DEBATE
By Enis Koylu
The pick of this weekend’s Bundesliga action comes at the Allianz Arena where Bayern Munich host Borussia Dortmund in a season-defining match for both teams.
The Schwarzgelben‘s rise over the last few years has been nothing short of astonishing; on the brink of bankruptcy less than a decade ago, they have since recovered to claim back-to-back league titles under Jurgen Klopp.
They have had the better of their Bavarian rivals in recent years, recording domestic doubles over them in the last two seasons, but go into Saturday’s match 11 points behind Jupp Heynckes’ charges, who have enjoyed a record-breaking start to the season.
Both sides have fearsome first teams with a wealth of talent both at the back and in attack, but who would make a combined XI? Goal.com is here to reveal all.
Roman Weidenfeller has, for the most part, been in excellent form for Dortmund this season, and his pleas for a call-up to the Germany squad are not without foundation, but it is impossible to look past Manuel Neuer for the goalkeeper’s spot.
The former Schalke man is quite simply one of the best players in the world in his position, and is the foundation of a defensive line which has conceded just five Bundesliga goals this term.
At right-back, Lukasz Piszczek gets the nod. The Poland international has been a consistent presence for the champions over the last couple of years with his fantastic positioning and threatening runs forward.
Two other Dortmund stalwarts make our defence. Neven Subotic is rarely beaten in the air and few can time a tackle better than the Serbian in the Bundesliga.
His regular partner, Mats Hummels, has finally proved himself capable of performing on the biggest stages during BVB’s remarkable Champions League run, which has seen them confirm top spot in a group that contains Manchester City, Real Madrid and Ajax.
The left-back spot, meanwhile, is filled by Philipp Lahm. The Bayern skipper may have been playing on the opposite side of defence of late, but remains equally adept on either flank, and provides a wealth of experience.
Narrowly missing out on the XI are the likes of Dante, who has made a seamless start to his Allianz Arena career since moving from Borussia Monchengladbach over the summer, while David Alaba may well have made it had he not missed much of the season with a broken foot.
The midfield is manned by two Germany internationals. Bastian Schweinsteiger is an easy pick – the 28-year-old has a wealth of experience, both with his club and country, and has been in superb form this season having shaken off a series of niggling injuries.
He is partnered by Ilkay Gundogan. While the likes of Toni Kroos, Javi Martinez and Sven Bender are all consistent performers for their clubs, the former Nurnberg man has shown himself to possess a fantastic array of passing, a ferocious shot, and tireless running.
Elsewhere, Luiz Gustavo may be injured at the moment, but has been nothing short of excellent for his club, helping to keep €40m man Martinez out of the team.
Alongside him is his regular partner in crime, Mario Gotze, who has given defences a torrid time week after week. Since making a comeback from a series of minor injuries he has also found his feet in front of goal, not least in the 2-2 draw at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Franck Ribery completes the triumvirate behind the striker. The France international may have suffered from a couple injuries this season, limiting him to just nine Bundesliga appearances, but he has already been directly involved in 10 goals. When he is missing his absence is certainly felt, as shown in the 2-1 loss to Bayer Leverkusen which he sat out.
Arjen Robben has been unlucky with injuries once more and Kuba Blaszczykowski has cemented his place in the BVB starting line-up in 2012, but Reus, Gotze and Ribery are quite simply three of the most in-form players in Germany right now.
Spearheading our attack is Mario Gomez. While Robert Lewandowski may have picked up where he left off last term, scoring 14 goals in all competitions already, the Germany international is simply unstoppable. His ruthless streak in front of goal has seen him score 20 Bundesliga goals or more in three of the last four seasons.
He may have missed the first three months of the campaign, but expect him to reach a similar tally come May.
Suggested combined Bayern & Dortmund XI
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