Der Klassiker Will Be Key for Borussia Dortmund - But Beating Bayern Munich Won't Settle the Bundesliga Title Race

It's only natural for Germany's Klassiker to be hyped up as a title decider.

Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich have been the two best teams in the Bundesliga over the last decade, and with just four points separating the sides at the top of the table, Tuesday's instalment has more importance than normal.

There will be an added pressure to put on a show for both sides too. Most major leagues across the world have been halted due to the coronavirus pandemic, so the eyes of the world will be watching the Westfalenstadion like never before.

Broadcasters have already been tipping the Bundesliga's 102nd Klassiker as a match which could decide the title race, and although Borussia Dortmund have to win if they want to get their hands on the Meisterschale once again, their biggest test will come after their match against Bayern Munich.

Since the Bundesliga's inception in 1964, Borussia Dortmund have won five league titles. They've never lifted the title having lost both games against Bayern Munich, so history tells us the Black and Yellows at least need a draw on Tuesday.

Dropping points isn't always the best barometer when it comes to judging Borussia Dortmund's title credentials, however, as they failed to win 15 games during the 1995/96 season - the Bundesliga's first using three points for a win - and still reclaimed top spot.

They've already dropped 24 points this season, but with Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig also struggling to maintain too much consistency, a highly-anticipated title race has been formed in Germany's top flight.

Borussia Dortmund will move within one point of Bayern Munich if they win Der Klassiker. With Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Mönchengladbach still to come for the Rekordmeister, it's easy enough to assume Hansi Flick's side could drop even more points this season.

But it seems inevitable Borussia Dortmund's Achilles heel will rear its ugly head once again too, with the never ending questions about the club's mentality almost certain to pop up over the next few weeks.

On paper, Dortmund's toughest match after Der Klassiker will come again RB Leipzig. They travel to face Julian Nagelsmann's side on the penultimate day of the season and the Red Bull-backed club might still fancy their own title chances when that fixture comes around.

But if the last few seasons have taught us anything about Borussia Dortmund, the Bundesliga title will be decided well before they travel to Saxony.

The club still faces trips to Paderborn and Fortuna Düsseldorf, while they're hosting a rejuvenated Hertha BSC and Mainz, as well as Hoffenheim on the final day, before the 2019/20 season comes to a close.

They're all games which have proved to be banana skins for Borussia Dortmund in the past. Even this season, Lucien Favre's side have already dropped points against two of those teams, as well as the likes of Union Berlin, Werder Bremen and Freiburg.

Der Klassiker will certainly be the biggest test as far as the title race is concerned, but if Borussia Dortmund do win their match against Bayern Munich, they'll also have the chance to put questions about their mentality to bed once and for all.

If form's anything to go by, there's no reason why Borussia Dortmund shouldn't be confident either. They've won their last six Bundesliga matches - they haven't won at least seven in a row since their double-winning campaign in 2012 - by an aggregate scoreline of 15-1.

The Black and Yellows always seem to have enough depth in their squad over the course of a season, but now they've also got the star names who can go toe to toe with Bayern Munich throughout the campaign and, crucially, in Der Klassiker.

Tuesday's match against Bayern Munich is being tipped as a cup final for Borussia Dortmund, but in reality, it's the seemingly simple run of fixtures after Der Klassiker which could have the biggest impact on the Bundesliga's title race.