Hansi Flick expects the “whole world” to be watching when Bayern Munich and “exceptional” Borussia Dortmund lock horns in the Bundesliga.
Bayern travel to Signal Iduna Park on Saturday for an eagerly awaited Klassiker battle between the top two.
The European champions and Dortmund are level on 15 points at the summit, with Bayern only leading the way on goal difference.
Bayern head coach Flick, who welcomes Leon Goretzka back from a calf injury but will have to do without Niklas Sule and Joshua Zirkzee due to recent positive coronavirus tests, knows Dortmund pose a huge threat.
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He said in a news conference on Friday: “Dortmund are an exceptional team. They have the best defence in the Bundesliga and extraordinary qualities in switching from defence to offence.
“They have good players, not only [Erling] Haaland but also many others. They are very quick and we have to stop them by standing compact and defending well.
“That’s why it is important that we as a team act just like we have in recent games. I’m looking forward to the match. These matches are the icing on the cake for everyone: Players, coaches, the staff and the fans.
“Haaland is not the only player we have to pay attention to. The whole team needs to be at 100 per cent.”
Flick knows the game will attract attention way beyond Germany.
“Obviously you want to win the matches against Dortmund. It’s the German ‘Clasico’. Everyone is motivated,” he continued. “We all know that not only all of Germany is watching, but the whole world [too]. That’s what gives us extra motivation for this match.
“We are as confident as ever in our qualities and that’s why we will try everything in order to leave the pitch as the winner on Saturday.”
The build-up to the game has been slightly overshadowed from a Bayern perspective by the uncertainty over the future of David Alaba, after contract talks stalled.
Alaba is being tipped to make his way to Liverpool during the January transfer window, with former Bayern Munich star Mario Basler seeing the Austrian providing cover for the injured Virgil van Dijk at Anfield.
Basler said: “Maybe he’ll go to Liverpool. They have big problems with the injury to Van Dijk and the cruciate ligament rupture. He’s supposed to be out for a long time, and I think there’s a big need to strengthen in the central defender position.”
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