Robert Lewandowski and how do you stop him from scoring is what will be going through the minds of the players and Thomas Tuchel as we get ready for the Bundesliga Klassiker between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund at the Allianz Arena.
Lewandowski has been in ridiculous form of late, scoring ten goals in his last three matches, including five in a 5-1 demolition of Wolfsburg, the perceived title contenders, along with Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.
"Robert Lewandowski is just an exceptional player, whether or not he plays at Bayern Munich," former Dortmund man Karl-Heinz Riedle told Omnisport.
"In his position, I think he is probably the best player in the world. He hardly has any weaknesses, he is powerful in the air. He just holds on to the ball like no one else."
Lewandowski, of course, had a few great seasons with Dortmund, with a couple of Bundesliga titles under Jurgen Klopp, but it will be the Dortmund fans who will have that sense of trepidation every time the Poland international gets on the ball, anywhere near the penalty area.
"It's a very important game for us," Lewandowski told Bayern's official website. "Of course it's extraordinary to me. I had four very successful years with BVB, with many goals and a number of titles.
"I've been at FC Bayern for over a year now and I hope we'll win."
Cutting the supply to Lewandowski will be key for Borussia Dortmund, who will rely on their fast-paced counter-attacks, knowing full well that Bayern Munich, even though they have gone away from that possession obsession a little bit this season, will have the majority of the ball.
In those possible counter-attacks, the key for Dortmund will be using the pace in their side – there is plenty in the team –and grabbing the opportunities when they come. A key player to do that could be Reus, who, while not being in the greatest of forms, has a terrific record in Der Klassikers.
"I always have the hope that Marco explodes," Tuchel said. "It is true that he is struggling right now, but we see in his analytic stats that he is working very hard and how he fights and he will come back, hopefully [against Bayern]."
While Dortmund have the attack to hurt Bayern, the way the Bundesliga champions are playing right now, it is difficult to see a different winner. They have won every single one of their games in the league this season, and Dortmund, who are second, four points behind, will have to play seriously well, and more, to stop the Pep Guardiola-led Bayern juggernaut.
Where to Watch Live
Bayern Munich vs Borussia Dortmund is scheduled for a 5.30 local time (9 pm IST, 4.30 pm BST, 11.30 am ET) start with live TV coverage in India on Star Sports 1 and Star Sports HD 1. The match can also be watched via free live streaming online in India on Starsports.com and Hotstar.
Watch the action unfold live in the UK on BT Sport Europe, with the live stream options on Watch BT Sport Live and the BT Sport App.
Viewers in Germany can watch Bayern play Dortmund live on Sky Bundesliga, with the option to live stream the match on Sky Go Germany.
Audience in the US can catch the Bundesliga Klassiker live on Fox Sports and Fox Soccer2go. Viewers in Canada will be able to watch the game live on Sportsnet, while the action can also be live streamed on Watch Sportsnet.
Viewers in Australia, France, the Middle East and North Africa can watch the Der Klassiker live on Bein Sports, with the live streaming option on Bein Sports Connect.
