Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund meet at the Allianz Arena in the Bundesliga on Saturday for what promises to be a pulsating clash between the two main powerhouses of German football.
The hosts will be determined to put on a performance in a fixture that they won 5-0 last season in what will be the club's first domestic game since the sacking of Niko Kovac.
Dortmund, meanwhile, head into this clash having won three games on the bounce and will know that a victory in Bavaria, along with other results going their way, could take them to the top of the Bundesliga table.
Here, Sports Mole looks at how Bayern could line up for this crucial fixture.
Out: Niklas Sule (knee), Jann-Fiete Arp (wrist), Lucas Hernandez (ankle), Jerome Boateng (suspension)
Doubtful: None
Following the capitulation at Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend, assistant coach Hansi Flick will be determined to field a defence that promises maturity and composure in big game environments.
That is why Bayern will most likely stick with defensive duo David Alaba and Javi Martinez, two Bayern veterans, after the pair featured together in a comfortable 2-0 win over Olympiacos during which the defence hardly broke a sweat.
A more unknown quantity, however, comes in the form of left-back Alphonso Davies, a 19-year-old Canadian winger who has made six Bundesliga appearances this term and is currently first-choice at the Allianz following a series of rapid, intense displays.
Over on the other side is World Cup winner Benjamin Pavard, a summer signing who is quietly settling in and may have the task of facing up against Jadon Sancho should the Englishman pass a late fitness test.
In the middle, Flick must find the right balance as a means of enabling smooth transitions up the pitch, which makes the selection of Joshua Kimmich - a fullback turned midfielder - and Thiago Alcantara, an excellent passer, the most likely outcome due to how often the pair start together in big games, with last month's 7-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur serving as a recent example.
Thomas Muller is enjoying a run of starts at the moment but could be left out in favour of Kingsley Coman down the right-hand side given that Saturday's game will essentially be a battle of who can counter-attack faster.
Making up the other two positions are Serge Gnabry and Philippe Coutinho, two nimble attackers capable of facilitating rapid transitions through the lines. Both have been regulars since the 2019-20 season commenced.
Up front comes Dortmund's biggest nightmare, Robert Lewandowski, former striker for the club and more recently their tormentor, scoring a brace when the two sides last met in the league back in April.
Leo Nieboer
