Kimmich on a BVB quality that has been added
With the Klassiker at the Bernabéu circled in thick red ink, Bayern’s week has felt like a dress rehearsal for a title statement.
On Wednesday, Aleksandar Pavlovic boiled the plan down to its essence: play our game and win. The simplicity was deliberate. Bayern under Hansi Flick prefer clarity over clutter, trust in their patterns, and believe that when the tempo is theirs the match bends to their will.
By Thursday, the tempo at Säbener Straße had lifted another notch. International returnees filtered back into the building, including Harry Kane, and the training rhythm shifted from conditioning to match modeling. Sessions emphasized the first press, the timing of midfield jumps, and the spacing that lets the back line squeeze while keeping protection for counters. Saturday’s 18:30 kickoff is not just a marquee slot. For Joshua Kimmich, it is an opportunity to set the tone for the winter. He spoke unambiguously about making a statement and opening a gap. At this stage of a campaign, moments like these can turn an advantage on the table into psychological weight for rivals.
The standings give the talk substance. A win would push Bayern Munich seven points clear and tie Dortmund’s record start from 2015 to 2016 with eleven wins in eleven. Numbers like that travel through a league. They change how opponents approach matches and they make every dropped point by the chasers feel heavier. Still, Kimmich tempered the excitement with a veteran’s caution. He has lived seasons that began like a sprint and ended with a stumble, so the message inside the dressing room is to keep the pulse steady, performance first, headlines second.
Any composure starts with a clear reading of the opponent. Dortmund arrive unbeaten, the only side in that category alongside Bayern, and since Niko Kovac took the reins they have been difficult to unpick. Kimmich’s praise was specific. He sees a more stable Dortmund, a team that now values defensive control as much as offensive spark. The late stages of last season showed it, and the early rhythm of this one confirms it. The results have not always been spectacular, yet the defensive platform has been consistent and productive. In Kimmich’s view, that evolution has not received the full credit it deserves, perhaps because stability rarely grabs attention, but the points tally tells its own story.
The data points support the eye test. Kovac’s side ranked second in last season’s Rückrunde and stand second again now, each time shadowing Bayern. That is not accidental. The front line has speed to burn with Karim Adeyemi and Maxi Beier, which stretches defenses vertically and punishes sloppy rest defense. Add a penalty box finisher of Guirassy’s quality into the picture and the threat profile broadens. For Bayern, the warning is clear. Dominate the ball, yes, but never relax the protective shape behind it. If the counterpress misses by a half step, Dortmund have the pace to turn one pass into a sprint duel inside thirty yards.
Tactically, this sets up a chess match in transition. Bayern’s full backs will be invited to step high to lock Dortmund in, but every advance must be paired with coverage and angles from the nearest midfielder. Kimmich and Pavlovic will be asked to read triggers, decide when to fasten the trap, and when to delay and reset. The center backs must be brave enough to hold the line near midfield to keep the team compact, yet alert enough to win the first race when the ball pops free. This is the balance that has defined Bayern at their best. Relentless pressure without losing the ability to defend space.
In possession, the details matter. The first pass after regaining the ball cannot be lazy, because Dortmund’s initial press is coordinated and designed to funnel play into traps near the touchline. Bayern will look to use third man combinations to break the first line, with the 8 or the inverted full back appearing between lines to turn and face play. Kane’s movement will be vital as an anchor and as a wall for lay offs. If he can fix the center backs and bring wingers into the game on the half turn, Dortmund will be forced to tilt and open the weak side. That is where Bayern often find their best cutback chances, arriving late with a midfielder.
Set plays could also tilt the balance. When two teams compress open play to narrow margins, restarts become levers. Expect Bayern to target near post runs that create traffic and isolate a back post finisher, while Dortmund will try to use blockers to spring their aerial threats. Discipline in the box and the second phase of defending corners will be essential.
The intangible layer is confidence. Bayern look hard to stop right now, but respect is built into their approach. Kimmich’s words about staying calm were not a cliché. They reflect a value system that treats every week as a new test, especially against an opponent that has rebuilt its identity around stability and transition strength. The plan is to impose their football, manage the counter risk, and let their quality in the final third tell over ninety minutes.
If Bayern execute, they can turn a strong start into a genuine cushion. If they blink, Dortmund’s improved balance under Kovac is built to punish exactly those lapses. That tension is what makes the Klassiker more than a rivalry. It is a measuring stick for who can control the season’s narrative as autumn turns to winter.
