Der Klassiker Rivalry

Lore & Background

The two teams fought closely for the Bundesliga title in the early 2010s, and met in the 2013 UEFA Champions League final. However, the nature of the rivalry has been called into question, with many disputing the fixture being a "classic" due to there being little historic rivalry between the teams, in contrast to the long history of many other prominent football derbies in Germany, including Dortmund's Revierderby with FC Schalke 04, the various Bavarian football derbies involving Bayern Munich and 1.

FC Nürnberg, and the elder 70s rivalry between Bayern Munich and Borussia Mönchengladbach. The first match between the two clubs was a 2–0 win for Dortmund in Munich on 16 October 1965. The rivalry grew during the 1990s, as Dortmund's stature increased to challenge perennial title favourites Bayern. In 1996, Bayern captain Lothar Matthäus accused Germany teammate Andreas Möller of being a 'crybaby', wiping imaginary tears from his face; Möller reacted by slapping Matthäus.

The teams met in the 2013 UEFA Champions League final, with Arjen Robben scoring a dramatic 89th-minute winner at Wembley Stadium.

Reader's Guide

The most important recent result has seen Bayern Munich defeat Borussia Dortmund 2–1 in the 2026 Franz Beckenbauer Supercup. Key historical matches include the 11–1 Bayern win on 27 November 1971 (Bayern's biggest Bundesliga victory and Dortmund's second worst defeat), the 4–4 draw on 21 May 1983, the 2012 DFB-Pokal final (Dortmund won 5–2), and the 2013 UEFA Champions League final (Bayern won 2–1).

Did You Know?

• The highest scoring draw in a Bundesliga match between the two teams occurred on 21 May 1983, ending 4–4.
• Dortmund's worst defeat of 12–0 was against Borussia Mönchengladbach on 29 April 1978.
• A €2m loan from Bayern in 2004 played a small role in saving Dortmund from bankruptcy.
• The term "German Clasico" was first used around the time of the 2013 UEFA Champions League final, based on El Clásico between Real Madrid and Barcelona.