Bundesliga Preview, Week 24: Bayern Munich Look To Continue Strong Run Against Leaders Borussia Dortmund

VfL Wolfsburg vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach

Friday, 2:30 PM, TV: ESPN Deportes, ESPN3.com

The pressure is on straight from the start this weekend as both Wolfsburg and ‘Gladbach will be desperate for a win in their respective battles to avoid relegation. Mönchengladbach picked up their third win of 2011 (and their first league win at home all season) against Schalke 04 on Sunday to pull within four points of safety. Wolfsburg are in fifteenth, the first place above the relegation zone, after Freiburg came from behind to hand them a fourth consecutive loss last week. A win for ‘Gladbach would give them great hope of staying up, while anything but victory for Wolfsburg could see them drop into the bottom three for the first time since Week 3.

FC Cologne vs. SC Freiburg

Saturday, 9:30 AM

Cologne have ridden a wave of form out of the relegation zone with three wins and two draws in their first six games of 2011 after taking a point away to Hoffenheim last week, while Freiburg are definitely back in the race for European football next season after victory against Wolfsburg. This is an important game for Cologne because victory would keep their momentum going as they try to ensure safety, while Freiburg want to keep pace with Mainz 05 in fifth and possibly close their gap with die Nullfunfer on goal difference.

FC Kaiserslautern vs. Hamburg SV

Saturday, 9:30 AM

Mainz’s defeat at the hands of Bayern Munich blew open the race for fifth place, the final European spot, and Hamburg ensured that they are still in with a chance of qualifying for continental football next year by thrashing rivals Werder Bremen 4-0 in the Nordderby. Kaiserslautern fell to a 3-0 defeat against another side in the race for Europe as a Julian Schlaudraff brace secured victory for Hannover 96. ‘Lautern are still on the edge of the relegation zone, with only goal difference separating them from the safety of fifteenth, and they will want to get back on track in front of their raucous home crowd, aided by their superior record at the Fritz-Walter-Stadion.

Schalke 04 vs. FC Nürnberg

Saturday, 9:30 AM, TV: ESPN Deportes, ESPN3.com

A very surprising defeat against Mönchengladbach has kept Schalke 04 in the bottom half of the table, and they simply don’t have much left to play for in the Bundesliga. Nürnberg were slipping down the table a bit near the end of 2010, but have come roaring back in the new year and are now just two points behind the final European place. FCN are in good form and will be hoping to improve their away record at the Veltins Arena and avenge their extra-time loss there in the cup a few weeks back, while Schalke will probably have one eye on their Pokal semifinal against Bayern Munich in midweek.

St. Pauli vs. Hannover 96

Saturday, 9:30 AM

Hannover 96 have overcome a slightly rough patch and look set to challenge Bayern Munich for third place and the Bundesliga’s final Champions League spot, while St. Pauli are only a few more wins from safety, and could even get into the top half of the table with a good run of results. Despite the hosts’ improvement, Hannover should be confident of recording a second successive win over a promoted side after beating ‘Lautern 3-0 last week. This will probably be a tougher match, but St. Pauli aren’t great at the Millerntor-Stadion and Hannover will want to put pressure on Bayern Munich ahead of their clash with Dortmund in the late kickoff.

TSG Hoffenheim vs. Mainz 05

Saturday, 9:30 AM

There’s only one team with something left to play for in this game, and it’s not the hosts. A draw with Cologne last week dropped Hoffenheim into ninth, four points behind Mainz, who occupy the last European place. Die Nullfunfer were quite poor against Bayern Munich, and the Bavarians were able to pick them off on the counterattack after taking an early lead; Mainz now find their fifth place under serious threat from Freiburg, Hamburg, and Nürnberg. The visitors have won just once in 2011 and will have to be more prepared for this game than they were last week or they will find themselves out of the European places by the weekend’s close.

Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund

Saturday, 12:30 PM, TV: GOL TV (tape delay)

This is quite obviously the game of the weekend, and the biggest game left for Borussia Dortmund as they roll on towards the Bundesliga title. BVB claimed a slightly fortuitous win over their Bavarian rivals back in early October that effectively ended the Bavarians’ title chances, and rebounded from two draws by winning last week with goals either side of halftime against St. Pauli. Bayern have a much busier fixture schedule as this game comes between a midweek trip to the San Siro, where a late Mario Gómez goal gave them a first-leg victory over Inter Milan, and their DFB Pokal semifinal at home against Schalke.

The Bavarians have been imperious at home with ten consecutive wins in all competitions at the Allianz Arena, a run that stretches back to last October. However, Dortmund have been quite good on their travels and have only dropped points twice away all season; Saturday will be their second chance to set a new mark for the most away victories in the Bundesliga and take a big step towards breaking Bayern’s records in points and wins in a season.

On the injury front, Roman Weidenfeller and Jakub Blaszczykowski are both in a race to get fit for this game, while Lucas Barrios was able to train on Thursday and should be able to start. Ivica Olic is the only man out for Louis van Gaal’s side, although Toni Kroos is still working his way back into the first team and the fit-again Franck Ribéry has disappointed of late for the defending champions.

This game is a matter of pride for both sides, but is much more important for the hosts because FCB are just a point ahead of Hannover 96 in the final European place. Bayern will take heart from their late win against Inter in midweek and that BVB haven’t won in Munich for over ten years; FCB have also beaten Dortmund in their last four meetings at the Allianz Arena.

Eintracht Frankfurt vs. VfB Stuttgart

Sunday, 9:30 AM

A second consecutive 3-0 defeat last week, this one away to surging Nürnberg, and Eintracht Frankfurt are in serious trouble. They still haven’t scored a goal in 2011 and are slipping towards the relegation places -- they’re now just four points above the play-off place. Stuttgart are in even more trouble in the league and are now out of Europe after losing 2-0 at home against Benfica. The Baden-Württemberg side are four points from safety in seventeenth, and will be desperate to pick up a second away win of the Bundesliga season against a Frankfurt team in free-fall.

Werder Bremen vs. Bayer Leverkusen

Sunday, 11:30 AM, TV: GOL TV

This game is undoubtedly the biggest mismatch of the weekend as fourteenth-placed Werder Bremen, just a point above the relegation zone, take on second-placed Bayer Leverkusen. Bremen have been woeful all around the pitch this season and were crushed 4-0 by Hamburg SV in the Nordderby last week. Leverkusen left it late against Stuttgart but ran out 4-2 winners by the final whistle to keep hold of second, and then coasted to a 2-0 win against Metalist Kharkiv in midweek, booking a place in the Europa League Round of 16 against Villareal with a 6-0 win on aggregate. In addition to scoring plenty of goals, Bayer have also tightened up their defence lately, recording four clean sheets in their last six games. Bremen will have to produce a performance of quality that we haven’t seen from them in months, while Bayer should be expecting to claim another away win.