Cristiano Ronaldo finished in 20th place in the Ballon d'Or voting as he headlined an array of stars to fall short of 2022 winner Karim Benzema.

Ronaldo, Benzema's former Real Madrid team-mate, was nominated following a strong season with Manchester United, but he could not come close to adding a sixth Ballon d'Or.

The United forward instead fell to his lowest finish since he last came 20th in 2005, then tied with Liverpool's Champions League winner Jamie Carragher.

Great rival Lionel Messi did not even earn a nomination after his first year at Paris Saint-Germain.

Some of the biggest names of the future came rather closer to troubling Karim Benzema, with Kylian Mbappe sixth and Erling Haaland 10th.

But neither made the final four, where Robert Lewandowski's world-leading 57-goal season for club and country was only enough for fourth place.

Ahead of him, Kevin De Bruyne was in third, with Sadio Mane second, perhaps showing what might have been for the ex-Liverpool forward had the Reds, not Madrid, won the Champions League final.

With Ronaldo 20th and Messi absent, the highest-ranking former Ballon d'Or winner was 2018's Luka Modric, one of Benzema's existing Madrid colleagues.

Modric came ninth, the lowest of four Madrid players in the top 10, as Champions League final winner Vinicius Junior was eighth and Yashin Trophy recipient Thibaut Courtois seventh.

2022 Ballon d'Or:

1. Karim Benzema
2. Sadio Mane
3. Kevin De Bruyne
4. Robert Lewandowski
5. Mohamed Salah
6. Kylian Mbappe
7. Thibaut Courtois
8. Vinicius Junior
9. Luka Modric
10. Erling Haaland
11. Son Heung-min
12. Riyad Mahrez
13. Sebastien Haller
14. Fabinho
14. Rafael Leao
16. Virgil van Dijk
17. Casemiro
17. Dusan Vlahovic
17. Luis Diaz
20. Cristiano Ronaldo
21. Harry Kane
22. Trent Alexander-Arnold
22. Phil Foden
22. Bernardo Silva
25. Joshua Kimmich
25. Mike Maignan
25. Antonio Rudiger
25. Joao Cancelo
25. Christopher Nkunku
25. Darwin Nunez

Oliver Kahn says Bayern Munich "absolutely have to stop" allowing opposing teams back into games after they nearly squandered another lead in the 4-2 Champions League win at Viktoria Plzen.

Goals from Sadio Mane and Thomas Muller, as well as a Leon Goretzka double had Bayern four goals up and cruising at half-time against the Czech champions.

But two second-half strikes from Plzen led to worries Bayern would let another advantage slip, after conceding a 95th-minute Anthony Modeste equaliser in the 2-2 Bundesliga draw with Borussia Dortmund at the weekend having led 2-0.

Julian Nagelsmann's side held on this time for three points to secure their place in the knockout stages, but Bayern CEO Kahn remains worried over their ability to see out games.

"Four games, four wins and into the round of 16," Kahn posted on Twitter. "A compliment to the team, in this group that was not a matter of course.

"After a furious first half, we let the opponent come back into the game.

"We absolutely have to stop this!"

Mats Hummels lauded Jude Bellingham's leadership after the Borussia Dortmund midfielder replicated the feats of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe in a 1-1 draw with Sevilla.

Dortmund fell behind to Tanguy Nianzou's goal on Tuesday, but Bellingham cancelled out that strike by turning home Thomas Meunier's cross to score in a fourth consecutive Champions League game.

In doing so, Bellingham became just the third teenager to score in four consecutive Champions League appearances after Mbappe (in 2017) and Haaland (2019) – the latter of whom did so in five successive games.

Bellingham's return of four Champions League goals is also a new single-season record for an English teenager, beating Wayne Rooney's benchmark of three in the 2004-05 campaign.

Although the draw represented a frustrating result for BVB, Hummels showered praise on Bellingham, telling Amazon Prime: "Jude always wants to win. In training, in every game. He invests a lot. I think we all love this boy. 

"The fact that at the age of 19, he sometimes has to channel certain energies that I would still like to have, is completely normal. 

"But seriously, if someone - who has played every minute this season - tries to win every minute, to invest for the team, then he's allowed to complain. 

"I'd rather have someone like him who complains five times than someone who doesn't say anything at all. Then he can sometimes make wrong decisions, it doesn't matter."

Although Dortmund hold a five-point advantage over Sevilla in Group G, Hummels was irritated by a meek display which saw them register just seven shots totalling 0.37 expected goals.

"It wasn't a good game for us," Hummels added. "After half-time we lost at least 20 balls easily, unnecessarily leaving the game completely open against an insecure team.

"We didn't have enough game intelligence. I'm sorry, but Sevilla are very unsettled. They were happy with the 1-1 here, we didn't manage to build up any more pressure with the ball. 

"Football is actually a very simple game, but we always make it complicated for ourselves."

Sebastien Haller says he "can't complain" over his battle with testicular cancer, with the Borussia Dortmund forward stating it is "the first big ordeal" he has had to face in his life.

The Ivory Coast international joined the Bundesliga outfit from Ajax ahead of the current campaign, but was promptly sidelined following the discovery of a malignant tumour.

Since then, he has been undergoing treatment, with hopes he may yet be able to feature this campaign for Dortmund, as Edin Terzic's side hunt for domestic and European silverware.

Haller hopes to have the green light to return to action in the near future, stating he has ideas in his head - but admits it is all dependent on how his illness takes its course.

"I'm lucky enough to feel well," he told UEFA's official website. "I am physically able to work, I feel fine from both a mental and a physical point of view, which is of course helpful to fight this disease.

"I have a timescale in mind. If I'm lucky enough not to need surgery, things can go very quickly. Checks are made three weeks after the final phase.

"If I don't need an operation, with the way I train, I'd like to think that I will be in good condition at the end of those three weeks.

"One of the first things I told myself was: 'OK, it's happened to me. I am going to do everything to be good mentally and physically'.

"I was a spoiled child; I never had any worries. This is the first big ordeal I had to face.

"Some people start their lives like that. I was lucky that it came later in my life, so I can’t complain. It's a challenge, a huge challenge, and the fact that you were able to overcome it means that you’re a warrior."

Jude Bellingham is "an exceptional talent", says Borussia Dortmund team-mate Niklas Sule, who suggested the midfielder projects a sense he is wise beyond his years.

The England international has continued to flourish at the Bundesliga outfit this season, with an increased leadership role under Edin Terzic's watch.

Bellingham was handed the captain's armband for the first time earlier this month for their top-flight clash with Cologne, and retained it for last week's Champions League rout against Sevilla.

The 19-year-old's maturity has not gone unnoticed by the rest of Dortmund's squad, and speaking ahead of Tuesday's return clash with the LaLiga team, Sule had fulsome praise for the playmaker.

"I think that Jude is an exceptional talent," he stated. "I have rarely seen a player at age 19 that made you feel like he might as well have already three children at home and is a family father.

"He has that implicitness in his game where he knows, 'I will lead the team and fight for the team'.

"That is very, very impressive to see. I am having deep exchanges with him and try to help him a little."

Bellingham's rich form for Dortmund seems almost certain to assure him of a place on the plane to the Qatar 2022 World Cup with Gareth Southgate's Three Lions.

The teenager may even be a lock to start for England in their tournament opener against Iran on November 21, amid Kalvin Phillips' injury troubles, with the former favoured during the September international break.

Real Madrid and Manchester City could qualify for the Champions League round of 16 by maintaining their 100 per cent records on Tuesday.

Madrid travel to Shakhtar Donetsk sitting pretty at the top of Group F and the holders will be guaranteed to progress if they make it four wins out of four.

The same goes for free-scoring City, who have been victorious in all three Group G games and will be expected to get the better of Copenhagen at Parken.

Borussia Dortmund could also advance if they beat Sevilla again, while Paris Saint-Germain and Benfica meet in the battle of the top two in Group H.

Milan will look to exact revenge on Chelsea at San Siro, while Group E leaders Salzburg travel to Dinamo Zagreb.

Stats Perform preview the eight matches to be staged on Tuesday by picking out the standout Opta data.

Shakhtar Donetsk v Real Madrid

After beating Madrid home and away in the Champions League in 2020-21, Shakhtar have lost three consecutive matches against the holders - the latest being a 2-1 defeat at the Santiago Bernabeu last week.

There have been 14 goals in the previous three matches between the two sides in Donetsk, Madrid scoring nine of those.

Carlo Ancelotti's side are on a five-game winning streak in the Champions League, a run that began with a 3-1 victory over City in the second leg of last season's semi-final. They last had a longer winning streak in the competition between April 2014 and February 2015 - a run of 10 straight victories.

Among teams to have featured in the Champions League in every season since 2018-19, Shakhtar have the lowest win percentage of any side in that period (18.5 per cent - 5/27).

Copenhagen v Manchester City

City hammered Copenhagen 5-0 last week. Their best combined record against an opponent in a single Champions League campaign is 9-0 versus Shakhtar in 2018-19.

Copenhagen have only lost one of their 13 home games in the group stage of the Champions League (W6 D6), that defeat coming against Real Madrid in December 2013.

English teams are winless in their last two visits to Denmark in the Champions League, with Liverpool drawing 1-1 with Midtjylland in December 2020 and Leicester City drawing 0-0 with Copenhagen in November 2016. 

Erling Haaland has 28 goals in 22 Champions League appearances. His next strike in the competition will see him equal the goal tallies of David Trezeguet (58 games), Roy Makaay (61 games) and Patrick Kluivert (71 games).

Paris Saint-Germain v Benfica

PSG have hosted Benfica on three previous occasions in European competition, with the Ligue 1 champions beating them 2-1 in the UEFA Cup in 2007, 3-0 in the Champions League nine years ago and drawing 1-1 in the Europa League in 2011.

No Portuguese side has ever won away at PSG in European competition. They have suffered five defeats and drawn twice, with all three Champions League contests won by PSG.

PSG could equal their longest winning streak of six consecutive home victories in the competition. Their last run of six wins in a row in Europe's premier club competition ended in November 2014. 

Benfica are unbeaten in four Champions League away games (W2 D2), their longest run without defeat on the road in the competition.

Milan v Chelsea

Milan are winless in five meetings against Chelsea in Europe (D3 L2) since winning the very first match between the two sides in the Fairs Cup in February 1966. 

The Serie A champions only had four shots in a 3-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge last week. Since Opta have had this data available for the Champions League, the Blues have only faced fewer in a game in the competition twice - versus Malmo in October 2021 (two) and Galatasaray in March 2014 (three).

The Rossoneri have lost four of the last five games when hosting an English team in the Champions League, with their only victory coming against Arsenal in February 2012 (4-0). The only previous time they hosted Chelsea in the competition was in a 1-1 draw in October 1999.

Milan's former Chelsea defender Fikayo Tomori has initiated more sequences of play than any other player in the Champions League this season, with the centre-back regaining possession for his side 47 times in three games.

Other fixtures:

Borussia Dortmund v Sevilla

273 - Sevilla have gone 273 minutes without scoring away from home in the Champions League, having failed to net in their previous three matches. 

4 - Only Haaland (5) has been directly involved in more goals than Borussia Dortmund's Jude Bellingham in the Champions League this season (3 goals, 1 assist). 

Maccabi Haifa v Juventus

3 - Maccabi have lost all three of their matches against Juventus - home and away in the group stage of the Champions League in 2009-10, and again last week in Turin.

5 - Juve have failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their past five matches in the Champions League. That is their longest run without a clean sheet since a run of eight games between April and December in 2013.

Celtic v RB Leipzig

6 - Celtic have lost six consecutive home games in the Champions League. If they lose this match, they would equal the longest run of home defeats by a team in the competition, previously set by Monaco between May 2017 and December 2018.

9 - Christopher Nkunku scored his ninth Champions League goal for Leipzig against Celtic last week, equalling Emil Forsberg's tally for the most goals for the club in the competition. Since the start of last season, only four players have more Champions League group-stage goals than him (8).

Dinamo Zagreb v Salzburg

3 - Dinamo have lost all three of their major European matches against Salzburg, losing twice in the 2014-15 Europa League and 1-0 to the Group E leaders last week.

23 - Salzburg's starting XI has had an average aged of 23 years and 36 days in the Champions League this season, the youngest of any side. The average of 22 years and 336 days in their 1-0 win over Dinamo was the third-youngest by a winning team in a Champions League match; the two younger were in 2004-05 in the reverse fixtures between Ajax (22y 300d) and Maccabi Tel Aviv (22y 213d).

Bayern Munich left-back Alphonso Davies has been diagnosed with a "bruised skull" following an incident in Saturday's Der Klassiker against Borussia Dortmund.

Davies was caught in the head by Jude Bellingham's foot after the pair challenged for a loose ball during the 2-2 draw at Signal Iduna Park.

The Canada international received treatment for the injury in the first half before being substituted at half-time.

Bayern confirmed on Sunday that the 21-year-old suffered a "bruised skull", though did not give any timescale for his return to action.

Bayern boss Julian Nagelsmann was not happy with the challenge and believed Bellingham, who had already been booked, should have received a red card.

Speaking after the game, Nagelsmann said: "He hits him in the face. The rules are clear. There is a suspicion of a concussion. That's not surprising given the kick in the face.

"Four months ago, we had a training course. They told us that a kick in the face is a red."

Edin Terzic applauded his Borussia Dortmund players for their "wild" comeback which brought about a dramatic 2-2 draw with Bayern Munich in Saturday's Klassiker.

Head coach Terzic saw his side fall two goals behind after Leon Goretzka and Leroy Sane both struck from long range.

He later suggested other teams would have folded at that point and crumpled to a heavy defeat, so Dortmund's resilience and refusal to buckle brought cause for celebration.

Youssoufa Moukoko narrowed the deficit in the 74th minute, and Anthony Modeste equalised in the fifth minute of stoppage time when he headed in Nico Schlotterbeck's cross.

The scenes of delirium inside Signal Iduna Park told their own story, with Dortmund halting a run of eight consecutive defeats to their great rivals.

"It was a very intense match," Terzic said. "In the first half in particular, we defended very well and kept it compact in the middle.

"The ball was in front of us. We gave away only that one shot at goal which made it 1-0. 

"At that point, it's not so easy to keep your discipline when the emotions and the desire to take risks are being transmitted to the team from the stands.

"You then need to be careful that you don't open up too early and that the gaps don't become too big."

Terzic responded to Sane's 53rd-minute strike by bringing on substitutes Karim Adeyemi, Modeste and Thorgan Hazard in an effort to save the game.

"It got wild towards the end; that was also the aim of the substitutions," Terzic said. "It was end to end.

"What was very positive was that we believed up until the last moment that something was still possible, even though we'd missed a huge opportunity to equalise in the 82nd minute."

Modeste scuffed his shot from Adeyemi's cross on that occasion, but after Bayern went down to 10 men, losing Kingsley Coman for a second bookable offence when he tugged at Adeyemi, there was a final twist to come.

"It was a very deserved point because we created many chances at the end," Terzic said. "When you're 2-0 down against Bayern, the match normally ends 4-0 or 5-0.

"That didn't happen today. We were able to put an exclamation mark behind the mentality question for today."

Bayern Munich head coach Julian Nagelsmann believes Jude Bellingham should have been sent off in the 2-2 Der Klassiker draw against Borussia Dortmund.

Nagelsmann's side went into a two-goal lead after strikes from Leon Goretzka and Leroy Sane, but a late comeback changed the course of the game, with Youssoufa Moukoko and a last-minute Anthony Modeste header levelling for the hosts.

The game could have been different, however, had Bellingham been shown a red card for a challenge on Alphonso Davies that left the Bayern defender with a suspected concussion.

Bellingham was not booked for the foul, where a high boot struck the head of the Canada international, and Nagelsmann believes the wrong action was taken – where a yellow would have been his second of the game, resulting in a dismissal.

"He hits him in the face. The rules are clear. There is a suspicion of a concussion. That's not surprising given the kick in the face," he told Sky.

"Four months ago, we had a training course. They told us that a kick in the face is a red."

For years Robert Lewandowski was the main draw of Der Klassiker, then Erling Haaland joined him as Germany's biggest fixture became stylised as a shootout between arguably the world's finest number nines.

Of course, both players departed in pre-season meaning the build-up to Saturday's instalment needed two new poster boys.

And boys they are.

Jamal Musiala's exceptional start to the season has seen his already significant stock rise, while Jude Bellingham has elevated himself to become undroppable for BVB and almost similarly important at international level.

As it happened, Bellingham ended up being upstaged by the even younger Youssoufa Moukoko as the game became something of a 'Kids' Klassiker' – though it was ultimately 34-year-old Anthony Modeste who stole the limelight at the end of an eventually gripping 2-2 draw at Signal Iduna Park.

Frankly, though, it was difficult to rave about almost anyone during a rather frantic and chaotic first half that was sorely lacking quality.

Players seemed to be frequently miscontrolling the ball, falling over or bumping into each other. Scrappy, frustrating and largely devoid of goal-mouth action, it certainly wasn't what many a neutral might be accustomed to when watching the Klassiker.

At the break, Dortmund had accumulated just 0.47 expected goals (xG), while Bayern's was 0.09. Though perhaps typifying their historical ruthlessness, it was enough to give Die Roten a 1-0 lead at the interval.

Julian Nagelsmann will have felt particularly content in that regard given Bayern were unbeaten in their previous 72 Bundesliga games when leading at the break, and he'll have no doubt enjoyed seeing Musiala at the centre of things having channelled Pep Guardiola when calling him a "top-top-top player" pre-game.

The young forward was one of Bayern's brighter players in the first period and he more than played a part as the visitors opened the scoring.

He peeled into the left side of the box to receive the ball before showing admirable poise and composure to cut inside and tee up Leon Goretzka on the edge of the box, with the midfielder drilling into the bottom-left corner.

That took Musiala to nine Bundesliga goal involvements for the season, a figure bettered only by Niclas Fullkrug (10).

Those hoping for effectively a straight battle between Musiala and his former England youth colleague Bellingham will have been disappointed.

After a harsh early booking – for what appeared a fair albeit strong challenge on Musiala – the Dortmund talent struggled to impose himself as a creative influence and could even be accused of trying a little too hard in the second half, as he attempted to beat his man a second time in the area instead of feeding a team-mate when BVB caught Bayern on the break.

A few seconds later, he needlessly passed the ball out of play just outside his own area as Bayern players began to circle, with the 19-year-old – who by this point was wearing the captain's armband – subsequently showing frustration in his reaction.

On the other side of the 'Kids' Klassiker' battle, a few moments earlier Musiala had enjoyed another moment of decisiveness – if we can call it that. He broke behind the Dortmund midfield and played a pass that was nudged on by a defender to Leroy Sane, whose long-range strike found its way in even though Alexander Meyer got a firm hand to it.

Despite Musiala's clear impact, Moukoko had a claim to being the Klassiker's standout youngster on the day. The 17-year-old's decision-making may not have been perfect, but he worked tirelessly up front, his constant harrying and hassling kept the Bayern backline under pressure – his three tackles was second only to Emre Can (five) in the Dortmund team.

He then got Dortmund back in contention with an excellent finish. Modeste's pass into the centre of the box was ever so slightly behind Moukoko, but he still managed to get enough power to strike past Manuel Neuer despite the needing to dig the ball out from himself a little.

Modeste then went from provider to finisher with the last kick (header) of the game, nodding Nico Schlotterbeck's cross in at the far post as Dortmund piled on the pressure in stoppage time, sparking pandemonium in the stands and on the pitch – Bellingham's scream into the close-up camera presumably causing a few viewers to subconsciously jump out of their seats.

To be fair, there were few bums on seats in the Yellow Wall behind the Bayern goal as Modeste tucked his header away, with the Frenchman's double impact proving that, even around all the potential in the world, there's always space for good old experience and nous.

A remarkable late comeback saw Borussia Dortmund recover from a two-goal deficit to draw 2-2 with Bayern Munich, with Anthony Modeste equalising with the last kick of the game.

Leon Goretzka and Leroy Sane struck from long range either side of the interval to put Bayern in cruise control, the hosts unable to offer much of an attacking threat.

Youssoufa Moukoko sparked hope for Dortmund when he pulled one back and Modeste missed a golden opportunity from close range that appeared to condemn Edin Terzic's side to a ninth consecutive defeat in Der Klassiker.

But Kingsley Coman received a late red card and Modeste then redeemed himself in the most dramatic fashion, heading home Nico Schlotterbeck's cross to send Signal Iduna Park wild.

Bayern Munich would not consider selling a player of Jude Bellingham's quality if the Borussia Dortmund midfielder was at the Allianz Arena, according to Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. 

England international Bellingham is into his third campaign with Bundesliga side Dortmund and is considered one of the finest talents in world football, having impressed for both club and country.

The 19-year-old this week captained BVB to a 4-1 win at Sevilla, where he became only the second teenager to score in the first three games of a Champions League campaign after former team-mate Erling Haaland at Salzburg in the 2019-20 season.

Bellingham's continued fine form has led to strong talk from Spain that Real Madrid are already in talks to sign the youngster at the end of the season, although they may face competition from Premier League heavyweights Chelsea and Liverpool.

Dortmund would reportedly be open to selling Bellingham if a big enough offer is tabled, but Rummenigge insists that would never be the case at rivals Bayern, whom he spent nearly 30 years with as part of the club's board.

"As a rule, Bayern Munich do not need to sell players in order to improve their balance sheet," long-serving Bayern CEO Rummenigge told Funke Mediengruppe. 

"At Dortmund, there is already talk of Bellingham leaving. Bayern would not sell such a player."

Bellingham's tally of three Champions League goals this season is already a joint-high among English teenagers for a single campaign, along with Manchester United's Wayne Rooney in the 2004-05 season.

He has featured 102 times for Dortmund in all competitions since arriving from Birmingham City in July 2020 and been capped 17 times by England at senior level – a tally he is certain to add to at this year's World Cup.

And former England centre-back Rio Ferdinand recently commented he believes Bellingham is ahead of any other previous midfielders at the same age.

"What he's doing in his position at his age, we haven't seen," Ferdinand told BT Sport. "The best of our generation, [Frank] Lampard, [Steven] Gerrard, [Paul] Scholes, [Patrick] Vieira, Roy Keane, they weren't doing this.

"He's still got to go on and prove it over a long period of time, but they weren't doing what he is doing right now [at the same age]. Influencing games at this level, captaining teams at this level, and mentally this kid's a beast."

It is a long time since the winners of a Klassiker may not be sitting pretty at the top of the Bundesliga at the end of the game.

But even a ninth successive victory for Bayern Munich over Borussia Dortmund at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday may not be enough for the champions to be at the summit.

Bayern head into the first showdown with Dortmund this season in third place, level on points with Edin Terzic's fourth-place side as Union Berlin surprisingly lead the way ahead of Freiburg after eight matches.

It is the first time in 13 years that neither side have been in the top two when this fixture has kicked off.

Dortmund have already suffered three Bundesliga defeats this season, but they come into the game buoyed by a 4-1 Champions League victory at Sevilla.

Bayern hammered Viktoria Plzen in midweek after a 4-0 rout of Bayer Leverkusen, so there could be goals aplenty this weekend.

Stats Perform previews the 132st showdown between the two rivals in all competitions in the Bundesliga era by picking out some standout Opta data.

Dortmund desperate to end dismal Klassiker run

The last time Dortmund got the better of Bayern was back in August 2019, when they 2-0 winners in the German Super Cup.

Their two goalscorers in that game are no longer at the club, with Jadon Sancho at Manchester United and Paco Alcacer with Sharjah.

Dortmund have not beaten Bayern in the Bundesliga since winning a classic 3-2 in November 2018, Marco Reus – who is missing this weekend due to an ankle injury – claiming a double.

Only against Hamburg between 1982 and 1985 have Dortmund lost eight competitive games in a row, so another defeat this weekend would set an unwanted record.

Hummels could make timely return

Mats Hummels has missed the two games since the international break due to illness, but could return against his former club.

Nine of the 10 goals Dortmund have conceded in the Bundesliga this season have been when Hummels was not on the pitch.

They have shipped only goal in 512 minutes while the vastly experienced centre-back has been on the field, but let in one every 23 minutes without him.

Terzic said ahead of the match: "We would be very happy if he were an option. It's a case of seeing how he feels and how his body reacts to the workload."

Sane and Musiala firing for free-scoring Bayern

Leroy Sane and Jamal Musiala have made great starts to the campaign for Julian Nagelsmann's side.

Sane endured a difficult start to life at Bayern after his move from Manchester City, but the winger has scored nine goals this season – four of those coming in the Champions League.

Only Gerd Muller has scored more than Musiala's five goals in eight matches at the start of a Bundesliga season as a teenager, the Bayern and Germany legend striking seven times at the start of the 1965-66 campaign.

Falling behind may not be a problem for free-scoring champions

The importance of starting strongly is stressed so often, but Bayern may not be too concerned if they go behind.

That is because Dortmund are the only team this Bundesliga campaign to lose twice after leading in games (3-2 v Werder Bremen and 3-2 at Cologne). 

Not that Bayern have been slow to get going, as they have scored 16 goals in the first half of Bundesliga games this season, with no other team scoring more than nine.

There is "much more to come" from Jude Bellingham, according to Borussia Dortmund head coach Edin Terzic.

Bellingham captained the Bundesliga side during Wednesday's 4-1 win at Sevilla, where he became just the second teenager to score in the first three games of a Champions League campaign.

The only other player to achieve that feat is his former Dortmund team-mate Erling Haaland, who did so with Salzburg in the 2019-20 season.

Bellingham's tally of three Champions League goals this season is already a joint-high among English teenagers for a single campaign, along with Manchester United's Wayne Rooney, back in 2004-05.

The 19-year-old England international has been in good form for club and country, and Terzic believes he can get even better.

"[Bellingham] has been playing very consistently, getting more control and balance in his game," he said at a press conference ahead of Dortmund's Der Klassiker clash with Bayern Munich.

"We are very happy with the way he presents himself here every day. But this is not the end, there is much more to come."

Dortmund and Bayern head into Saturday's contest level on points in the Bundesliga, both two points behind surprise leaders Union Berlin and second-placed Freiburg.

Terzic is hopeful his team can produce a similar performance to the one in Seville, rather than their last league outing, where they lost 3-2 at Koln.

"We will not only need a good and disciplined tactical performance; we will need courage too," he said. "Courage to keep the ball, courage in one-on-ones and to get shots away.

"Not only against Bayern, but especially against Bayern."

The 39-year-old confirmed Marco Reus will not return for the game, having already been out with an ankle injury before illness halted his rehabilitation this week.

However, Mats Hummels could be back after his own illness, with a hopeful Terzic saying: "We would be very happy if he were an option. It's a case of seeing how he feels and how his body reacts to the workload." 

Thomas Muller will not feature when Bayern Munich meet Borussia Dortmund on Saturday after continuing to suffer from COVID-19 symptoms, Julian Nagelsmann has revealed.

Joshua Kimmich, however, is in contention to return after recovering from the virus, as Bayern bid for a ninth consecutive win over their rivals.

Muller and Kimmich missed Tuesday's 5-0 Champions League win over Viktoria Plzen after testing positive for the virus last week, but both players have now returned negative tests.

However, Nagelsmann revealed on Friday that Muller was still experiencing symptoms and would miss the trip to BVB, although he was more positive regarding Kimmich's chances.

"Though they have both tested negative, Thomas Muller still has some cold symptoms, so he won't be in the squad," Nagelsmann said.

"Joshua Kimmich, everything looks good. He has no symptoms, he was asymptomatic the whole time. 

"He'll travel with the squad and then we'll see how far off he is after five days on the sidelines, whether he can feature in the starting lineup.

"It's a special game and that might mean there are special circumstances, but we'll see how training goes and how he feels.

"At the end of the day, both are now free from the constraints, which is good news."

With surprise packages Union Berlin and Freiburg setting the pace at the Bundesliga summit, Saturday's game will represent the first time in 13 years that neither Bayern or Dortmund has topped the league table ahead of a head-to-head meeting.

Though Dortmund's eight-match losing streak against Bayern is their joint- longest against any opponent in their history, Nagelsmann is wary of the threat posed by Edin Terzic's men. 

"They have made some good signings and have put together a strong team," he added. "Overall, I think they are having a solid season.

"They are a tough opponent and it will definitely be a good game. They're going to be a top opponent and it will be a really good game.

"We want to win more than anything. Dortmund like to defend deep and remain compact while waiting for opportunities to counter. They always have a clear shape when they counter.

"There's not really any sense of extra anticipation or tension, the preparations are the same. We don't want to let the tension come in too early, because if it comes too early, it can be hard to carry through."

Saturday's match will also see two of Europe's most highly rated prospects go head-to-head, as Bayern and Germany creator Jamal Musiala faces in-form England midfielder Jude Bellingham.

Nagelsmann praised both players as he hailed Musiala's development before adding: "Bellingham is having a very good season, he's very active, a different player to Jamal.

"He's more of a box-to-box player. With Jamal, it's all about the danger he can pose in front of goal, the passes he can play, and we're very happy that we have him.

"He has developed really well. He also developed well last season but didn't really hit that top level. Now, we're starting to see him do that.

"They both also have good standings in their national teams as well, so I think we can all enjoy the fact they are in the Bundesliga."