On Saturday 31 October the Bundesliga is preparing for a real show: the Der Klassiker between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund, two teams competing for the top of the table. Currently the two clubs are aligned on 17 points each, and the victory of one of them could give a decisive psychological advantage to the other. The match, scheduled for 6.30pm, is the culmination of a day full of important matches.
Before the derby, Bayer Leverkusen will host Stuttgart, while Freiburg will face Augsburg at 3.30pm. In other opening matches, Elversberg has already claimed a 4-1 victory over Mainz, while Werder Bremen clashed with Hoffenheim. The full calendar also includes matches between Borussia Monchengladbach and Paderborn, Schalke and Leipzig, and a Sunday final between Union Berlin and Cologne, as well as Eintracht Frankfurt against Hamburg.
The standings at the end of the eighth day see Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in the lead, followed by Freiburg and Bayer Leverkusen. The teams from Elversberg, Leipzig, Werder Bremen, Mainz, Augsburg, Hoffenheim, Hamburg, Cologne, Paderborn, Eintracht Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Schalke, Union Berlin and Borussia Monchengladbach occupy the next positions. The confrontation between the two owners is considered crucial, as victory could consolidate the leadership of one of the clubs and put the other in difficulty in the title race.