, making a difference from twice celebrating titles in empty arenas amid the pandemic.

The mood in Munich on Thursday was relaxed, with Bayern coach Julian Nagelsmann already discussing his players’ tradition of celebrating league wins by pouring beer over the coach.

“Beer is supposed to be quite good for your hair,” he joked.

Still, Nagelsmann admitted that winning the Bundesliga again has “perhaps a little bit less meaning in Munich” than the Champions League, where Bayern was eliminated in the quarterfinals with a surprise loss to Villarreal.

“On Saturday, it’s still a special situation to do it against Dortmund, to do it against your direct competitor in your own stadium with a full house,” he said.

Ten titles in a row would be a historic achievement for Bayern but less helpful for the Bundesliga. Stagnation at the top makes it a harder sell to international audiences.

Winning the league is just meeting minimum expectations for Nagelsmann in the first year of a five-year contract.

“I think that if I didn’t win it with the team, then I wouldn’t be the coach here any more,” he said.

Dortmund trail Bayern by nine points with four games remaining and would need a big win Saturday and a dramatic Bayern collapse to have any hope for the title. Still, they would love to spoil Bayern’s party.

Bayern have won their last seven meetings against Dortmund,