After two and a half months, there is, finally, a big match–a game that matters not just because it is happening, or because it evokes memories of past derbies, but because it could settle a title. Tuesday's meeting between Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich would have been huge anyway, but with the stage clear, Der Klassiker–as the Bundesliga’s international marketing department has dubbed it–is indisputably the center of the footballing world this week.
Bayern’s lead at the top is four points. Win on Tuesday and, with just six games remaining, an eighth straight title would be all but guaranteed.