Leaders FCB determined ‘not to be held up’

Bayern versus Schalke sounds like one of the Bundesliga's biggest fixtures, as confirmed in a way by the scheduling of the game for the prime slot on Saturday evening (Live in English from 6.30 pm CET on FCB.tv Web Radio). However, while the men from Munich are inexorably striding clear at the top of the standings, the Royal Blues are going through a rough patch. The Gelsenkirchen side lost at home to struggling Greuther Fürth last weekend, and have won only one of their three matches since the winter break. Schalke are sixth in the table, a disappointment by their own high standards.

However, no-one at Bayern is fooled by that. “They'll certainly be a little unsettled by recent results," agreed FCB boss Jupp Heynckes, but teams in that situation are only too keen to steady the ship with a good performance at the Allianz Arena. “They're coming to us extremely motivated and possibly to pull off a surprise," warned the 67-year-old.