BERLIN (AFP) – Bayern Munich welcome back Germany star Bastian Schweinsteiger for Saturday’s Bundesliga clash at Bielefeld as they look to put their Champions League heartbreak behind them and chase league leaders Wolfsburg.
Schweinsteiger scored in last Saturday’s 4-0 league win over Frankfurt, but a knee injury kept him out of Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Barcelona which knocked Bayern out of the Champions League.
“We hope that the problem will be healed by the weekend,” said Bayern boss Jurgen Klinsmann with his side second in the table.
Schweinsteiger’s Germany team-mate Lukas Podolski is still out with a calf problem and the striker has not trained with the team this week.
As Bayern focus their thoughts on retaining their Bundesliga title, Klinsmann says it is all about points now and the ex-Germany boss was booed by his own fans at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday.
“We have to concentrate purely on the Bundesliga and win points, points, points,” said Klinsmann, with Italians Carlo Ancelotti and Robert Mancini both being linked to his job by the Italian media.
Bayern are three points behind leaders Wolfsburg, who are at home to Bayer Leverkusen.
Wolfsburg have few injury worries as they prepare to host Leverkusen. Strikers Edin Dzeko and Brazilian Grafite have scored 36 league goals between them, but coach Felix Magath is keeping his feet on the ground.
“Look at Hertha Berlin: three rounds ago, they were four points ahead of us. Now, they are five points behind. It can happen so fast,” said Magath, with Hertha now fourth in the league.
Hamburg, who qualified for the UEFA Cup semi-finals on Thursday, are at home to strugglers Hanover, who shocked Hertha Berlin 2-0 last weekend.
Hamburg are level on points with Bayern and can still win the treble of the Bundesliga, German Cup and UEFA Cup this season.
Hertha Berlin are in danger of dropping out of the title race and another defeat at home to Werder Bremen on Sunday will seriously damage their hopes.
Hot-shot striker Andrei Voronin has been banned for three games after being sent off last weekend, while fellow forward Marko Pantelic is out with a groin strain.
Having climbed up to fifth in the league thanks to Germany striker Mario Gomez scoring an injury-time goal last week, Stuttgart have a good chance to take three more goals at strugglers Cologne.
Gomez has now hit 15 goals in 26 league games this season.
In the weekend’s other games, Schalke 04 are at home to strugglers Energie Cottbus on Friday while bottom club Karlsruhe are home to Hoffenheim who are now 10 points off Wolfsburg and effectively out of the title race.
Mid-table sides Bochum and Dortmund will slug it out Saturday and Eintracht Frankfurt, who were humbled 4-0 at Bayern on Saturday, are up against Borussia Moenchengladbach who are third from bottom and in the relegation zone.
Friday
Schalke 04 v Energie Cottbus
Saturday
Arminia Bielefeld v Bayern Munich, Cologne v VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg v Bayer Leverkusen, VfL Bochum v Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia M’gladbach, Karlsruhe v Hoffenheim
Sunday
Hertha Berlin v Werder Bremen, Hamburg v Hanover 96
Source: http://www.footballcupleague.com
Schweinsteiger scored in last Saturday’s 4-0 league win over Frankfurt, but a knee injury kept him out of Tuesday’s 1-1 draw with Barcelona which knocked Bayern out of the Champions League.
“We hope that the problem will be healed by the weekend,” said Bayern boss Jurgen Klinsmann with his side second in the table.
Schweinsteiger’s Germany team-mate Lukas Podolski is still out with a calf problem and the striker has not trained with the team this week.
As Bayern focus their thoughts on retaining their Bundesliga title, Klinsmann says it is all about points now and the ex-Germany boss was booed by his own fans at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday.
“We have to concentrate purely on the Bundesliga and win points, points, points,” said Klinsmann, with Italians Carlo Ancelotti and Robert Mancini both being linked to his job by the Italian media.
Bayern are three points behind leaders Wolfsburg, who are at home to Bayer Leverkusen.
Wolfsburg have few injury worries as they prepare to host Leverkusen. Strikers Edin Dzeko and Brazilian Grafite have scored 36 league goals between them, but coach Felix Magath is keeping his feet on the ground.
“Look at Hertha Berlin: three rounds ago, they were four points ahead of us. Now, they are five points behind. It can happen so fast,” said Magath, with Hertha now fourth in the league.
Hamburg, who qualified for the UEFA Cup semi-finals on Thursday, are at home to strugglers Hanover, who shocked Hertha Berlin 2-0 last weekend.
Hamburg are level on points with Bayern and can still win the treble of the Bundesliga, German Cup and UEFA Cup this season.
Hertha Berlin are in danger of dropping out of the title race and another defeat at home to Werder Bremen on Sunday will seriously damage their hopes.
Hot-shot striker Andrei Voronin has been banned for three games after being sent off last weekend, while fellow forward Marko Pantelic is out with a groin strain.
Having climbed up to fifth in the league thanks to Germany striker Mario Gomez scoring an injury-time goal last week, Stuttgart have a good chance to take three more goals at strugglers Cologne.
Gomez has now hit 15 goals in 26 league games this season.
In the weekend’s other games, Schalke 04 are at home to strugglers Energie Cottbus on Friday while bottom club Karlsruhe are home to Hoffenheim who are now 10 points off Wolfsburg and effectively out of the title race.
Mid-table sides Bochum and Dortmund will slug it out Saturday and Eintracht Frankfurt, who were humbled 4-0 at Bayern on Saturday, are up against Borussia Moenchengladbach who are third from bottom and in the relegation zone.
Friday
Schalke 04 v Energie Cottbus
Saturday
Arminia Bielefeld v Bayern Munich, Cologne v VfB Stuttgart, VfL Wolfsburg v Bayer Leverkusen, VfL Bochum v Borussia Dortmund, Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia M’gladbach, Karlsruhe v Hoffenheim
Sunday
Hertha Berlin v Werder Bremen, Hamburg v Hanover 96
Source: http://www.footballcupleague.com