Wounded Bayern and Dortmund look for answers in untimely Klassiker

BERLIN (AP) — The Champions League is not doing Der Klassiker any favors.

Bayern Munich hosts Borussia Dortmund on Saturday for what has traditionally been one of the Bundesliga’s showpiece games of the season, but both rivals are smarting after chastening Champions League defeats and preoccupied by how they might continue in Europe’s premier competition.

Bayern, in particular, will be focused on its second leg quarterfinal at Inter Milan on Wednesday, when it will need to overturn a one-goal deficit after conceding late in the first leg. Munich hosts the Champions League final in May.

Dortmund was outclassed by Barcelona 4-0 in their quarterfinal first leg and bracing for another demonstration when the Spanish giant visits for the second leg on Tuesday.

In recent seasons, Der Klassiker has been key to deciding the league title. But Bayern’s main rival in the last couple of years has been Bayer Leverkusen – currently six points behind the Bavarian powerhouse with six games remaining.

Dortmund is languishing in eighth place after a humbling season, though it still harbors hopes of finishing in the top four to qualify for the lucrative Champions League.

A win against Bayern in Munich would boost those hopes and help Leverkusen keep alive its dwindling chances of defending its title.

A look at what else is happening in the Bundesliga this weekend:

— While Bayern and Dortmund hog attention in the evening, Leverkusen will be hoping to pressure Bayern with a win over visiting Union Berlin earlier. But Union has won its last two games and is unbeaten in four.

— Wolfsburg hosts Leipzig on Friday with the visitor looking for another win to provisionally move into the top four, pressuring Eintracht Frankfurt, Mainz and Borussia Mönchengladbach, its rivals for European qualification.

— Holstein Kiel hosts St. Pauli in a relegation battle on Saturday. Kiel (18 points) gained a valuable point against Mainz last weekend and can climb off the bottom with a win, depending on how Bochum (20) fares against Augsburg. Heidenheim (22) visits Frankfurt on Sunday.

— Bayern’s Harry Kane had a bad miss in the 2-1 loss to Inter on Tuesday and will be keen to warm up for the trip to Italy by adding to his 23 league goals.

— Ermedin Demirović hit a hat trick for Stuttgart against Bochum last weekend and can add to his 13 goals in a key game against visiting Werder Bremen on Saturday. Bremen and Stuttgart still have chances of European qualification.

— “We have to defend more and better than today. Because we’ll also have problems in Munich without a defense.” — Dortmund coach Niko Kovać after his team’s 4-0 loss in Barcelona.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Dortmund's Emre Can, center, and his teammates react at the end of the Champions League quarterfinal first leg soccer match between Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund, at the Lluis Companys Olympic stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Emilio Morenatti)

Dortmund's Julian Brandt reacts at the end of the Champions League quarterfinals first leg soccer match between Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund, at the Lluis Companys Olympic stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Dortmund's Ramy Bensebaini reacts at the end of the Champions League quarterfinals first leg soccer match between Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund, at the Lluis Companys Olympic stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Barcelona's Robert Lewandowski celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the Champions League quarterfinals first leg soccer match between Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund, at the Lluis Companys Olympic stadium in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, April 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

Inter's Lautaro Martinez, center, and Nicolo Barella, right, celebrate after the Champions League quarterfinals first leg soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (Peter Kneffel/dpa via AP)

Munich's Harry Kane, right, and Inter's Francesco Acerbi fight for the ball during the Champions League quarterfinals first leg soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (Sven Hoppe/dpa via AP)

Bayern's Harry Kane reacts after missing a chance to score during the Champions League quarterfinals first leg soccer match between FC Bayern Munich and Inter Milan, at the Allianz Arena in Munich, Germany, Tuesday, April 8, 2025. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader)

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Matthew Tkachuk is back on the ice with the Florida Panthers, appearing at practice on Sunday for the first time this season and more than four months after he had surgery to repair a sports hernia and torn adductor muscle.

Tkachuk has not played since Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, when the Panthers clinched their second consecutive title by again topping the Edmonton Oilers. He went through the summer trying to rehab — but eventually decided that he needed the surgery.

He was wearing a yellow non-contact jersey, an indication that he's not yet ready for game action. Florida plays host to Washington on Monday and Montreal on Tuesday, then will be the home team for the NHL Winter Classic at the Miami Marlins' ballpark against the New York Rangers on Friday.

The Panthers are scheduled to practice at the ballpark on Thursday.

After the Panthers won their second straight Stanley Cup in June, Tkachuk revealed that he had sustained the injuries while playing for Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. He missed the final 25 games of the regular season but returned for Game 1 of the Panthers’ first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Tkachuk had 23 points — eight goals and 15 assists — in 23 playoff games, including seven points in the Stanley Cup Final.

The Panthers have been without a slew of key players all season, including captain Aleksander Barkov. They entered Sunday tied for the second and final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, only five points out of the lead in the Atlantic Division.

Florida has gone through this season with the expectation that Tkachuk would be back on a “December-ish” timeline. He has said he wants to play in the Winter Classic, the Panthers' first outdoor game, and for Team USA at the Milan Cortina Olympics in February.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

FILE - Florida Panthers left wing Matthew Tkachuk (19) scuffles with Carolina Hurricanes players during the second period in Game 3 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Eastern Conference finals Saturday, May 24, 2025, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)