Five-star Gomez hoping to fire Bayern top

Germany striker Mario Gomez is hoping to score his sixth goal in seven games for Bayern Munich against Hertha Berlin on Saturday as his side aim to enter the winter break as Bundesliga leaders.

The 24-year-old started his purple patch in the 1-1 draw with league leaders Leverkusen on November 22.

Since then he has scored in all of the last three German league games plus a top class effort in the 4-1 win at Juventus which put Bayern in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Bayern have risen up the Bundesliga table from eighth and go into the weekend third in the league, just two points behind leaders Leverkusen.

A win over Hertha, who have failed to record a single league success since their victory on the opening day of the season, would give them a chance of finishing the year on top of the league.

Leverkusen would need to lose at Borussia Moenchengladbach and second-placed Schalke would have to fail to beat Mainz on Friday night, but Louis van Gaal-coached Bayern have a chance to claim the lead.

“I am not only scoring goals, I am creating them too,” said Gomez who is hoping for his sixth consecutive goal at Munich’s Allianz Arena.

“I had a chat with the coach (van Gaal) and he explained what he expects of me, since then everything has worked well and I feel liberated now.”

And for his partner up front Ivica Olic, who scored twice in last weekend’s 5-1 win over Bochum, Gomez is justifying the 30 million euros Bayern paid Stuttgart for him last summer.

“The combination works well,” said Olic. “I always have fun playing with a striker like Mario. He is showing why Bayern paid so much money for him.”

Bayern, who have gone 11 home games without a Bundesliga defeat, should have few problems against Hertha.

A 70th minute goal by Gojko Kacar was enough to see Berlin reach the last 32 of the newly-formed Europa League against Group D leaders Sporting Lisbon last week, but they are six points adrift at the foot of the Bundesliga.

Leverkusen have announced they will loan striker Theofanis Gekas to Hertha as they look to consolidate their place at the top of the table and victory at home to ‘Gladbach will see them finish the year on top.

Stuttgart coach Christian Gross will be without banned Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann who picked up a three-match ban after being sent off in the 1-1 draw against Mainz last Sunday.

Gross replaced Markus Babbel as coach earlier this month, but is still chasing his first Bundesliga success since taking over at Stuttgart as his side, who are 15th in the table, host Hoffenheim on Saturday.

Friday

Schalke 04 v Mainz 05

Saturday

Bayern Munich v Hertha Berlin, Borussia Dortmund v Freiburg, Bayer Leverkusen v Borussia M’gladbach, Hanover 96 v VfL Bochum, Eintracht Frankfurt v VfL Wolfsburg, VfB Stuttgart v Hoffenheim

Sunday

Hamburg v Werder Bremen, Cologne v Nuremberg