Football: A classic clash that could be decided by teen talents Bellingham and Musiala

DORTMUND - He is the well-respected national captain who skippered West Germany to World Cup glory in 1990, but even the normally composed Lothar Matthaus lost his cool one fiery afternoon in April 1997.

Frustrated by national teammate Andreas Moller's diving antics during their Bundesliga clash, Bayern Munich's Matthaus stood in front of his rival and rubbed his eyes, as if to taunt the Borussia Dortmund attacker for being a crybaby.

Moller responded by slapping his opponent's face.

"I wanted to tell him to play on, to show that you're a man," said Matthaus.

The match ended 1-1, but both club's rivalry - known as Der Klassiker - intensified from that point on.

While famous football battles are drawn along political (Real Madrid-Barcelona), religious (Rangers-Celtic), and geographical (Manchester United-Manchester City) lines, Der Klassiker is simply a showdown between two of Germany's most successful clubs.

On Saturday, the German giants are set for their 107th Bundesliga clash when they meet at the Signal Iduna Park.

The fixture has been lopsided in recent seasons - Bayern have won their last seven league encounters and 14 out of 20 as they lifted the last 10 Bundesliga crowns. But this season's clash looks to be the most competitive one yet, with the top six teams within three points of surprise leaders Union Berlin after eight matches.

Both Dortmund and Bayern are stacked with established stars, but this tie could be determined by their talented and highly sought after youngsters who are also former England youth international teammates and friends off the pitch.

In the yellow corner, Jude Bellingham has already been entrusted with the captain's armband despite still being a teenager. Capable of lying deeper in central midfield or playing as an inverted winger, the Englishman is able to marry aggression with smooth passing and movement, which can cause problems for opponents.

In the red corner, fellow 19-year-old Jamal Musiala, who has since switched allegiance to the German national team, is a more attacking midfielder who loves to dribble and already has five goals and three assists in seven games.

The players will not be the only ones to have an influence on the result.

With this match being played in Dortmund without Covid-19 restrictions for the first time in three years, their famed south terrace - nicknamed Die Gelbe Wand or German for The Yellow Wall - will come to life again. This will see some 25,000 fans form the largest and probably the most passionate and picturesque free-standing grandstand in Europe.

Former Dortmund goalkeeper Roman Weidenfeller said: "If you are the enemy, it crushes you but if you have her at your back as a goalkeeper, it's a fantastic feeling."

Former Germany and Bayern captain Philipp Lahm agreed, and added: "One doesn't just play against Dortmund, but also against the Ruhr area, so it's always an amazing atmosphere, always fun.

"The Yellow Wall can give them a boost. Nevertheless, it is also important what happens in the first minutes. A lot can happen very fast, in both ways. In that situation, Bayern can turn the stadium a bit silent, so it will be interesting to see."

Before Der Klassiker became a big deal, their first meeting was a 2-0 win for Dortmund in Munich in 1965. At that point, Dortmund led the league title count 3-1, although the balance was about to swing in the Bavarians favour.

In 1971, Bayern recorded their biggest Bundesliga win by thumping Dortmund 11-1, with the latter relegated in 1972 and remaining in the second tier until 1976.

During this period, Bayern went about building their dynasty.

Ottmar Hitzfeld led the Dortmund revival in the 1990s with back-to-back Bundesliga wins in 1995 and 1996 before their only Champions League triumph in 1997.

Normal service resumed for Bayern when Hitzfeld jumped ship and led the Bavarians to championships in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003.

In between, Dortmund nicked one title in 2002, a year after 14 cards were flashed in a 1-1 Klassiker draw that has been labelled the dirtiest match in Bundesliga history.

The fierce rivalry was put on ice when Dortmund, paying inflated transfer fees and salaries in a bid to sustain their success, chalked up over €200 million (S$280 million) of debt and liabilities in 2003, and while they were sworn enemies, Bayern lent a helping hand with a €2 million loan.

The silver lining for Dortmund was that the crisis sparked a revamp.

Their focus on developing youth and the hiring of the charismatic Jurgen Klopp saw Dortmund win the league again in 2011 and 2012 before his departure for Liverpool in 2015.

However, Bayern have dominated the Bundesliga since 2013, winning every season and claiming a record 31st title in 2022.