Tuesday Nov 19, 2024
Tuesday Nov 19, 2024
Saturday, 4 May 2013 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
REUTERS: At any other moment in the last three years a Bundesliga encounter between already-crowned champions Bayern Munich and arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund would be a season highlight yet their Saturday clash is nothing more than an awkward moment.
Germany’s top two teams have a much bigger trophy in their sights when they meet in the Champions League final on May 25 after brushing aside Spain’s Barcelona and Real Madrid.
Bayern’s 3-0 win at Barcelona for a 7-0 aggregate victory on Wednesday came a day after Dortmund eased past Real despite a 2-0 loss to set up the first all-German final in the competition.
“This thing with Bayern now is a funny constellation,” said Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp. “We will have to see how we can do it.”
His second-placed team are assured a Champions League spot next season while Bayern, chasing a treble of trophies which also includes the German Cup, clinched the league title weeks ago with a handful of games to spare.
With Klopp’s team facing their biggest game in 16 years at Wembley stadium on May 25, the 45-year-old could be forgiven for putting the league derby on the backburner.
“We will give it everything we have, I can promise that. We have enough time to recover but if Bayern beat us (in the league on Saturday) then I do not think there will ever be fewer disappointed people in Dortmund,” Klopp said.
The coach will most likely be without Mario Goetze, who has agreed to join Bayern at the end of the season, after he pulled a muscle and limped off early in the first half against Real.
“With Mario it will be tight for any game from now on,” Klopp said of the talented offensive midfielder’s chances of playing again this season.
Midfielder Sven Bender is also nursing an ankle injury while Klopp looks set to rest a string of other key players.
“We will try to cause Bayern some problems but we will have to wait and see if it works.”
Bayern are equally nonchalant about the derby, having their eyes firmly set on the treble - a first for a German team - with the league already wrapped up.
“No, no, it is not pointless,” Bayern coach Heynckes told reporters when asked if the upcoming league game against their rivals had any weight given the bigger date the two clubs have.
“But we will not start thinking about it before Friday. We will celebrate, enjoy this moment and from Friday onwards we can start thinking about it,” he said after Bayern booked their third Champions League final spot in four years.
Third-placed Bayer Leverkusen could make sure of the final automatic Champions League qualification spot with a win at Nuremberg.
Schalke 04 are battling to secure the Champions League qualifying round spot and will look to hang on to fourth place when they host Borussia Moenchengladbach.
At the other end of the table Hoffenheim’s five-year spell in the top division could be coming to an end with a defeat at fellow relegation-threatened Werder Bremen.
