Bayern is in danger of being reeled in at the top of the Bundesliga by Thomas Tuchel's side, which has one major opportunity to make it a genuine title race in Germany.
What began as an attempt to brand the Bundesliga with something akin to the rivalry between Barcelona and Real Madrid looked to have jarred to a lopsided end last season with Bayern Munich reaching for the stars and Borussia Dortmund instead in the gutter.
Bayern beat BVB at the Westfalenstadion in November leaving Jurgen Klopp's side third from bottom.