Der Klassiker

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Lore & Background

The first match between the two clubs was a 2–0 win for Dortmund in Munich on 16 October 1965. On 5 May 1966, Dortmund won the 1966 European Cup Winners' Cup final against Liverpool in extra time, becoming the first German club to win a European title. Bayern Munich won the same competition the following season. In 1971, Bayern defeated Dortmund 11–1; this remains Bayern's biggest Bundesliga victory and Dortmund's second worst defeat, after Dortmund's worst defeat of 12–0 v Borussia Mönchengladbach on 29 April 1978. The highest scoring draw in a Bundesliga match between the two teams occurred on 21 May 1983, when Karl-Heinz Rummenigge scored a late equaliser to save Bayern from a defeat against hosts Dortmund, with a final scoreline of 4–4. The rivalry grew during the 1990s, as Dortmund's stature increased to challenge perennial title favourites Bayern, winning two Bundesliga titles in 1994–95 and 1995–96. 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. At the end of that season, Dortmund won the 1997 UEFA Champions League final which happened to be played at the Olympiastadion, Bayern's home ground. The teams met in the quarter-finals of the next edition of the Champions League, and Dortmund prevailed over two legs thanks to a single goal from Stéphane Chapuisat. That summer, Bayern hired Dortmund's successful coach Ottmar Hitzfeld to work for them. Tempers flared twice during Bayern and Dortmund's second meeting in the 1998–99 Bundesliga, as Bayern goalkeeper Oliver Kahn first attempted a flying kung-fu kick at Chapuisat, and later appeared to bite Heiko Herrlich's ear. In the early 2000s both clubs remained successful, as Bayern lost one Champions League final (1999) then won another (2001) in addition to more domestic success, while Dortmund won the 2001–02 Bundesliga and reached the UEFA Cup final the same year. An angry 2001 league meeting between the pair was notable for ten yellow cards and three red being shown. However, Dortmund soon fell heavily into debt, and a €2m loan from Bayern in 2004 played a small role in saving them from bankruptcy. On 19 April 2008, the two sides clashed in the 2008 DFB-Pokal final for the first time that took place in Berlin. Luca Toni opened the scoring after eleven minutes, but Mladen Petric

In Their Own Story

The narrative of Der Klassiker shifted dramatically in the early 2010s. Dortmund, led by players like Mats Hummels, Mario Götze, Shinji Kagawa, and Robert Lewandowski, broke Bayern's dominance to win the 2011 and 2012 Bundesliga titles. In 2011–12, they clinched the league at home with fans tossing bananas at Manuel Neuer. They completed a historic double by beating Bayern 5–2 in the 2012 DFB-Pokal final, where Lewandowski scored a hat-trick. The climax arrived in May 2013 at Wembley for the Champions League final. Despite Mario Götze having already agreed to join Bayern, Arjen Robben scored an 89th-minute winner to secure Bayern's first-ever Treble. Post-match drama included player transfers: Lewandowski moved to Bayern as a free agent in 2014, followed by Hummels in 2016.

Reader's Guide

The first match between the two clubs was a 2–0 win for Dortmund in Munich on 16 October 1965. The 2001 league meeting was notable for ten yellow cards and three red being shown. Mats Hummels was Dortmund's captain when he moved to Bayern in 2016. Oliver Kahn attempted a flying kung-fu kick at Stéphane Chapuisat and later appeared to bite Heiko Herrlich's ear.

Did You Know?

• The first match between the two clubs was a 2–0 win for Dortmund in Munich on 16 October 1965.
• The 2001 league meeting was notable for ten yellow cards and three red being shown.
• Mats Hummels was Dortmund's captain when he moved to Bayern in 2016.
• Oliver Kahn attempted a flying kung-fu kick at Stéphane Chapuisat and later appeared to bite Heiko Herrlich's ear.