Lucien Favre is convinced Borussia Dortmund will be an entirely different beast in Tuesday's Klassiker to the one Bayern Munich thrashed 4-0 earlier in the season, with Erling Haaland and Emre Can playing a part in that.
Bayern was comfortable victor in the first Klassiker of the season back in November, with a Robert Lewandowski brace added to by Serge Gnabry's effort and a Mats Hummels own goal.
Tuesday's encounter will likely play a vital role in deciding where the Bundesliga title ends up, with Bayern four points clear of Dortmund at the summit.
READ |
While the phenomenon of home advantage may have been lost since the Bundesliga returned behind closed doors following the coronavirus-enforced suspension, Favre – whose Dortmund side will host Bayern – insists conclusions from their previous meeting are irrelevant this time.
"Obviously we didn't play well in the first meeting," Favre told reporters. "It was three days after our home match against Inter.
"Since then we improved and play with another system. It suits our squad more. In the transfer market we signed two players [Haaland and Can] and have more presence on the pitch now. We are simply better than back then, but this match [the 4-0 defeat] definitely was not good from us."
Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc added: "I can back Lucien 100 per cent on this. It's a crucial factor that we added two winners in Erling Haaland and Emre Can.
"Furthermore, there is big difference in our performances between home and away matches. We beat them at home last year, we beat them in the Super Cup. We are all looking forward to this match, as does the whole of German football."
But Zorc was eager to impress on Favre and the players the importance of this match, certain that failure to win will effectively doom their title challenge.
"First and second place in the league table are facing off. Emotionally it is a different match, just like it was in the derby against Schalke," Zorc said.
READ |
"When you play without fans it's going to be determined by the values we showed on the pitch in the previous two games. The team has been right on point.
"Obviously, you don't have to be a prophet when you say: If we want to keep competing for the title, we have to win the match. It's as simple as that.
"There are only six more matches to play after that. It's easy to say, difficult to achieve, since Bayern are an exceptional side."
Comments
SHARE