A Klassiker explainer: why is the match between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund so important?
When Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund meet, football fans in Germany and around the world focus in on the Bundesliga duo's heavyweight contest. bundesliga.com explains how the Klassiker has become one of football's biggest fixtures.
Let's start here. The Klassiker is similar only in name, not in nature to Spain's Clásico or even the Superclásico of Argentina. Nor is it a derby like that of Milan, the Old Firm in Glasgow, the North-West or North-East derbies in England, or Dortmund's Revierderby.
Real Madrid vs. Barcelona is highly political, while the Buenos Aires rivalry of Boca Juniors and River Plate is based on social differences. Rangers and Celtic fans are divided along religious lines, while Manchesters United and City, and Newcastle United and Sunderland - like Dortmund and Schalke - have local or regional rivalries.
Watch: Tifo Football explained the Klassiker ahead of the 100th Bundesliga meeting in 2019
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