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Bundesliga preview - Five things to watch this week
Friday 22 Nov 2013 8:27a.m.
By Nesha Starcevic
The Bundesliga resumes with the biggest match of the season so far when defending champion and front-runner Bayern Munich visits closest challenger Borussia Dortmund in a repeat of the Champions League final in May, which Bayern won 2-1. Bayern is four points clear of Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen.
Here are the 5 things to know about the Bundesliga weekend:
INJURY WORRIES
Borussia Dortmund is severely short-handed going into the derby against Bayern: The side's entire back four from its championship 2011-12 season are out with injuries: Neven Subotic is out for the season with a knee injury, Mats Hummels out for the year with a foot injury, left back Marcel Schmelzer is sidelined for three weeks with a calf injury and right back Lukasz Piszczek is just beginning his comeback after hip surgery. Piszczek could be forced into action ahead of plans and although he's had only limited playing time with the reserves. Manuel Friedrich was signed at short notice although the 34-year-old former Germany defender has been without a club since his contract with Bayer Leverkusen expired at the end of the last season.
Dortmund's defence so far has been the second best in the Bundesliga after Bayern's, conceding 11 goals in 12 games. Bayern has allowed seven.
POTENT ATTACKS
While its defence is decimated, Dortmund still boasts an awe-inspiring attack and tops the league with 32 goals. Robert Lewandowski leads the Bundesliga with nine goals, while Germany international Marco Reus and summer signing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang are not far behind on seven goals apiece.
With attacking midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan and back-in-form Nuri Sahin also dangerous from the second row, Dortmund has enough fire power to trouble Bayern.
Bayern is not without weapons either, although it suffered a late setback when Franck Ribery was ruled out with a cracked rib.
Mario Mandzukic has scored eight in the Bundesliga and is coming off personal success, having helped Croatia qualify for the World Cup.
Arjen Robben, who scored the winner in the Champions League final, is also available, but Bastian Schweinsteiger is on the long-term injury list.
Note: Lewandowski has never lost against Bayern, likely his next club, in six league games; Mandzukic has never won against Dortmund in five.
RIVALRY FIGURES
Dortmund is unbeaten in its six last Bundesliga games against Bayern, with four wins and two draws. Bayern is unbeaten on the road in its last 24 games, with 20 wins and four draws. Bayern's last loss away was on April 11, 2012 - a 1-0 defeat in Dortmund after a goal by Lewandowski. Dortmund has not dropped a point at home this season.
Bayern is coming off a record-setting 37th consecutive game without a loss after a 3-0 win Augsburg and already has booked a place in the knockout stage of the Champions League. Dortmund is coming off two consecutive losses, to Arsenal in the Champions League and in Wolfsburg (2-1), during which Subotic also sustained his season-ending injury.
GOETZE'S RETURN
Germany midfielder Mario Goetze faces a tricky return to Dortmund, the club where he grew up before leaving in the offseason for a set transfer fee of 37 million euros. Many Dortmund fans have not forgiven Goetze for going to the club's biggest rival, although coach Juergen Klopp and other Dortmund officials have been philosophical about it, particularly in view of the transfer fee.
"I am not afraid of the return in any way," Goetze said this week. "I can understand the fans, I am sure they'd prefer to see me in Dortmund's colours. But I am looking forward to the return."
"I'll have to get used to it that not every reaction will be positive ... Dortmund played a great part of my past on which I look back with joy," Goetze said.
LEVERKUSEN'S CHANCE
With all eyes on Dortmund, Leverkusen has a chance of taking sole possession of second place with a win at promoted Hertha Berlin. Hertha has played well and is in seventh place, but has suffered two defeats at home, to Stuttgart and Schalke.
Going back to the time when Hertha was in the top division, Leverkusen has not beaten the Berlin side in seven games, the longest such run against any Bundesliga club.
Leverkusen's coach Sami Hyypia says his team "has to make more out of our opportunities." Especially with an attack that features forwards such as Stefan Kiessling, Sydney Sam and Son Heung-min, who is coming off a hat trick against Hamburger SV. Sam and Kiessling have combined for 14 goals this season.
Wolfsburg extended their unbeaten run in the Bundesliga to six matches but had to hang on to earn a 1-1 draw with Hamburg on Friday.
Hamburg struck first through Hakan Calhanoglu after 19 minutes at the Volkswagen Arena, only for Ricardo Rodriguez to pull the hosts level from the penalty spot just after the half-hour mark.
Dieter Hecking's Wolfsburg then came under heavy pressure from the visitors, but managed to hold out for a point.
Bert van Marwijk's side settled into the game quickest and took the lead inside 20 minutes courtesy of teenager Calhanoglu.
The 19-year-old forward fired a long-range free kick towards goal, and the ball crashed against the crossbar before hitting keeper Diego Benaglio and dropping over the line.
Pierre Lasogga then had a chance to double Hamburg's lead 10 minutes later, but he skewed his effort well wide of goal - and his wastefulness was punished seconds later as Wolfsburg equalised.
Heiko Westermann was adjudged to have fouled Daniel Caligiuri inside the area, and Rodriguez made no mistake from the spot.
The hosts looked strong early in the second half, but Hamburg soon took control and had numerous chances to win the game.
Substitute Ivo Ilicevic had the best opening after excellent work from Lasogga, but the Croat struck the crossbar from the edge of the penalty area and both sides had to settle for a draw.
Schalke midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng is set to return for his side's clash against Stuttgart on Saturday.
The Ghana international was left out of Schalke's 0-0 draw against Steaua Bucharest in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday due to a knee injury.
Boateng offered to play in Romania, but coach Jens Keller said his decision to rest the 26-year-old was the right one ahead of the meeting with Stuttgart.
"Kevin-Prince Boateng doesn't really need breaks. He offered playing on Tuesday even though his knee hurt, but based on the overall situation I decided not to let him play," Keller said.
"We play Tuesday and Saturday and if he sacrifices himself now it wouldn't help us in the future.
"The international games didn't go that well for him, he couldn't receive treatment but I decided to not bring him on Tuesday. Now he's without pain so it wasn't a bad decision."
Schalke midfielder Julian Draxler is also expected to be fit in a huge boost to Keller's side, who sit sixth in the Bundesliga.
Keller is wary of a Stuttgart team who have struggled this campaign and will want to respond after a 2-0 home loss to Borussia Monchengladbach last time out.
"Stuttgart have a great team, they also have got some good new players, but at the moment things aren't going the way they want them to," he said.
"Of course they are looking to be higher in the league after their transfers in the summer, but every match in the Bundesliga is a difficult one, and they certainly won't be an easy opponent here.
"Stuttgart want to respond after their loss at home last week. We must have that in mind. Also we had a match earlier this week - they haven't.
"But we want to have these busy weeks and now we're looking forward to this match at home in front of our amazing crowd."
Borussia Dortmund will hope their impressive record against Mainz can secure them a first win in three Bundesliga matches on Saturday.
The sides meet at the Coface Arena and it is the hosts who are in better domestic form, having won three of their last four top-flight games, with Shinji Okazaki finding the net on four occasions in that time.
However, Mainz have not beaten Saturday's opponents in their last six attempts, as Jurgen Klopp returns to a club where he both played and managed.
Klopp's Dortmund have stalled somewhat in the Bundesliga recently, losing 2-1 at Wolfsburg prior to the international break before going down 3-0 at home to champions Bayern Munich last time out.
Despite injuries to the likes of Marcel Schmelzer, Mats Hummels and Neven Subotic, Dortmund kept their hopes of UEFA Champions League qualification alive on Tuesday with a 3-1 win over Napoli.
Sven Bender sustained a broken nose in that match but was able to finish the game, although Klopp is keen to leave any decisions on selection until as late as possible.
"We still have two days to make a decision," Klopp said.
"We will look carefully to know who can cope with the burden (of playing twice in five days). We will deal with the issue of rotation and look for who is fit."
Klopp signed Manuel Friedrich in an attempt to bolster his depleted defence and revealed his pleasure at how the 34-year-old has fitted in at Signal Iduna Park.
"Manny embodies all that makes up our game and what we have shown in recent years," he said. "He has an exceptional character."
Dortmund have dropped points in half of their Bundesliga matches on the road this season, while Mainz have not lost at home in their last three.
Their last two matches in Mainz have yielded 2-0 and 1-0 wins over Eintracht Braunschweig and Eintracht Frankfurt respectively, while they were 3-2 winners over Werder Bremen at the Weserstadion on Sunday.
Mainz coach Thomas Tuchel has also been handed a boost with the news that Zdenek Pospech is fit despite being taken off in the win over Bremen, while Christian Wetklo is available for a return after serving his suspension.
Bundesliga Preview: Bayern Munich v Eintracht Braunschweig
28 November 2013
Top meets bottom in the Bundesliga on Saturday as champions Bayern Munich host Eintracht Braunschweig at the Allianz Arena.
The odds will be stacked heavily in Bayern's favour, although they have been dealt a blow in the build-up to the clash, with captain Philipp Lahm ruled out due to a hamstring injury.
Lahm was forced off 28 minutes into his side's 3-1 UEFA Champions League win at CSKA Moscow on Wednesday, and will definitely miss Bayern's next two fixtures.
He joins an injury list that includes Bastian Schweinsteiger (ankle), Xherdan Shaqiri (hamstring), Claudio Pizarro (thigh), Diego Contento (foot) and long-term absentee Holger Badstuber (knee).
Franck Ribery has missed Bayern's last two games with a rib injury, while a calf problem kept Mario Mandzukic out of the trip to Russia, but both could be pushing to be in contention for Saturday.
If Croatia international Mandzukic is unavailable, coach Pep Guardiola is likely to continue with either Thomas Muller or Mario Gotze operating in a 'false nine' role in attack.
Despite their fitness issues, Bayern have been almost unstoppable this season, and thrashed title rivals Borussia Dortmund 3-0 at Signal Iduna Park in their last league outing to go four points clear at the Bundesliga summit.
Bayern come into the game having won each of their past 17 home fixtures, finding the net 59 times in those outings.
The visitors have picked up half of their eight-point haul for the season on the road, but will take no confidence from their record at the Bavarians, winning none and losing 14 of their 18 trips to face Bayern.
Braunschweig will be without Dennis Kruppke (calf) and Ken Reichel (knee), with Jan Hochscheidt also set to miss out, as he regains fitness after a muscle injury.
Head coach Torsten Lieberknecht conceded beating Bayern will be a near-impossible task for his side, but expects to see a committed performance.
He said: "To call it a Herculean task is an understatement. Worldwide, every team tries to bring Bayern to the brink of defeat.
"However, my guys are tense, looking forward to the game and will not put up the white flag.
"We need to be at our maximum but I cannot ask anything super-human from my team.
"Many opponents have already had many ideas (on how to stop Bayern), but none were enough to get something."
Despite injuries to captain Philipp Lahm, striker Mario Mandzukic and winger Franck Ribery, Bayern Munich is expected to rack up another win against Eintracht Braunschweig in one of the most lop-sided meetings in the Bundesliga for years on Saturday. Bayern's players cost 128 times more than the promoted side's (222.3 million euros vs. 1.73 million, according to Kicker magazine), while the league's meanest defense (seven goals conceded) faces the most impotent attack (eight goals scored). Also Saturday, Borussia Dortmund visits Mainz and Bayer Leverkusen hopes to recover from humiliation at the hands of Manchester United with a victory over winless Nuremberg. Here are five things to know ahead of the Bundesliga's 14th round of games:
UNSTOPPABLE BAYERN?
Bayern's 3-0 win at Dortmund last week seemed like a decisive blow in the title race only 13 rounds into the season. Dortmund, widely seen as the side most likely to challenge Pep Guardiola's record-setting team, is already seven points adrift with its entire back four out through injury. Four points adrift, second-placed Bayer Leverkusen's quality has been called into question by the 5-0 rout at home to Manchester United in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Bayern had no such issues, winning 3-1 at CSKA Moscow to eclipse Barcelona's record of nine successive victories with its 10th.
In the Bundesliga, Bayern is unbeaten in 38 games - a record - with bottom side Eintracht Braunschweig visiting to come. Braunschweig, back in the top-flight after 28 years, has never won at Bayern in 18 games.
KLOPP RETURNS
Dortmund aims to avoid another Champions League hangover after Tuesday's 3-1 win at home over Napoli. Prior to last weekend's defeat to Bayern, Juergen Klopp's side's two Bundesliga losses came after Champions League outings against Marseille and Arsenal. The Dortmund coach will be keen to avoid another - it would be a third-straight league loss - at former side Mainz. The 46-year-old Klopp spent seven and a half years as Mainz coach from 2001-08, following 11 years there as a player for the side (52 goals in 325 second division games).
Dortmund defender Manuel Friedrich will also be returning to the club where he started his professional career. The now 34-year-old Friedrich, signed at short-notice to cover Dortmund's injury problems in defense, made his Mainz debut against Cottbus on Feb 26, 2000, when Klopp scored for a 1-0 win.
NORTHERN DERBY FOR YOUNGSTERS
Hamburger SV is looking to promising midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu to fill the gap left by injured talisman Rafael van der Vaart for Friday's northern derby at Wolfsburg. Van der Vaart is sidelined by a ligament tear in his right ankle sustained while on international duty for the Netherlands. The injury allows the 19-year-old Calhanoglu to take on a more decisive role at Hamburg, something he did to good effect in the 3-1 win over Hannover last Sunday, when he also scored.
Wolfsburg, whose four-game winning run was brought to a halt by Nuremberg, will be with without suspended playmaker Diego, putting more pressure on the 19-year-old Maximilian Arnold to maintain his impressive start to the season. Arnold has chipped in four goals in seven appearances so far.
Match ended 1 - 1
TROUBLED TEAMS
Stuttering Schalke hosts Stuttgart on Saturday needing a consistent run of form to dispel doubts over its prospects of finishing fourth and taking the last Champions League qualification place. Jens Keller's side hasn't been helped by injuries to decisive players in attack. Dutch striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar has been out since August, Julian Draxler could only play as a substitute in the 0-0 at Steaua Bucharest in the Champions League due to `flu, while Leon Goretzka and Kevin-Prince Boateng didn't play at all on Tuesday, the latter due to a worrying knee complaint.
Stuttgart is not doing any better with just one win from its last six games. "We're a long way from putting everything under question," said Stuttgart general manager Fredi Bobic. "We're on the right path."
CRISIS MEETING
Both Hannover and Eintracht Frankfurt are desperate for a win before their clash Sunday. Hannover has just two points from its last seven games, while Frankfurt hasn't won any of its last eight.
"It seems there's a curse on us," said Frankfurt midfielder Sebastian Rode, whose side has slipped level with Freiburg in the relegation play-off place.
Hannover's problems seem to stem from a lack of cohesion among the most expensively assembled squad in the club's history. A lack of discipline has also cost the side dearly. Salif Sane's sending off last weekend was Hannover's fourth of the season, while 35 yellow cards make Mirko Slomka's players the worst offenders from a fair-play perspective.
Hannover president Martin Kind has already backed Slomka to keep his job, even if there's more disappointment against Frankfurt - always a worrying development.
Bundesliga Wrap: Bayern, Leverkusen, Dortmund all win comfortably
1 December 2013
The top three teams in the Bundesliga all enjoyed comfortable victories on Saturday.
Bayern Munich, Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Dortmund were all in action and claimed maximum points to maintain their positions at the top of the table.
Arjen Robben scored both goals in Bayern's 2-0 win at home over Eintracht Braunschweig, who are bottom of the table with just eight points from 14 matches.
For Bayern, it was a fifth consecutive league win and seventh in all competitions.
Leverkusen remain four points behind in second after defeating Nuremburg 3-0 at home.
Son Heung-Min opened the scoring in the 36th minute, before Stefan Kiessling doubled his side's advantage two minutes after the interval.
Son grabbed his second with 14 minutes to go, sealing Bayer's third straight win and leaving Nuremberg still awaiting a first win of the season.
Three points behind Bayer in third are Dortmund, who won 3-1 at 10-man Mainz.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang broke the deadlock for the visitors with 20 minutes remaining, only for Maxim Choupo-Moting to equalise from the penalty spot four minutes later.
Dortmund went in front for a second time with a penalty of their own in the 78th minute, Robert Lewandowski converting after Elkin Soto was dismissed for handball.
Lewandowski then added a second spot-kick in stoppage time to put the result beyond doubt.
The game of the day came at Hoffenheim, who drew 4-4 with Werder Bremen in another fixture featuring three penalties.
Sejad Salihovic twice converted from 12 yards inside 18 minutes for the hosts, but Aaron Hunt and Eljero Elia made it 2-2, with the former also scoring a penalty.
Hoffenheim again moved two goals clear through Kevin Volland and Kai Herdling, but Nils Petersen pulled one back before Philipp Bargfrede snatched a stoppage-time equaliser to cap a dramatic match.
Elsehwere, Jefferson Farfan's brace and a goal for Jermaine Jones earned Schalke a 3-0 home win over Stuttgart, while the game between Hertha Berlin and Augsburg ended goalless.
Bundesliga Wrap: Monchengladbach, Hannover both win
2 December 2013
Raffael scored the only goal as Borussia Monchengladbach maintained their perfect Bundesliga home record with a 1-0 win over Freiburg.
The Brazilian found the net, for the seventh time this season, in the 62nd minute following good work from Oscar Wendt.
Monchengladbach remain fourth, three points behind Borussia Dortmund, and have now won five league matches in succession, while Freiburg are third from bottom.
In the only other Bundesliga game on Sunday, Hannover 96 ended a seven-game winless run with a 2-0 home triumph over Eintracht Frankfurt.
Mame Biram Diouf's 25th-minute strike set Hannover on their way, and Frankfurt's task was made tougher when Martin Lanig was sent off for a second bookable offence 12 minutes after the interval.
Szabolcs Huszti took advantage by claiming his seventh goal of the season midway through the second half.
Frankfurt have just 11 points from 14 matches, the same tally as Freiburg.
Bayer Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller has been admitted to hospital with renal colic, the Bundesliga club have confirmed.
Voller, 53, visited the head of Leverkusen's medical team Dr Karl-Heinrich Dittmar for treatment on Saturday and was taken to hospital immediately as an in-patient, a statement on the club's website explained.
"Bayer 04 wishes Rudi Voller a speedy recovery," it added.
Voller, who scored 47 goals in 90 appearances for West Germany and Germany between 1982 and 1994, missed second-placed Leverkusen's 3-0 home win over Nuremberg on Saturday.
A Son Heung-Min double and Stefan Kiessling's strike earned Leverkusen the victory to ensure Samy Hypia's side stayed within four points of leaders Bayern Munich.
Robben’s celebration fail results in horrific knee-burn
By Eurosport | Early Doors – Sat, Nov 30, 2013 19:03 GMT
It's the goal celebration every youngster dreams of.
You smash one into the net and you sprint off to the corner-flag and give it a massive knee-slide in front of your adoring fans.
It looks cool, it's emphatic and most of all, it's easy.
Or at least it should be.
Enter Arjen Robben, who scored both goals for Bayern Munich in their 2-0 win over Eintracht Braunschweig today.
You'd think a man of his goalscoring pedigree - over 150 strikes for club and country, including the winner in the Champions League final - would have no problem executing a knee-slide.
But you'd be wrong. The Dutchman fell came a cropper as his red thermal tights - apparently velcro-coated - produced such friction on landing that Robben was catapulted through the air before landing with an embarrassing bump.
Just look at the damage done to the poor man's knees - Mrs Robben will be reaching for the Dettol tonight.
David Alaba has signed a contract extension with Bayern Munich that will see him stay with the Bavarian club until 2018.
Eurosport 2 November 2013
Bayern Munich's David Alaba (PA)
The Austrian full-back, who joined Bayern's youth academy from Austria Vienna in 2008, has risen through the ranks over the recent years, cementing a place in the European champions' first team.
The 21-year-old has featured heavily in Bayern's impressive start to the 2013/14 season, helping the Bundesliga giants to top spot in the league as well as securing a Champions League record of 10 consecutive victories.
Upon the announcement, Bayern Munich's chief executive Karl-Heinz Rumenigge expressed his joy at the deal.
"We are very happy that it has led to this very nice agreement for both sides," Rumenigge said.
"David has undergone amazing development. He is already among Europe's best and most successful full backs."
Bayern announced the news on their official Twitter account.
Hoeness: Ronaldo can't beat Ribery to Ballon d'Or over 'one game'
By Mark Doyle211
Dec 4, 2013 6:26:00 PM
The former West Germany international has lamented the fact that there has been a groundswell of support for the Portuguese because of his World Cup play-off heroics
Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness claims it would be unjust if Cristiano Ronaldo pips Franck Ribery to this year's Ballon d'Or on the back of "one game".
Ribery was considered the clear favourite for the prestigious Fifa award on account of the integral role he played in the Bavarians' historic treble success last season.
However, Hoeness now fears that the groundswell of support that accompanied Ronaldo's hat-trick in Portugal's dramatic World Cup play-off victory over Sweden in Solna in November could - wrongfully, as the 61-year-old sees it - tip the balance in favour of the prolific Real Madrid attacker.
"Ronaldo has, of course, contributed significantly to the fact that Portugal has qualified for the World Cup," the Bayern supremo told Sport Bild.
"But I would have absolutely no understanding of the situation if Franck did not win the Ballon d'Or after being named [Uefa's] Best Player in Europe. There is a whole year to be judged - not just one game.
"I feel that public opinion has shifted. But, in the meantime, for me, nothing has changed. There can be only Ribery as the winner [of the Ballon d'Or]."
The Dutchman opened the scoring before being stretchered off in Bayern Munich's DFB Pokal round of 16 victory over Augsburg
Bayern Munich are sweating on the fitness of Arjen Robben after the Dutchman was taken to hospital on Wednesday night.
Robben was substituted after only 16 minutes of Bayern's DFB Pokal round of 16 encounter with Augsburg following a nasty looking collision with hosts' goalkeeper Marwin Hitz, leaving him with a gash on his right knee.
The winger had to be stretchered off as he was unable to walk off the park and was replaced by Thomas Muller.
There is no indication of how long Robben could be sidelined, but the Bavarians' sporting director Matthias Sammer says the 29-year-old was taken to hospital to cleanse the wound.
It put a dampener on what was a successful night for Pep Guardiola's men as they overcame Augsburg 2-0 to seal their place in the next round.
Robben had initially given Bayern the lead after only four minutes before his night came to an abrupt end when he collided with Hitz.
And the Oranje star's replacement Muller scored the clincher on 78 minutes after good work by Jerome Boateng.
Bayern blow as Robben is ruled out for six weeks with nasty cut to his knee
By ASHLEY CLEMENTS PUBLISHED: 20:59 GMT, 4 December 2013 | UPDATED: 10:54 GMT, 5 December 2013
Arjen Robben will miss the next six weeks after suffering a a deep cut to knee in Bayern Munich's win on Wednesday night. After giving Bayern the lead inside five minutes, Robben was involved in a painful-looking collision with Augsburg goalkeeper Marwin Hitz, picking up laceration to the knee. Robben, who has scored 13 goals in 20 games this season, received treatment from two Bayern medics who had tried to escort him off the pitch, but called for a stretcher as the winger struggled to walk freely. He was later taken to hospital for treatement. Bayern have now confirmed that he will be sidelined until after the Bundesliga winter break.
Out: Arjen Robben is taken off the field on a stretcher after colliding with the FC Augsburg goalkeeper
Painful: Robben (centre) assisted by team doctors that would later call for a stretcher
Ouch! Robben inspects his bloodied knee as he waits for the Bayern physios to give him treatment
Treatment: Physios tear open Robben's leggings to tend to his injured knee
'I'm very disappointed,' said Robben. 'I was in great form and was looking forward to each game and now this happens. I'll be back, though.'
The Holland international, who was accused of feigning injury during his time at Chelsea, has toughened up whilst at Munich and his fitness will no doubt have boss Pep Guardiola sweating.
The 29-year-old has been in scintillating form for Bayern so far this season and has already scored 11 goals in just 19 games for the Bundesliga champions.
With the World Cup in Brazil on the horizon, Robben will be hoping the knee injury won't rule him out for too long, especially when he is in such fantastic form.
Shock: Robben puts his hand to his mouth as the full extent of his injured knee is revealed by the Bayern physios
Strapped in: Robben (centre) could have suffered ankle ligament damage against FC Augsburg
Form: Robben (centre) scores the first goal for Munich against Augsburg's Swiss goalkeeper Marwin Hitz
Bundesliga Preview: Borussia Dortmund v Bayer Leverkusen
5 December 2013
Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen will look to keep pace with Bayern Munich when the two meet in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Hosts Dortmund are in third place but seven points off the summit, with consecutive defeats to Wolfsburg and Pep Guardiola's side either side of the international break stalling their progress.
Jurgen Klopp's men have since won three games on the bounce in as many different competitions, defeating Napoli in the UEFA Champions League, downing Mainz in the league, and prevailing against third-tier Saarbrucken in the last 16 of the DFB Pokal on Tuesday.
Leverkusen are three points better off than their opponents and have won three league matches on the spin since their surprise 1-0 defeat at bottom club Eintracht Braunschweig at the start of November, which interrupted a six-game unbeaten run.
Sami Hyypia's side, like Dortmund, also progressed to the quarter-finals of the domestic cup competition in midweek with a 2-1 win at Freiburg.
Both of Leverkusen's league defeats have come on the road, while, before the defeat to Bayern, Dortmund had won all of their six home Bundesliga games, scoring 21 goals in the process.
The hosts have won four and drawn one of the past five meetings between the two sides, with Leverkusen's last success coming in a 2-0 win in August 2010.
Neither side can afford to lose if they are to keep the pressure on Guardiola's charges, who have dropped just four points in 14 league matches so far.
And Dortmund defender Manuel Friedrich, who made his third start of the season in the midweek cup success, has warned that the visitors will pose a serious threat on Saturday.
"We're up against very strong opposition and obviously the aim is to win and overtake Leverkusen in the standings," he said.
"We'll be doing a lot of analysing of their strengths and weaknesses and the coach will have his instructions for us.
"Then we've just got to give it everything we've got. Leverkusen are one of the best teams in the league."
Friedrich, who spent six seasons at Leverkusen before moving to Dortmund, is excited at the prospect of facing his former team-mates.
"(I'm looking forward to) just the game itself, really," he said.
"The reunion as well, of course. because I played alongside nearly all of them. There's going to be a great atmosphere, it's a home game for us and hopefully it'll have a positive outcome."
The Bundesliga will decide in March whether to introduce goal-line technology in its top two divisions.
The German clubs will make a "fundamental decision" after taking into consideration how the technology works at the upcoming Club World Cup in Morocco and the results of the systems used in England and the Netherlands, Bundesliga president Reinhard Rauball said on Thursday.
The Bundesliga has been slow to warm up to the technology despite controversial calls and wrong decisions by referees nearly every week. The league has resisted, saying the margin of error was still too great. But many coaches gave been calling for the technology to be adopted as soon as possible.
The most glaring example came on Oct. 18 in the match between Bayer Leverkusen and Hoffenheim, when Leverkusen striker Stefan Kiessling's header went in through the side netting and was ruled a goal despite television replays leaving no doubt that it wasn't legal.
Rauball said Bundesliga management will provide the clubs with the pros and cons of technology. If the 36 clubs decide to accept it, they will choose from various providers of goal-line aids and not necessarily pick the German company chosen by FIFA.
The technology, if accepted by the clubs, could be introduced as early as next season. Previously, the earliest date mentioned had been 2015.
Also, the league said two-thirds of participants in a poll were against changing the international calendar. Such a change, required if the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was moved into the northern hemisphere's winter months, would mean that league seasons would begin and end in one calendar year.
The league said its poll included representatives from clubs, the German Football Federation, media, sponsors, security experts and fans.
Nuremberg were denied a first win of the season as Shinji Okazaki rescued a point for Mainz at the Grundig Stadion on Friday.
The hosts were 15 minutes away from claiming victory, at the 15th attempt, only to denied by Okazaki's intervention.
Gertjan Verbeek's men made a bright start and moved ahead after just five minutes thanks to centre-back Per Nilsson's second goal of the season.
The Nuremberg supporters must have thought their side's winless run was set to end, but Okazaki had other ideas, latching on to a hopeful long ball and finishing calmly.
Mainz's goalscorer was withdrawn after his 75th-minute goal, but his replacement, Petar Sliskovic, failed to see out the game after receiving a straight red card in injury time.
Nuremberg remain 17th in the Bundesliga, while Mainz occupy seventh position.
Bayern Munich will hope to have Philipp Lahm and Franck Ribery fully fit when they travel to Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga on Saturday.
Ribery has not featured since cracking a rib in France's FIFA World Cup play-off victory over Ukraine last month, but returned from the bench against Augsburg in Wednesday's 2-0 DFB-Pokal victory.
Captain Lahm missed the Augsburg clash, as well as last weekend's win over Eintracht Braunschweig, due to a strained thigh muscle, but has been in training all week.
France international Ribery's return will be crucial as Arjen Robben will miss out after he picked up a nasty gash on his knee having opened the scoring at the SGL Arena. Robben is now expected to be out for six weeks.
Pep Guardiola also remains without the services of long-term absentees Bastian Schweinsteiger (ankle) and Holger Badstuber (knee), although Xherdan Shaqiri and Claudio Pizarro (hamstring) are on the comeback trail.
Guardiola can take comfort from Bayern's recent record over Bremen, though. The Bavarians are unbeaten in their last 11 against Robin Dutt's side in all competitions, and have won each of their last six encounters.
The Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and UEFA Champions League holders have lost only one competitive match under the former Barcelona boss - July's 4-2 DFL-Supercup reverse to Borussia Dortmund.
And 12 wins from 14 league outings this term has left Bayern four points clear of Bayer Leverkusen at the Bundesliga summit.
They have also surpassed Hamburg's 30-year German top-flight record unbeaten run of 36 games and will reach the 40-match mark by avoiding defeat at the Weserstadion.
Bremen left-back Lukas Schmitz is out with a hamstring injury, and coach Dutt also has doubts over striker Franco di Santo and midfielder Ozkan Yildirim, who are both suffering hip problems.
The Weser club played out a pulsating 4-4 draw against Hoffenheim last week, midfielder Philipp Bargfrede marking his first appearance in six months after a knee injury with a dramatic 91st-minute equaliser.
General manager Thomas Eichin was delighted with the mental toughness displayed by the players, but urged instant improvements, even against the toughest of opposition.
"That was an absolutely wild match," he said.
"The team once again showed a super morale and showed that we can come back at any time.
"Now we have to see to it that we don't first concede goals before we can get into the match and dictate the match ourselves more."
Freiburg's Oliver Sorg and Leverkusen's Son Heung-Min of South Korea, left, challenge for the ball during a round of 16 German soccer cup match between SC Freiburg and Bayer Leverkusen in Freiburg, Germany, Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2013.
FRANKFURT, Germany — No sooner did Franck Ribery become available to Bayern Munich, than Arjen Robben was lost for up to six weeks with a right knee injury.
Ribery, who broke a rib on France duty in mid-November, made his comeback on Wednesday in a German Cup win. But in the same match, Robben hurt his knee in a tackle and was taken off on a stretcher.
Bayern travels to Werder Bremen with a four-point lead in the Bundesliga over Bayer Leverkusen, which is away to Borussia Dortmund. Dortmund, three points behind Leverkusen, needs to win to preserve any chance of challenging Bayern for the title. Here are 5 things to know about the weekend matches in the Bundesliga:
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STRIKER SUMMIT: Leverkusen's trip to Dortmund brings together the Bundesliga's two top strikers. Dortmund's Robert Lewandowski tops the league with 11 goals, and Leverkusen's Stefan Kiessling has nine. Both also assist — Lewandowski has set up five goals, and Kiessling four.
Dortmund has to rely on its attack, since many defenders are out injured. Both teams were busy in midweek and both advanced to the quarterfinals of the German Cup. Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp was particularly pleased that "we advanced without suffering another injury."
Leverkusen has won against Dortmund only once in the last 12 games, but its last victory was in Dortmund — 2-0 in August 2010.
FAMILIAR FACES: Borussia Dortmund's newly signed defender, Manuel Friedrich, will meet some familiar faces when Bayer Leverkusen visits. Friedrich spent six years in Leverkusen before being left without a contract after the last season.
Friedrich kept fit on his own and was signed by Dortmund when the team's entire back four went out injured. The 34-year-old former Germany defender was suddenly playing for a top club again after spending half a year practically in retirement. "I notice with each practice and every game that the routine is coming back," Friedrich told Kicker magazine this week.
Apart from being on the same team with Kiessling for years, Friedrich played on the same defense with Sami Hyypia, who is Leverkusen's coach. Friedrich says the only thing that could surprise him from Kiessling is "a new haircut." "Of course I know all of his strengths and weaknesses. He does everything to win and we must do the same," Friedrich said.
STORM WARNING: Bayern Munich could have more problems with an expected storm in northern Germany than with the erratic Werder Bremen. The storm already has interrupted Bremen's training schedule but the worst should be over by Saturday. Bayern is seeking to extend its unbeaten run to 40 consecutive matches. Bayern has won the last five games against Werder and is unbeaten in the last nine.
HOME BLUES: Fourteen matches into the season, three teams still have not won at home: Eintracht Frankfurt, Freiburg and Nuremberg, which hasn't won anywhere. All have a chance to amend that miserable record over the weekend.
Frankfurt hasn't won in nine consecutive games. It is particularly vulnerable in the last 10 minutes and would have 11 points more had it not conceded late in games, three of those times at home in the 86th minute. Frankfurt's next opponent is Hoffenheim, another team that concedes late — and often. Hoffenheim has allowed a league-high 34 goals, but it has also scored 32, the same as Bayern. Both won in the German Cup, Hoffenheim beat Schalke 3-1 and Frankfurt defeated second-division Sandhausen 4-2. Nuremberg hosts Mainz and Freiburg plays Wolfsburg.
SCHALKE'S WEEK OF TRUTH: Schalke was stunned 3-1 at home by Hoffenheim in the German Cup and unless it beats Basel at home next week, it will also be out of the Champions League. It could also be out of next season's Champions League if it loses at Borussia Moenchengladbach.
Moenchengladbach is riding a five-match winning streak and sits fourth, four points above Schalke in fifth. Schalke coach Jens Keller's job would be on the line if his team loses the next two matches. Keller had a long discussion behind closed doors with his players a day after the cup loss.
