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Bundesliga preview: Dortmund, Bayern look to bounce back
4 October 2012
Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich must overcome differing levels of Champions League disappointment in round seven of the Bundesliga.
Reigning champions Dortmund conceded a late equaliser in their trip to Manchester City, while Bayern were stunned 3-1 in Belarus by BATE Borisov.
While disappointed with letting City salvage a draw on Wednesday, Dortmund head coach Juergen Klopp was pleased with his team's improved defensive performance.
Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic were impressive in central defence, while Felipe Santana did a decent job when the former was subbed off.
But Dortmund's defensive structure remains a work in progress, with the defending Bundesliga champions having managed only four clean sheets in ten matches across all competitions this season.
Dortmund will face a stern test of their defensive prowess on Sunday when they travel to Hannover, who are the third-highest scorers in the Bundesliga with 14 goals from six games.
Eintracht Frankfurt, who have stunned all in Germany with five wins in six games since promotion to sit second on the Bundesliga table, will visit Borussia Moenchengladbach in one of the other Sunday games, while Stuttgart host Bayer Leverkusen.
Bayern have started the Bundesliga season with six wins from as many matches but were very wasteful against BATE on Tuesday in the Champions League in a disappointing performance by the Munich-based club.
That shock result does not bode well for Hoffenheim, who travel to Munich on Saturday to play Bayern, as the hosts should be very keen to get back to their winning formula.
Bayern had 62 percent possession and 16 shots against BATE but only managed one goal and having averaged over three goals per game in the Bundesliga so far this season, Hoffenheim goalkeeper Koen Casteels should be a busy man at the Allianz Arena.
In other matches on Saturday, Mainz host Fortuna Duesseldorf, Freiburg take on Nuremberg, Schalke play Wolfsburg and Greuther Fuerth are up against Hamburg.
Round seven of the Bundesliga will start on Friday with Augsburg versus Werder Bremen.
Rummenigge: Bayern Munich must respond against Hoffenheim
The 57-year-old former die Roten striker says his club have to bounce back after their Champions League defeat, in order to send a message to their Bundesliga rivals
Germany recall Schweinsteiger for Ireland and Sweden qualifiers
The Bayern Munich star has been named in Die Mannschaft's latest roster for the first time since Euro 2012
Augsburg notched their first Bundesliga victory of the season with a 3-1 home success against Werder Bremen on Friday.
Both sides had struggled for a win in recent times but it was Augsburg who started off the better, with Tobias Werner delighting the SGL Arena crowd with his second-minute goal.
Chelsea loanee Kevin De Bryune has enjoyed an impressive start to the season at Werder and the Belgian levelled proceedings on 19 minutes, but parity did not last long.
Stephan Hain was the man responsible for firing Augsburg ahead and it was an advantage they carried into the half-time break.
Werder pushed for an equaliser, with manager Thomas Schaaf making a raft of attacking changes, but it failed to pay off as Daniel Baier's first ever Bundesliga goal, netted 18 minutes from time, sealed the win for Augsburg.
Augsburg climbed off the bottom of the table and out of the relegation zone as a result of the victory, moving to 15th.
Werder's defeat cost them a chance of moving clear of the five sides on seven points, with Schaaf's men dropping to 11th.
Bayern Munich have continued their perfect start to the Bundesliga season, with a Franck Ribery brace powering their 2-0 win over Hoffenheim.
Bayern were looking to bounce back from their shock Champions League defeat to BATE and they made a positive start in front of their home supporters at Allianz Arena on Saturday, with Ribery giving them the lead 19 minutes in.
The France international latched on to an assist from Thomas Mueller and fired past Koen Casteels in the Hoffenheim goal, much to the delight of the Bayern faithful.
That was where the score stayed at the break, but three minutes into the second half Ribery scored his second as Bayern made it seven wins from their opening seven league games of the season.
Elsewhere on Saturday, Schalke continued their strong start to the campaign with a 3-0 home win over Wolfsburg.
Jefferson Farfan gave the hosts the lead just after the half-hour mark, and second-half goals from Ibrahim Afellay and Roman Neustaedter wrapped up a comfortable victory for Huub Stevens' side.
The win sees Schalke move to third on the table, seven points behind leaders Bayern, although Borussia Dortmund could reclaim third spot with a win over Hannover on Sunday.
Freiburg ran out 3-0 victors at home over Nuremberg, although they had to wait until stoppage time to score the final two goals of the game.
Cedric Makiadi put Freiburg ahead in the 36th minute, but their second goal came in the 92nd minute of the match when Daniel Caligiuri converted a penalty, and a minute later Marco Terrazzino made it 3-0.
Mainz had an 85th-minute goal from Nikolce Noveski to thank for their 1-0 win over Fortuna Dusseldorf, whose cause was not helped when Oliver Fink was dismissed on 78 minutes for a second bookable offence.
And Hamburg enjoyed a 1-0 away win over Greuther Fuerth, with Korean winger Son Hueng-min scoring the only goal of the game in the 17th minute.
Borussia Dortmund's Bundesliga challenge took another telling blow after they were pegged back by Hannover in a 1-1 draw on Sunday.
The defending champions could not build on their encouraging 1-1 draw at Manchester City in the Champions League on Wednesday, as they were held to another disappointing domestic result to leave their hopes of a third straight title in jeopardy after only seven games.
Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring with a tap in on 26 minutes, but intense Hannover pressure in the second half was rewarded with the equaliser from Mame Biram Diouf in the 86th minute.
Dortmund now face a nine-point gap to leaders Bayern Munich, while Hannover stretched their unbeaten home record to 22 matches.
Borussia Moenchengladbach won for the first time in seven matches and handed second-placed Eintracht Frankfurt their first defeat of the Bundesliga season in a 2-0 result.
Juan Arango unleashed a scorching 30-yard strike in the eighth minute that crept in off the underside of the crossbar before off-season signing Luuk de Jong doubled Gladbach's advantage 16 minutes later.
Eintracht dominated for much of the match but could not break through and now trail Bayern by five points.
In the other match, Vedad Ibisevic and Stefan Kiessling exchanged braces for Stuttgart and Bayer Leverkusen respectively in a 2-2 draw.
Kiessling opened the scoring in the 13th minute with a scrappy goal and eventually restored parity in the 59th with a header either side of an Ibisevic penalty and tap in.
Dortmund's Klopp not worried by Bayern Munich form
BVB coach states he is unconcerned by the start their close rivals have made despite trailing the Bavarians by nine points in the Bundesliga
Heynckes praises Bayern Munich's intelligence in Hoffenheim win
The 67-year-old has expressed his pleasure after watching die Roten resume winning ways, following their Champions League debacle in midweek
Rummenigge sees the Bundesliga as a model for Serie A
The official has asked for the Italian league to follow in Germany's footsteps, pointing out what is necessary for the nation's football infrastructure to advance
Oct 6, 2012 11:55:00 PM
By SW Lim
Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has provided Serie A clubs with the Bundesliga's recipe for success, after claiming that the state of footballing affairs on the peninsular has deteriorated over recent seasons.
The German claims that a lack of supporting infrastructure has resulted in teams having to sell their star players for profit, as was notably the case with Zlatan Ibrahimovic's and Thiago Silva's departures to Ligue 1's Paris Saint-Germain this summer.
"Italian football is in trouble, but I'm sure they will be able to manage this crisis," offered the former Inter striker.
"German stadiums are always full because we implement a social policy to keep our tickets affordable to the poor, being as low as €7 with Bayern.
"The international success of the Allianz Arena [Bayern Munich's home ground] suggest municipalities in Italy must understand the importance of modern stadiums for public football.
"Although I've read the Milan teams have been criticised, I believe they are on course to balancing wages and offering young players a chance."
Italian champions Juventus notably failed to sell out their stadium on its inauguration into the Champions League against Shakhtar Donetsk due to disputes over ticket prices, whilst AC Milan and Inter have been plagued by dwindling numbers of season ticket holders in recent years.
Borussia Dortmund's general manager says that he never clashes with his coach and speaks of how he prefers not to spend huge amounts of money in the transfer market
Oct 7, 2012 12:55:00 PM
By Ian Hudson
Hans-Joachim Watzke may well be a powerful figure at the reigning Bundesliga champions but he says there is no conflict between him and Jurgen Klopp.
Both Watzke and Klopp are strong characters, but when questioned on their relationship the general manager was quick to talk about the mutual trust between him and his coach.
"No, we never argue! Jurgen, Michael Zorc, and I maybe discuss things together. But we have total basic trust that is always there," Watzke told Bild.
"We know we can rely on each other and are very close together."
When Watzke was asked about whether he would like the club to have someone pumping millions into the team he said it is more enjoyable not having huge amounts of money to spend.
"We have our way, we are independent and free. It's also fun to be creative and to not buy everything," he added.
Uli Hoeness: Low must get tough with Germany's players
The World Cup winner believes time has come for national boss Low to become have a more regimented stance with squad
Oct 8, 2012 12:25:00 AM
By Paul Gorst
Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness believes current Germany boss Joachim Low must become tougher with his players.
Hoeness believes the national side has struggled in the past due to the squad being allowed too much freedom and has called on Low to adopt a more disciplinarian approach in their current World Cup qualifying campaign.
"[In the past there has been] too much talk about to which Formula One race they want to visit to keep the players happy," Hoeness told Spiegel.
"In the preparation everybody was discussing which ping-pong table was to be brought where, preferably on top of Mont Blanc. Sometimes less is more!
“Many players won't be treated as soft if they screw up [in the future] I'm sure Jogi Low has realised that already."
Germany play Ireland and Sweden on October 12 and 16 respectively.
07.10.2012 17:21:23 GLADBACH INFLICT FRANKFURT'S FIRST DEFEAT
Juan Arango's (m.) sensational 30-yard strike opened the scoring for Gladbach against Frankfurt Mönchengladbach - Borussia Mönchengladbach inflicted Eintracht Frankfurt with a first league defeat of the this season with a 2-0 victory that lifts them up to tenth in the table.
A sublime Juan Arango strike from distance knocked the wind out of the visitors' sails early on before Luuk de Jong gave the Foals a two-goal cushion. Frankfurt controlled possession as the match progressed, but were unable to find a way through a determined, if not entirely stable, home defence. Arango strikes again
With just one league win all season, Gladbach's campaign could hardly have begun in starker contrast to Frankfurt's, who had won five of their six opening fixtures. Nonetheless, it was the hosts who began the brighter, pressing high up the pitch and soon taking a deserved lead.
There appeared to be relatively little danger when Arango collected a stray pass 30 yards out, but the Venezuelan unleashed an unstoppable dipping shot into the top left hand corner that left Kevin Trapp standing in the Eintracht goal. Occean had the chance to make amends minutes later when Gladbach goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen fumbled a cross, but with the empty goal at his mercy, the Canadian dragged his shot wide.
Tactics pay off
There was little to see of the self-assuredness that had characterised Frankfurt's displays of late and they were caught off guard in midfield once again when Gladbach doubled their lead. Unchallenged, Havard Nordtveit was afforded the time to play a superb diagonal pass which fell perfectly into de Jong's path. The Dutchman did well to control his first-time effort, driving the ball low and hard beyond Kevin Trapp for his second league goal of the season.
Perhaps aware that Frankfurt had already come from behind to win twice this season, as well as coming from two goals down against champions Borussia Dortmund to draw 3-3, Gladbach began the second period deep in their own territory. They succeeded in snuffing out their guests' attacks through defending in numbers, but rarely threatened at the other end.
Positive development
Noting that ter Stegen had let several crosses slip, Frankfurt began to test the young keeper with high balls into the box. The young custodian looked far from comfortable in dealing with the aerial bombardment, but even this tactic proved ineffective for the guests, who seemed to wearily accept their fate as the final whistle approached.
With his side just starting to click, Gladbach coach Lucien Favre will no doubt be frustrated to lose a considerable contingent of his squad to the international break, but the Swiss will have taken heart from the progress his side showed, especially after they registered a second clean sheet of the season.
Afellay optimistic of Schalke stint Ibrahim Afellay stated his happiness at having got his loan spell with Schalke off to a good start and believes he can offer a great deal more over the season.
Gotze defiant despite Bayern lead
Borussia Dortmund star Mario Gotze insists the nine-point gap between them and Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich is not decisive.
Blaszczykowski vows to bounce back
Borussia Dortmund midfielder Jakub Blaszczykowski is determined to bounce back quickly from an ankle injury sustained in last weekend's 1-1 draw with Hannover.
Voller backs Kiessling for Germany
Bayer Leverkusen director of sport Rudi Voller claims striker Stefan Kiessling deserves a Germany recall.
De Jong: We needed Frankfurt win
Borussia Monchengladbach striker Luuk de Jong admits it was vital his side picked up all three points in Sunday's 2-0 win over Eintracht Frankfurt.
Ribery: Bayern can remain unbeaten
Bayern Munich winger Frank Ribery believes the Bavarians can go the whole of the current Bundesliga season unbeaten.
De Bruyne clarifies Bremen comments
Werder Bremen midfielder Kevin de Bruyne has had talks with coach Thomas Schaaf to clarify an interview in which he implied he was not happy with the Bundesliga club.
Dortmund lose three players to injury
Borussia Dortmund have lost three players due to injury as a result of a combative 1-1 draw with Hannover in the Bundesliga on Sunday.
VDV confident Hamburg on the rise
Rafael van der Vaart believes Hamburg can achieve "something big" after overcoming their early-season difficulties.
Under-fire Labbadia hits back at critics
Stuttgart boss Bruno Labbadia hit back at claims he is "clueless" and admitted he had run out of patience after his side once again failed to win at home on Sunday.
Hamburg defender Aogo reveals battle with depression
The Germany international says that mental health problems hampered his build-up to the new season and thanked manager Thorsten Fink for his understanding at a difficult time
Afellay: I can add something to the team
The Netherlands international has been struggling to secure regular first team action so far, but is determined to prove his worth at the Gelsenkirchen side
Gotze: Bayern not out of Borussia Dortmund's sights yet
The Germany international remains positive that his club can get back in the title race, and feels they are on the right track again after a difficult start
Dortmund star 'Kuba' vows to make speedy recovery
The BVB winger is facing up to six weeks on the sidelines after injuring his ankle and has ruled him out of the Champions League and World Cup 2014 clash with England
Kiessling deserves Germany recall, says Voller
The sporting director feels the attacker has done enough to merit a return to die Nationalelf, and has urged the striker not to give up trying to break back into the squad
Chelsea midfielder De Bruyne: I am happy at Werder Bremen
The Stamford Bridge loanee took to Twitter to assure the Bremen fans that reports claiming he is unhappy in the country are a result of a poor translation from an interview
Borussia Monchengladbach needed Frankfurt win, admits Luuk de Jong
The Foals had started the season in poor form, but ended Armin Veh's troops six-match unbeaten run in the Bundesliga on Sunday, with the Dutchman on target
Hummels forced out of Germany squad
Die Schwarzgelben centre-back picked up a foot injury during his side's 1-1 draw with Hannover and will be unavailable for the clashes with Ireland and Sweden
Alaba nearing Bayern comeback
The Austria international could return to match action this week in a friendly game after recovering from an injured foot picked up in a pre-season match
Ribery: Bayern can remain unbeaten all season
The France international is full of ambition as he has set his sights on winning the Bundesliga title without losing a single game
Joachim Low's team will receive the same fee they did for reaching the 2010 competition, if they qualify for the tournament in Brazil
Oct 9, 2012 5:18:00 PM
By Tom Maston
Germany's players have agreed their appearance bonuses for the World Cup 2014 qualifying campaign as they look to reach their 23rd major tournament in succession.
Captain Philipp Lahm has reached an agreement with the German Football Association's (DFB) general secretary Helmut Sandrock, which will keep the bonuses locked at the same amount as those that were handed out in qualifying for the 2010 tournament in South Africa.
Players will receive €20,000 per appearance in qualifying, but will have their payments withheld until they actually reach the tournament itself.
If they fail to qualify they will not receive any appearance bonuses, and DFB president Wolfgang Niersbach was pleased that an agreement had been reached.
"I am pleased that we have been able to reach an agreement so quickly and easily," read a statement from the DFB.
"This shows once again how our relationship with the senior team is built on trust."
Joachim Low's team won all 10 of their matches in reaching Euro 2012 and they have begun in a similar vein in attempting to reach the World Cup in Brazil, after beating Austria and the Faroe Islands in their opening two Group C encounters.
Reus fires warning to Bayern Munich: Dortmund have more to offer
The German champions are yet to reach their full potential according to the 23-year-old who is adamant Jurgen Klopp's side can still challenge for the German title
Bierhoff: The time for a Ballack farewell game has gone
The former striker believes that there is no space in the international calendar available for die Nationalelf's former captain to be honoured
Poland striker Lewandowski sends warning to Hart and England
The Borussia Dortmund forward was frustrated by a wonder show from the Manchester City keeper last week but insists the Poles can find a way to win in Warsaw on Tuesday
'Arjen Robben is my idol' - Bayer Leverkusen star Sidney Sam
The 24-year-old revealed that he rates the Dutch international highly and spoke about the possibility of turning out for Nigeria and his hopes for this season
Vukcevic's condition no longer life-threatening
The Croatia-born midfielder's situation is no longer critical, but he remains in a coma as he continues his recovery from injuries suffered in a car crash
Slomka reiterates Hannover commitment amid Bayern rumours
The 45-year old trainer has been widely tipped to replace Jupp Heynckes at the Allianz Arena at the end of the season, but is focussed on delivering success to his current club
Arjen Robben unsure of return date
The Bayern winger has been sidelined for nearly three weeks, and admits he does not know when he will be playing again
Borussia Dortmund's Zorc: Don’t compare us to Bayern Munich
The former BVB midfielder is upset at the constant comparisons with die Roten while responding to speculation about Jurgen Klopp’s future and the form of Marco Reus
Watzke blasts Low's criticism of Dortmund's Schmelzer
The BVB general manager has hit out at the German head coach for comments he made about the left-back and insists his achievements demonstrate the quality of the 24-year-old
Huntelaar not distracted despite closing in on Netherlands scoring record
The Schalke striker is just seven goals short of becoming his country's top scorer, but says that he is not letting the potential feat get in the way of his preparations
Germany have to be stronger in defence, says Neuer
The shot-stopper has urged his side to improve their game at the back while speaking positively of the competition for places in die Mannschaft
Demichelis: Bayern have been better than Madrid
The Argentine defender has taken the time to praise the Bavarian powerhouse following their impressive start to the Bundesliga season
Eberl moves to cool talks of unrest at Borussia Monchengladbach
The Foals director of football has responded to what appears to be signs of discontent from two of the club's players but has played down both incidents
Oct 13, 2012 6:15:00 PM
By Ian Hudson
Max Eberl has had a busy time at Borussia Monchengladbach of late after both Granit Xhakaand Mike Hanke have openly criticised either their team-mates or the management of theBundesliga club.
New signing Xhaka spoke last Saturday about his run-in with goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen after the defeat against Fenerbahce where Ter Stegen yelled at him while journalists were watching.
"Not even my parents treat me like that. He's my age and I don't let anything like that happen. I thought, 'what the hell is going on here?'" Xhaka told Tagesanzeiger.
The young midfielder also said he was unhappy with the lack of ambition within the Gladbach team and was disappointed to hear talk of relegation when he arrived at the club.
He said: "After I had arrived, my team-mates said: 'We must hope that we don't get relegated.' I thought: 'What's that for an attitude.' I did not know anything like that from Basel. It was all about winning there."
Eberl passed off Xhaka's comments as the Swiss star stating his ambition and suggested there was no problem with the youngsters heated words.
"Granit is 20 years old and trying to establish himself in a big competition. He's ambitious and maybe mad that things aren't going the way he had planned. That's no problem for me cause we like players that are ambitious." the director of football told Bild.
However, Eberl was not pleased with comments that forward Hanke made on Twitter claiming that he was unhappy about not being selected by coach Lucien Favre.
He added: "We have guidelines for the players to deal with social media. Everybody is responsible for his actions and has to take into account that he may get treated accordingly."
Promoted Greuther Furth came from behind three times to earn a last-gasp 3-3 draw at Hoffenheim on Friday.
Fueth went into the match without a win in five league games and that run looked set to continue when Roberto Firmino opened the scoring on eight minutes.
However, Zoltan Steiber equalised six minutes before half-time.
Joselu restored the hosts' advantage after 67 minutes before Edgar Prib drew Fuerth level with little over five minutes remaining at the Rhein-Neckar-Arena.
And with the match drawing to a close, Joselu netted his brace with what seemed to be the match-winning goal in the 89th minute.
But substitute Lasse Sobiech, who had only been on the pitch for five minutes, headed home from close range with virtually the last kick of the game as the visitors claimed a remarkable point.
The result sees Hoffenheim move to eight points, while Furth have five points after eight games and remain in the relegation zone.
Heynckes: I don't care about records
The Bayern boss is not thinking about adding his side's name to the history books as all that matters to him is being successful with the team
Matthaus: Mertesacker is not good enough for Germany
The former Bayern Munich midfielder says the Arsenal defender does not have the quality to play at the highest level and expressed his doubts over two other players
Hoeness: Heynckes could continue for another year
The Roten chief insists a collective decision will be made on the club's coach and criticised the media for trying to come between the 67-year-old and Matthias Sammer
Howedes: Schalke respect but do not fear Dortmund
Ahead of this weekend’s Revierderby the visitors' skipper revealed they are wary of the threat Klopp's men pose to their side but insisted they are not afraid of their opponents
Klopp: Dortmund need a bit of magic against Schalke
The BVB trainer is looking forward to this weekend's highly-anticipated Bundesliga clash, while Sebastian Kehl believes the titleholders are the better side of the two
I have talked about Bayern with Kevin-Prince, admits Jerome Boateng
The Germany international has revealed that he has talked with his brother about a possible move to the Allianz Arena, and is determined to stay atop of the Bundesliga table
Kahn labels Germany's draw against Sweden 'uniquely stupid'
The former international goalkeeper was 'astonished' at how the Euro 1996 winners surrendered a four-goal lead in midweek and has asked questions of die Mannschaft
Bayern Munich are not the only 'global player' in Germany, claims Borussia Dortmund director
The reigning German champions' supremo has laughed off criticism of his club while admitting that local rivals die Konigsblauen have improved this season
Adler is exactly what we want from our goalkeepers, says Kopke
The assistant Nationelf trainer has lavished praise on the shot stopper, who has been impressive in the Bundesliga this season and is again knocking on the national team's door
Klopp reveals Dortmund injury concerns ahead of Schalke clash
As BVB prepare for the visit of Huub Stevens' men, a series of setbacks leaves them facing a race against time to get their side prepared for the visit of their fierce rivals
Cacau injury blow for Stuttgart
The Germany international attacker will be out of action for several months after having sustained a serious injury during Wednesday's training session
Usami loving Bundesliga life at Hoffenheim
The young Japanese prospect is beginning to find his feet in Germany after a difficult campaign at Bayern Munich in which he was forced to play a bit-part role
Kevin-Prince Boateng quashes AC Milan exit rumours
The 25-year-old Ghanaian midfielder refutes speculation suggesting he is set to leave the Rossoneri and reflects on the career of Michael Ballack
Robben will never leave Bayern, says Hoeness
The Dutch attacker remains a popular figure at the Allianz Arena, and the Bavarians have no intention to let go of the former Real Madrid and Chelsea winger
Uli Hoeness: Low should thank me with a bottle of champagne
Die Roten chief has reflected on the recent back-and-forth between him and coach Joachim Low, saying that his comments have helped die Nationalelf improve
Lahm: I do not accept the judgement of Uli Hoeness
The versatile full-back has dismissed his president's criticism of die Nationalelf, and discussed what it takes to build a successful side
Monchengladbach winger Herrmann dismisses Tottenham link as 'just rumours'
The German midfielder has claimed that there is no truth in the reports linking him with the north London club, despite describing the suggestions as "flattering"
Low apologises for Schmelzer criticism
The German coach has admitted he was too harsh on his left-back after implying the defender needed more time to improve before he would be good enough for the team
Klose scraps somersault celebration to avoid any accidental injury
The Lazio forward wants to be in peak condition in 18 months time to ensure he has the best possible chance of making the Germany squad for the 2014 World Cup
Lewandowski snubs Manchester United
The Poland international has affirmed his commitment to the Bundesliga champions and says that he has no plans to leave, before admitting his admiration for the Premier League
Bundesliga preview: Draxler, Reus to resume hostilities
18 October 2012
Teenage German midfielder Julian Draxler says he will be ready to play for Schalke against Borussia Dortmund in the Revierderby.
Draxler fractured his wrist during Schalke's 2-2 draw against Montpellier in the Champions League a fortnight ago but has started training with a splint to shelter the injury, in the hope he could be available for the 35-kilometre trip to Dortmund.
If the 19-year-old gets on the pitch during Saturday's match, he will most likely resume hostilities with Dormund's Marco Reus for the first time since Draxler stamped on the then-Borussia Moenchengladbach player in 2011, earning a six-game suspension although the Schalke youngster is unfazed.
"He (Reus) will try and show the best for his team, as I will give the best for my team," Draxler told German newspaper Bild.
Schalke head into the Revierderby in fourth spot in the Bundesliga standings with 14 points, just two ahead of Dortmund, who are fifth, and with both teams averaging over two goals per match this season, it looms as a stunning clash.
Last season's second-division champions Greuther Furth will get Round 8 underway on Friday with their trip to Hoffenheim, while league-leaders Bayern Munich travel to another promoted club, Fortuna Dusseldorf, on Saturday.
Bayern have streaked ahead of the rest of the league, having won every game so far, and lead second-placed Eintracht Frankfurt, the third club to move up from the German second division, by five points.
Frankfurt host fifth-placed Hannover on Saturday, in the third match involving two teams in the top seven positions on the table.
If Bayern win again, the games involving Schalke, Dortmund, Frankfurt and Hannover will take on extra significance as they will know defeat could see them drop at least eight points behind the Bavarian club, which could be insurmountable even with three quarters of the season still to be played.
In other Saturday games, Wolfsburg host Freiburg, Leverkusen take on Mainz and Werder Bremen are up against Gladbach.
The clash between Nuremburg and Augsburg headlines the Sunday fixtures as both teams need a win to move away from the relegation zone, while Hamburg host Stuttgart.
Bayern Munich won for a record eighth straight time to start the Bundesliga season as champions Borussia Dortmund slipped further behind.
The league leaders breezed past Fortuna Duesseldorf in a 5-0 win at the Esprit Arena as Franck Ribery starred and Thomas Mueller bagged a double in the club's best start to a season.
Some poor defending was at the heart of the hosts' defeat as Mario Mandzukic was left in acres of space to set Bayern on their way to the win with a simple first-half strike from Ribery's cross.
Luiz Gustavo bundled in a second and Mueller added another two after the break, the first from Ribery's brilliant work down the right flank.
Bayern's perfect start to the season was completed with Rafinha netting the final goal in the rout.
Dortmund suffered another telling blow to their ambitions for a third consecutive Bundesliga title as they fell 2-1 to Schalke in the Revierderby at Signal Iduna Park.
A sublime strike from Ibrahim Afellay opened the scoring for the visitors with 14 minutes gone, and Marco Hoeger had Dortmund on the ropes with a second goal three minutes into the second half.
Robert Lewandowski responded eight minutes later with a header, but that was about the best a below-par Dortmund side could offer, as they now face a daunting 12-point gap to leaders Bayern Munich.
Second-placed Eintracht Frankfurt continued to surprise with a 3-1 win over Hannover, their sixth victory from eight games.
The hosts went 2-0 up and added the insurance courtesy of Alexander Meier's 83rd-minute strike after Mohammed Abdellaoue had made it 2-1 shortly before half-time.
Last-placed Wolfsburg lost for a fourth consecutive league game, going down 2-0 at home to Freiburg after a penalty to Daniel Caligiuri and a Julian Schuster strike.
Bayer Leverkusen stretched their unbeaten run in the league to five games with a come-from-behind 2-2 draw at home to Mainz.
The visitors went ahead with both their goals coming in the second half but Gonzalo Castro had the last say for Leverkusen with the equaliser three minutes from time.
Werder Bremen moved to within two points of fourth place with a 4-0 win against Borussia Moenchengladbach.
