This past weekend, Bayern Munich secured another domestic crown with an expected win over Hertha Berlin and after Wolfsburg were unable to find a way past Borussia Mönchengladbach. Given that die Roten have dominated the league so much that they have never slipped below first since taking pole position on September 23, 2014, it would have been a huge shock and massive failure if Pep Guardiola's men were unable to make sure the league title remained in Munich for another season.
With that completed, they can now turn to part two of their Treble - the DFB Pokal. And this semi-final looks set to be an interesting one as it will be the last Klassiker for outgoing coach Jurgen Klopp. It has been nothing short of a nightmare season for Borussia Dortmund, who only two years ago were featuring in the Champions League final and won back to back league titles in 2011 and 2012.
Out of Europe after being dispatched by Juventus, and scrambling to even secure Europa League football, a win over their bitter rivals would not only represent Klopp's last chance at silverware, but also perhaps a small chance at celebration for the team's battle-weary, yet loyal, fan base.
Tomorrow's DFB-Pokal semi-final will be the last opportunity for Klopp to try to win against rival tactician Guardiola (in Germany, at least)
Although Bayern have every reason to feel confident in their chances as they have beaten die Schwarzgelben twice since losing in the DFL-Supercup back on August 13, 2014, the former Barcelona manager does not expect them to kick back and relax:
Im Moment hat der FCB aber "keine Zeit zu feiern, denn wir haben morgen ein Finale gegen den BVB". #FCBBVB #FCBPK pic.twitter.com/9EfvczI4s4
— FC Bayern München (@FCBayern) April 27, 2015
"At this moment, Bayern has no time to celebrate because we have a [DFB-Pokal semi] final tomorrow against BVB"
However, according to reports, he could finally welcome both Arjen Robben and Mehdi Benatia - who were mentioned in his pre-match press conference prior to the clash with Hertha BSC - back to the fold.
Meanwhile his opposing tactician, who saw his side inch closer to a Europa League spot with a hard-fought 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt has encouraged his men to use this as a springboard against a familiar adversary:
Klopp: Die Bayern sind die schwere Hürde, die man auf dem Weg nach Berlin überwinden muss. #DFBPokal #BVB #BVBFCB
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) April 27, 2015
"Bayern are a serious obstacle that [we] have to overcome on the way to Berlin..."
Klopp zum Spiel: Gegen Bayern darf man nie passiv sein. Wir müssen mit allen Sinnen am Start sein. #DFBPokal #FCBBVB #BVB
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) April 27, 2015
"...[and] against them one cannot be passive. We must approach the game with maximum concentration and focus from the start"
Bayern have won this competition 17 times, whereas Dortmund have lifted the trophy on a total of three occasions. The last time Klopp's men won it was in 2012. Will they be able to thwart Bayern's plans as they aspire to win their second Treble?
Or will another Klassiker go in favour of the Bundesliga champions? Make sure you tune in to find out!
Bayern vs Borussia Dortmund team sheets
Bayern's lineup: Neuer;Alonso, Benatia, Thiago, Lewandowski, Rafinha, Boateng, Bernat, Lahm, Müller, Weiser.
Dortmund's lineup: Langerak; Durm, Sokratis, Hummels, Schmelzer; Kuba, Bender, Gündogan; Kagawa, Reus, Aubameyang.
Bayern's bench: Reina, Dante, Robben, Pizarro, Götze, Rode, Schweinsteiger.
Dortmund's bench: Alomerovic, Subotic, Kehl, Mkhitaryan, Ramos, Kampl, Ginter
Match details, result and original broadcast info
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