Hello everyone. Welcome to LIVE text commentary of Der Klassiker, between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund at the Allianz Arena. This is quite simply the biggest game in German football.

Coman again forced into some early defensive work after Hakimi pins him back.

A stand-offish start by both sides, as Dortmund show signs of settling. This is a game that neither side want to lose just as much as they want to win.

A long ball by Coman reaches Lewandowski, but he was just offside.

Dortmund have five points fewer than they did at this stage of last season. They really need to get the win today to re-establish themselves as title contenders.

Mario Götze is stopped in his tracks as he's launching a promising Dortmund counter-attack. The reason being that Thorgan Hazard had strayed offside.

Bayern dominating the early exchanges here - Dortmund yet to get their foot on it.

A chance within 40 seconds for Lewandowski, who runs behind the Dortmund defence to collect a loose backpass, but Bürki is alert and sweeps up just before the Pole reaches the ball.

We're underway! The 101st Bundesliga meeting between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund is underway...

The players are out and we're just about ready to go here...

Worth noting ahead of this one that Robert Lewandowski has quite remarkably scored in every single Bundesliga and Champions League game this season. The Pole is looking to keep that extraordinary run going tonight.

Borussia Dortmund are not without their problems either. Unlike their opponents' defensive issues, BVB are short on numbers in attack. Marco Reus is only deemed fit enough for the bench after he picked up an injury in last weekend's win over Wolfsburg and Paco Alcacer is also on the bench. Mario Götze starts as a false nine, with Jadon Sancho, Julian Brandt and Thorgan Hazard just behind the front man.

Bayern Munich are playing their first league game since coach Niko Kovac was fired, following Bayern's 5-1 humbling at Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend. Interim coach Hansi Flick, who has been promoted from his role as assistant coach while Bayern's search for a new head coach goes on, has immediately reinstated Javi Martinez, Leon Goretzka and Kingsley Coman to the starting line-up. Philippe Coutinho and Thiago Alcantara drop to the bench as Bayern field a makeshift defence, given the absence of Niklas Süle and Lucas Hernandez through injury and Jerome Boateng through suspension.

Bayern Munich: Neuer, Kimmich, Pavard, Martinez, Davies, Goretzka, Coman, Alaba, Gnabry, Müller, Lewandowski. Subs: Ulreich, Thiago, Coutinho, Cuisance, Perisic, Tolisso, Mai.

Borussia Dortmund: Bürki, Hakimi, Hummels, Akanji, Schultz, Weigl, Witsel, Brandt, Hazard, Sancho, Götze. Subs: Hitz, Zagadou, Guerreiro, Delaney, Piszczek, Bruun Larsen, Dahoud, Reus, Alcacer