Bayern back to business for Bundesliga Freiburg clash

Bayern Munich may have booked their Champions League quarter-final berth, but captain Mark van Bommel says the Bundesliga leaders will be straight back to business against Freiburg on Saturday.

Despite suffering a 3-2 second-leg defeat in Fiorentina on Tuesday in the last 16, Bayern went through on the away-goals rule.

But having scored one of the goals in Florence, van Bommel wants three points at Munich’s Allianz Arena on Saturday to cement their lead at the top of the German league.

“Physically, it is no problem getting back into training, but it is not so easy to concentrate again,” admitted van Bommel. “But now we are all ready for Freiburg.”

Bayern enjoy a two-point gap at the top of the table, but Schalke 04 can overtake them on Friday if they beat Stuttgart at Gelsenkirchen’s Veltins Arena.

Having earned himself a fifth yellow card, Bayern’s Bastian Schweinsteiger sits out Saturday’s game serving a one-match ban.

Argentina defender Martin Demichelis is out with a face injury and Germany striker Mario Gomez is missing with a calf strain.

Bayern should have few problems against their second-from-bottom opponents, but with nine games until the end of the season, sides near the foot of the table are becoming increasingly desperate for points.

Having dropped to third in the table, Bayer Leverkusen will want three points at home to fourth-placed Hamburg on Sunday.

Having suffered a shock 3-2 defeat at struggling Nuremberg, Leverkusen need points to get back in the title race, but are without chief play-maker Toni Kroos while Germany midfielder Simon Rolfes is working back to fitness.

Hamburg’s Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy is expected to start.

At the other end of the table, there will be a battle royal in the German capital with bottom side Hertha Berlin hosting Nuremberg.

Nuremberg’s win over Leverkusen left Hertha five points from second-bottom Freiburg and six points away from safety.

Striker Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting who scored twice against Leverkusen is looking to keep his scoring run going against Hertha.

Saturday

Borussia M’gladbach v VfL Wolfsburg, VfL Bochum v Borussia Dortmund, Mainz 05 v Cologne, Hanover 96 v Eintracht Frankfurt, Hertha Berlin v Nuremberg, Bayern Munich v Freiburg

Sunday

Hoffenheim v Werder Bremen, Bayer Leverkusen v Hamburg