Bayern look to fix home form after Euro success

Having booked their Champions League Round of 16 berth, defending Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich will attempt to close the gap behind leaders Dortmund at bottom side Moenchengladbach on Saturday.

With four wins from four after Wednesday’s 4-0 win at Romanian side Cluj, Bayern are top of Group E in the Champions League and are into the knock-out stages, but they are well off the pace in the German league.

Seventh in the table, they are 10 points off leaders Dortmund and face bottom side Moenchengladbach at Borussia Park.

Bayern are without several stars including playmaker Arjen Robben, who is out until Janaury with a thigh injury, and Croatian international striker Ivica Olic who will be out of action for six months with a knee injury.

Bayern coach Louis van Gaal is also missing midfielder Franck Ribery and striker Miroslav Klose who are a few weeks from match fitness, but need to work on their league position now Champions League qualification has been secured.

“The win (at Cluj) means we?re through, and it’s also our best ever start (in the Champions League),” said Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

“Now we can concentrate exclusively on the Bundesliga, because we want to climb the table.

“And I have hopes we?ll manage that over the next few weeks.”

The fixture list gives Bayern an advantage going into January’s winter break as they face strugglers Nuremberg, Eintracht Frankfurt and St Pauli at home.

Only Leverkusen away on November 20 poses a significant challenge before Bayern play Stuttgart and Schalke 04 away in the run up to Christmas, both of whom have been poor this season.

Bayern’s domestic problems have been reflected in front of goal: they have 11 goals from the Champions League in four games, yet only 12 from 10 German League games.

“We?re defending very well and scoring goals at the other end (in the Champions League), and that?s what we now have to do in the Bundesliga too,” said Bayern goalkeeper Hans-Joerg Butt.

On Sunday, Dortmund’s young guns are looking to consolidate their lead at the top of the Bundesliga at Hanover.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have scored 23 goals in 10 games so far this season and conceded just seven with Paraguay striker Lucas Barrios leading the way with five.

Dortmund’s win at second-placed Mainz last weekend left them in pole-position and Hanover need to bounce back from their 4-0 hammering at Hoffenheim last Sunday which left them sixth in the league.

After defeats to minnow Aachen in the German Cup and then Dortmund in the Bundesliga, Mainz need a win at mid-table Freiburg to get their league challenge back on track.

Mainz have still only been beaten three times this season – twice in the league and once in the cup – and under young coach Thomas Tuchel are just a point behind Dortmund, but six points clear of Hoffeheim in third.

Saturday

Hamburg v 1899 Hoffenheim

Eintracht Frankfurt v VfL Wolfsburg

Borussia M’gladbach v Bayern Munich

Freiburg v Mainz 05

Nuremburg v Cologne

Sunday

Hanover v Borussia Dortmund

Bayer Leverkusen v Kaiserslautern

VfB Stuttgart v Werder Bremen