Bundesliga Preview: Bayern seeking to extend unbeaten start before winter break

Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich travel to Mainz on Friday in the last round before the winter break in Germany.

The league will go on a six-week hiatus before matches resume on January 30, offering players a chance to recharge after a gruelling start to the 2014-15 campaign.

Bayern are 11 points clear of Wolfsburg at the Bundesliga summit, unbeaten after 16 rounds so far.

The season has been particularly strenuous for Bayern, despite taking a stranglehold of the Bundesliga.

Pep Guardiola’s men have played a total of 25 games in all competitions following Tuesday’s 2-0 Bundesliga win at home to second-bottom Freiburg.

That is without mentioning the World Cup in Brazil, which saw a number of Bayern’s players lift the trophy with Germany.

And number one goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who has only conceded three league goals, is relishing the opportunity to put his feet up over Christmas, though he is desperate to head into the break with another win under his belt.

“It’ll be important to win in Mainz as it’s our last game before Christmas,” Manuel said.

“We’ve invested a lot of energy in the last few weeks and months so we really have to win it.

“I don’t really think about how many goals I’m going to concede, we really just do take it game by game. In the first half of the season I think we’ve played really well and been very successful.”

Six matches are scheduled on Saturday, with Wolfsburg, Borussia Monchengladbach, Bayer Leverkusen and Schalke all in action.

Wolfsburg are back on home soil against 10th-placed Cologne after they came from behind twice to earn a 2-2 draw at Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday following Naldo’s 85th-minute equaliser.

“Both sides played well. When you’re 2-1 down it’s a point gained. Considering how the game unfolded, we have to be content with the draw,” Diego Benaglio said afterwards.

Monchengladbach – four points adrift of Wolfsburg in third position – travel to sixth-placed Augsburg, who have lost back-to-back matches.

Max Kruse, Oscar Wendt, Christoph Kramer and Branimir Hrgota were all on target as Monchengladbach routed 10-man cellar-dwellers Werder Bremen 4-1 on Wednesday.

Leverkusen are level on points with Monchengladbach as they prepare to host Eintracht Frankfurt.

Schalke enter their home fixture against Hamburg with four wins from five league matches after they edged Paderborn 2-1 midweek.

“You always need a bit of luck. We had that [against Paderborn] but we also worked hard,” said Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, who scored Schalke’s equaliser.

Strugglers Werder are also set to play on Saturday, hosting third-bottom Dortmund, while Stuttgart entertain Cologne.

On Sunday, Hertha Berlin take on Hoffenheim fresh from their thrilling 4-4 draw at Eintracht Frankfurt.

The round concludes with lowly Freiburg and Hannover 96 going head-to-head.