Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund rivalry, explained: History of ‘Der Klassiker’ and all-time results

Unlike a number of other football rivalries, Der Klassiker isn’t about two local clubs going at it with a rivalry fueled by geographic proximity. 

Bayern are located in Germany’s south, while Dortmund hail from in the northwest of the country. 

These two teams have been playing each other since 1965, but it wasn’t until the 1990s that the fixture started becoming a true rivalry.

This was when Dortmund won their first Bundesliga title and proved they could stop some of Bayern’s domestic dominance. In 1997, BVB beat Juventus in the Champions League final, becoming only the third German team to lift the trophy after Hamburg and multiple-time winners Bayern.

From that moment, matches between the two clubs often contained heated moments with Bayern goalkeeper Oliver Kahn involved in a number of dramatic incidents in the late 1990s. 

The fixture reached new heights in 2013 when the pair faced off in the UEFA Champions League final, which Bayern won 2-1. 

Player transfers have also increased bitterness between the clubs, with Bayern often poaching Dortmund’s best talents with devastating effect. Robert Lewandowki’s move to Munich in 2014 as a free agent is just one example of this trend that stoked the flames between the two. 

Historically, Bayern Munich have dominated this fixture and haven’t lost against Dortmund in the Bundesliga since 2018. 

In the DFB Supercup and Champions League, this match has proven much more even. 

*All stats accurate as of February 28, 2026.