It's a clash of brains in Germany

Postpone your late night party plans and excuse yourselves from that Saturday night long drive, because tonight Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich travel to Westfalenstadion, the home of Borussia Dortmund.

 

The 'German Clasico' may not be the most anticipated league clashes in Europe -that distinction goes to the original clasico played out in Spain -but nevertheless, with the rising stature of German football, it is one of the most important of the year.

 

Last year's Champions League runners-up Dortmund had already 'avenged' their loss to Bayern in the German Super Cup, the traditional season opener of sorts. But then, Guardiola had not yet stamped his authority at the Bavarian club. However, after 12 unbeaten league games under the Spaniard, which when clubbed with the run last year under Jupp H e y n c k e s makes it a record 37 games with out loss for the lighthouse of German football, the Bavarians are certainly up for game this time around. Guardiola has also exhibited what he could do to Bayern in the impressive demolition of Manchester City in the Champions League.

 

Dortmund, on the other hand, are coming on the back of two successive defeats in the Bundesliga, the latest at home. Incidentally, Dortmund haven't lost two straight games at home since 2009, when, yes, Bayern did the honours. However, in charismatic Jurgen Klopp, Dortmund can boast of the best footballing brains in Europe. The tactics he adopts and substitutions he would make would be closely watched as this could be the night he stakes claim for the title of the best manager in the continent. Many pundits are of the opinion that his 'gegenpressing' -the high-intensity game his boys in yellow and black exhibit -is perhaps sharper and better than the 'tiki-taka' of Barcelona. With the opposition dug out being manned by Guardiola, the man who made tiki-taka famous, and the opposition being the men who crushed the ambassadors of the style in Champions League last season, Klopp certainly would not get a better stage to prove himself.

 

On a minor note, the clash, perhaps, is Frank Ribery's last bus to regain the driver's seat for the Fifa Ballon d'Or after Cristiano Ronaldo bulldozed his chances with the impressive hat-trick for Portugal in the World Cup playoff.