Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund: Date, Time, Live Stream, TV Info, Preview

Struggling Borussia Dortmund face a daunting trip to the Allianz Arena to play Bayern Munich on Saturday, with a chance to either launch their 2014-15 Bundesliga campaign or complete the crisis at the club completely.

Die Schwarzgelben sit just a single point above the relegation zone and have looked nothing like the Champions League juggernaut we've grown accustomed to on the domestic level, losing an embarrassing six of their first nine fixtures.

For Bayern, it's business as usual, once again leading the Bundesliga standings as the defending champions march to another title. The Bavarians are unbeaten in 2014-15, and a strong result at the home of their hated rivals could be exactly what Borussia need right now.

Date: Saturday, November 1

Time: 5.30 p.m. GMT/1:30 p.m. ET

Venue: Allianz Arena

TV info and live stream: The match will be broadcast on BT Sport 1 (for UK viewers) and Gol TV USA (for US viewers), with mobile coverage available via BT Sport's online player app and KlowdTV.

Preview

Markus Schreiber/Associated Press

To say Borussia Dortmund have been a major disappointment so far this season would be an understatement. Expected to rival the Bavarians for the title, Jurgen Klopp's squad instead faces a serious challenge just making the top four by the end of the season.

Injuries to key players haven't aided their plight, but even with star forward Marco Reus in the squad, the team still fell 1-0 at home to Hannover 96 in their last league outing. A 3-0 cup win over St. Pauli looked promising but little more than that.

Bayern's Philipp Lahm maintains Borussia are a threat to his club, however, as reported by Agence France Presse (for NDTV):

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It's a meeting between two sides that have spent the last few years contesting the title.

Dortmund have shown their true selves in the Champions League with nine points from three games. They're a real threat to us.

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The hosts have lacked some of the consistency we have seen during the past two seasons, drawing three of their first nine matches, but on form, they're still the most talented outfit in the league by a clear mile.

Pep Guardiola has impressive depth to choose his starting XI from, enabling him to keep his top players fresh and rested. Despite Dortmund's low spot in the standings, those top players are expected to grace the pitch on Saturday.

Players and pundits alike have been saying all week how Dortmund are not to be taken lightly, despite their struggles. ESPN FC's Mark Lovell even expects the Bavarians to drop points:

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In fact, I would be surprised if Bayern do win on Saturday. The Reds do not really need to emerge victorious. Bayern have failed to win any of the last four against BVB at home, (one draw, three losses) including last season when Dortmund cantered to a 3-0 victory. Bayern definitely had one eye on their Champions League semifinal by that stage and were also without their main man Manuel Neuer in goal. Overall, Bayern have won only one of the previous eight league clashes against BVB.

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This is the one fixture Klopp has been eyeing to turn things around. An emotional win against the most dominant outfit in the Bundesliga can restore momentum, sparking a run that would see Die Schwarzgelben return to the upper regions of the standings by Christmas.

It will be far easier said than done, however. Ciro Immobile and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang have yet to hit their best form in the Bundesliga, and they'll be facing a Bayern defence that has conceded just two goals all season, via WhoScored.com.

On the other end of the pitch, Guardiola has a host of forwards to choose from, all playing in support of former Dortmund star Robert Lewandowski. The Poland international found the target against Hamburg during midweek, and he'd love nothing more than to score against his former club.

The duo of Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic appears to be returning some stability to Dortmund's defence, but facing a hyper-talented attack, expect Borussia to come out on the losing end.

Prediction: Bayern Munich 2-1 Borussia Dortmund

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