Klassiker as a shop window: Germany internationals on Bundesliga matchday 8
A week before Klopp names his squad, numerous Germany candidates meet in the Klassiker. Kimmich hopes to return, while Undav and Füllkrug arrive buoyed by the cup.
Symbolic image · Photo: Richard Bartz, Munich aka Makro Freak / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.5 (cropped and resized)
Matchday 8 is the last full Bundesliga round before head coach Jürgen Klopp announces his squad on 5 November. The focus is on Saturday's Klassiker (18:30 CET) between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund – the sides go into the game level on 17 points as leaders and closest pursuers. Bayern captain Joshua Kimmich hopes to return after missing three competitive games following a bereavement in his family; a decision is due after the final training session. For Dortmund, Maximilian Beier has been involved in four goals in seven appearances according to bundesliga.com, and both of his own goals were 1-0 winners. Nico Schlotterbeck wins 67 per cent of his duels, and Felix Nmecha scored twice against Paderborn.
Earlier, at 15:30, Bayer Leverkusen host VfB Stuttgart, whose Germany forward Deniz Undav secured a place in the cup's last 16 with a stoppage-time goal on Wednesday. At the same time Werder Bremen face Hoffenheim – with Niclas Füllkrug, who scored twice in the 3-2 cup defeat at Dortmund and, according to dpa, is among the candidates for a Germany recall.
On Sunday, Union Berlin play 1. FC Köln (15:30) with Said El Mala, and Eintracht Frankfurt host Hamburger SV (17:30) – just five days after Frankfurt's cup win in Hamburg, in which Robin Koch and Jonathan Burkardt were involved. The matchday opens on Friday evening with SV Elversberg against Mainz 05.