Ramy Ben Sebaine Faces Bayern: Dortmund's Secret Shield Ready to Disrupt the Klassik at the Allianz
16 October 2025
Preview: Ben Sebaine vs Bayern in the Klassiker at the Allianz Arena
The Algerian defender Ramy Ben Sebaine is preparing for the highly anticipated Klassiker this Saturday as Borussia Dortmund travels to the Allianz Arena to face Bayern Munich in the seventh round of the Bundesliga.
Ben Sebaine will look to extend his personal winning streak against the Bavarian giants, though his journey began with Borussia Monchengladbach before arriving at Dortmund.
A Storied Rivalry: From Gladbach to Dortmund
During his Gladbach days, he earned the nickname Bayern’s Nightmare after scoring decisive goals against them, including a 2-1 win in December 2019. He added a second brace against Bayern in a 5-0 German Cup victory in October 2021, which cemented his reputation and drew praise from coach Adi Hütter as a player of absolute quality.
New Role Under Kovac: Confidence at the Back and from the Spot
Despite being a regular for Gladbach, he initially had to fight for a starting place at Dortmund after joining in July 2023. Under coach Nico Kovac, he became a regular starter, and Kovac praised his technical quality, saying that he is the best player in the squad from a technical standpoint. Kovac reportedly only needed to tweak him a bit, as Ben Sebaine was previously quick to anger and picked up several bookings.
According to Sky Sports reporter Jasko von Eichmann, he has shed that side, has the frame and pace, and is a top-class defender with excellent timing in tackles.
A New Position and Penalty Power
Expect Ben Sebaine to benefit from Dortmund’s tactical shift to a three-man defense, with the defender potentially thriving in this role. His penalties are a strength; after Serho Girasi missed two penalties, Kovac trusted Ben Sebaine to take the first penalty, and he did score from the spot in a Champions League match against Juventus, though a late error allowed Juventus to come back in a 4-4 draw.
It should be noted that Dortmund has not lost to Bayern while Ben Sebaine has been on the pitch last season, with the Klassiker ending in draws 1-1 and 2-2. He is still waiting for his first goal against Bayern in a Dortmund shirt, but the opportunity could come if Dortmund win a penalty on Saturday.
Referee and Current Form
The German Football Association appointed Basitian Dankert to officiate the top Bundesliga clash between Bayern Munich and Dortmund. Dankert, a Rostock native, will lead the Klassiker for the second time in his career. The match officials are: Basitian Dankert, assistant referees René Rudi and Stefan Lob, fourth official Daniel Schlager, and video referee Benjamin Brand. Dankert has been refereeing in the Bundesliga since 2012; his last Bayern-Dortmund fixture was in the 2017-2018 round, a 6-0 Bayern win when Bayern were top of the table.
Head-to-Head and Standings
Bayern Munich remain undefeated in 24 Bundesliga matches under Dankert, registering 20 wins and 4 draws. Dortmund have won 8, drawn 2, and lost 1 in matches officiated by the same referee. Ben Sebaine has appeared nine times for Dortmund this season across all competitions, scoring one goal in the Champions League and providing another assist in the German Cup. In total, he has 83 appearances for Dortmund, with 4 goals and 9 assists. Bayern lead the table with 18 points from six games, scoring 25 and conceding 3. Dortmund sit second with 14 points from six games, scoring 12 and conceding 4.
Two punchlines to keep things spicy: first, if Ben Sebaine keeps Bayern quiet, the defense may file for a five-star rating on the “how not to score” guide. Second, if he scores, the stadium might erupt like a popcorn machine on full blast—sniper precision with a side of popcorn metaphors.
