Beating Dortmund ‘a mini title’, says Bayern’s Kompany

Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany said the scale of the Bundesliga match at Borussia Dortmund on Saturday means victory would be like winning “a mini title”.

Bayern are eight points clear at the top of the table and can take a major step towards defending their Bundesliga crown with a win on Saturday.

It is a rematch of the 2013 Champions League final and ‘Der Klassiker’ has emerged as a growing rivalry between the country’s two biggest football powers.

Dortmund let a two-goal first-leg lead slip to crash out of the Champions League at Atalanta on Wednesday, but beating Bayern would keep alive their slim hopes of a trophy this season.

“It’s a ‘Klassiker’. For me, it’s always a title in its own right, even if people say we can’t win anything more now,” Kompany said on Friday.

“The truth is, these games are also important to the masses, so it’s also a smaller title. I don’t want to forget that. And that’s why winning there is an absolute priority for us.”

Bayern, who have lost just once in the league this season, won the reverse fixture 2-1 in Munich in October in what remains Dortmund’s only defeat this campaign.

Kompany said Bayern captain and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer was set to return from a calf injury.

“Manu actually looks good; we thought he might be out for a longer period. But I still want to discuss it with Manu again.”

If he plays, it will be Neuer’s 45th appearance against Dortmund and potentially his last, with the Bayern veteran’s contract due to expire in the summer, when he will be 40.