Ever since the turn of the millennium, only one team apart from Bayern Munich has successfully defended the Bundesliga title – Jurgen Klopp’s Borussia Dortmund. Die Schwarzgelben won the title in the 2010-11 season by recording 75 points, 10 points more than arch-rivals Bayern Munich. In the next season, Klopp’s men bettered that and recorded 81 points with Bayern finishing eight points below them.
The German faces a familiar foe once again as Liverpool take on Bayern Munich in the Round of 16 of the Champions League.
Der Klassiker has been a fierce rivalry in Germany that has assumed great significance in the last decade. Bayern Munich's dominance in the Bundesliga was broken by Borussia Dortmund with Klopp at their helm between 2010 and 2012. Klopp triumphed on all four occasions when the two teams met in this time frame.
The fact that Dortmund won the league by finishing 10 and eight points above Bayern means that it was a not a close victory by any means. Klopp dominated the Bundesliga in this period and the numbers show that.
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Unfortunately for the German, his side failed to assert themselves on the German giants in the one game that mattered the most – Champions League final in 2013.
Klopp now has a chance to exact revenge after six years as Liverpool take on Bayern in the last 16 of the same tournament. The Premier League side have been in fine form this season and are battling Manchester City for the title.
Moreover, Niko Kovac's men find themselves chasing the Bundesliga title with Borussia Dortmund leading the charts. They have also been suspect defensively and have conceded soft goals at crucial junctures.
Klopp's Liverpool side will be fancying their chances of scoring against this Bayern defence. The manager's heavy metal football which focuses a lot on high-pressing and pacy attacks will mean they will fashion plenty of chances in the final third. With Bayern looking shaky at the back, there is every chance that Liverpool go into the game with confidence.
Will Klopp's team haunt Bayern Munich yet again?
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