Borussia Dortmund forward Mario Gotze has played down suggestions that Der Klassiker at Bayern Munich on Saturday will be decisive in the Bundesliga title race.
BVB hold a two-point lead going into the game at the Allianz Arena, with Bayern having been held to a 1-1 draw at Freiburg last weekend.
We realise Saturday will be important, but the whole remaining period will be decisive.
Mario Gotze
On the same day Dortmund needed two injury-time goals from Paco Alcacer to win 2-0 at home to Wolfsburg and take an advantage into the showdown with the reigning champions of Germany.
However, with another six league games to be played after this weekend, Gotze is wary of thinking that Die Klassiker is a winner-takes-all clash.
He told the official Bundesliga website: "Personally, I do see it as an important game but it won't be a decisive one. There are seven important games to go.
"Saturday's Klassiker will be an important match generally in terms of our confidence and our mental strength and so on.
"The right result can give us a push, but there are seven games left and you really saw how hard it was in the last two games where we got the three points in the last minute.
"We realise Saturday will be important, but the whole remaining period will be decisive. There are a full six weeks where we will have to give 100 per cent in every game."
BVB can be backed at 15/4 to earn a draw at Bayern on Saturday, with a 2-2 final scoreline available at 14/1, while Dortmund are priced at 16/1 to claim the Bundesliga title this season.
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Borussia Dortmund forward Mario Gotze has played down suggestions that Der Klassiker at Bayern Munich on Saturday will be decisive in the Bundesliga title race.
BVB hold a two-point lead going into the game at the Allianz Arena, with Bayern having been held to a 1-1 draw at Freiburg last weekend.
We realise Saturday will be important, but the whole remaining period will be decisive.
Mario Gotze
On the same day Dortmund needed two injury-time goals from Paco Alcacer to win 2-0 at home to Wolfsburg and take an advantage into the showdown with the reigning champions of Germany.
However, with another six league games to be played after this weekend, Gotze is wary of thinking that Die Klassiker is a winner-takes-all clash.
He told the official Bundesliga website: "Personally, I do see it as an important game but it won't be a decisive one. There are seven important games to go.
"Saturday's Klassiker will be an important match generally in terms of our confidence and our mental strength and so on.
"The right result can give us a push, but there are seven games left and you really saw how hard it was in the last two games where we got the three points in the last minute.
"We realise Saturday will be important, but the whole remaining period will be decisive. There are a full six weeks where we will have to give 100 per cent in every game."
BVB can be backed at 15/4 to earn a draw at Bayern on Saturday, with a 2-2 final scoreline available at 14/1, while Dortmund are priced at 16/1 to claim the Bundesliga title this season.
View all Soccer betting
Source: bet365.com