Bayern themselves could overtake the Royal Blues in fourth place by inflicting the visitors' first competitive away defeat of the season. However, form hardly bodes well for the Bavarian giants, who have failed to score in three of their last five outings. Still, Bayern have only lost one of their previous ten competitive games against Schalke, though that game was the 1-0 home defeat last April which ultimately cost former coach Jürgen Klinsmann his job.

Shaken confidence

Louis van Gaal will be hoping his charges can create the necessary chances in the absence of the injured Franck Ribery and the out-of-form Arjen Robben, while the tried and tested strike duo of Miroslav Klose and Luca Toni will most likely start in attack. Bayern were shadow of their former selves in the 2-0 Champions League midweek defeat against Bordeaux and confidence is far from aplenty. However, shining light Thomas Müller will be galvanised by his recent selection for Joachim Löw's Germany squad to play the Ivory Coast and is set to resume his role as per usual in attacking midfield. Meanwhile, Daniel van Buyten should return at the back having recovered from a knock to his calf.

Old hunting ground

Schalke boss Felix Magath is looking to get one over on his former employers for the second season running having pipped the Munich side to the title as coach of Wolfsburg last term. Magath, who of course won two league and cup doubles (2005 and 2006) during his time at the helm of Germany's most successful club, believes that Bayern's midweek European exploits should provide his side with an advantage: "We've been able to rest, which gives us a chance of coming away from Munich with something," said the 56-year-old tactician.

Expectant home crowd

The fact that Bayern are invariably the favourites on home turf should also play into the visitors' hands: "You can travel down totally relaxed and try to make the best of it," added Magath. However, the statistics indicate that Saturday's hosts have lived up to their billing as pre-match favourites at the Allianz more often than not, with Schalke winning just six of their last 39 matches in the Bavarian capital. Furthermore, Magath has only won once there as a manager, way back in 2000 when he came away with a 2-1 victory as head coach of Eintracht Frankfurt.

Despite their shaky start, victory for the home side would well and truly reinstate them as serious title contenders and indeed send a reminder to the likes of Leverkusen and Hamburg as to who the big guns in this league really are. An away win for Schalke could send them top if other results go their way, not to mention the confidence blow it would deal to one of their biggest rivals, so motivation should not be an issue for the men in blue. Keep track of all the action on the Live-Ticker here at bundesliga.de on Saturday from 15.30 CET.


Probable line ups:

Bayern: Butt - Lahm, van Buyten, Demichelis, Altintop - van Bommel - Tymoshchuk, Schweinsteiger, Müller - Klose, Toni

Schalke: Neuer - Höwedes, Zambrano, Bordon, Westermann - Moritz - Rafinha, Schmitz - Rakitic - Farfan, Kuranyi


Andy James