Rock-bottom Schalke will be hoping to avoid a hammering when they host Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich.

Borussia Dortmund, meanwhile, slipped out of the top four after their defeat at Wolfsburg and need to bounce back at Borussia Monchengladbach. 

Elsewhere, surprise title contenders Freiburg and Union Berlin face off, while European hopefuls Werder Bremen and RB Leipzig meet at the Weserstadion. 

And Eintracht Frankfurt, having just moved into the top four, will want to ensure they remain there by beating Mainz on Sunday.

Game of the week: Schalke vs Bayern Munich (Saturday, 5.30pm)

Bayern are on a nine-game winning run across all competitions and they will expect to make it 10 in a row against struggling Schalke. 

The hosts did snap an eight-match league and cup losing streak last time out with a 1-0 victory over Mainz — but building on that result will be a tricky task. 

Julian Nagelsmann's men are the division's top scorers by some distance, netting 47 times — 16 more than their nearest rivals in that department — and also boast the best defence, conceding just 13 goals in their 14 league games so far. 

Schalke, meanwhile, have the Bundesliga's joint-worst attack, scoring only 13 times, as well as its second-worst defence, shipping 30 goals to date.

Borussia Monchengladbach vs Borussia Dortmund (Friday, 7.30pm)

Inconsistency is hampering Dortmund this season. 

After bouncing back from a defeat to win three league games on the trot, they were beaten for a fifth time this Bundesliga campaign and have dropped from fourth to sixth. 

BVB's defensive record of 17 goals conceded is the fourth-best in the division but they have been lacklustre in attack by their lofty standards, scoring fewer times in the league (23) than their next opponents — ninth-placed Monchengladbach (24). 

Die Fohlen are not enjoying a particularly fruitful run of form, managing just one win in their last six games across all competitions, with defeats to Darmstadt in the DFB-Pokal and Bochum in the Bundesliga particular lowlights.

Freiburg vs Union Berlin (Sunday, 4.30pm)

Third-placed Freiburg's upcoming contest against second-placed Union is an intriguing one. 

The pair are level on points (27) and goals conceded (16), with only the Berlin outfit's slightly superior goals scored record (23 to 21) seeing them sit above their next opponents. 

Both sides’ form has dipped slightly after excellent starts, with Union managing just one win in their last four Bundesliga games, while Freiburg have lost two of their previous five league outings. 

Defeat for either team could see them drop out of the top four with just two points separating them from sixth-placed Dortmund going into the weekend.

Werder Bremen vs RB Leipzig (Saturday, 2.30pm)

After a disappointing start to the campaign, Leipzig have turned their form around under current boss Marco Rose. 

They come into this match on a 12-game unbeaten run (10 wins, two draws) in all competitions, including impressive victories over Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk and Freiburg. 

Werder are next in the firing line — and they are still reeling from their 6-1 thrashing at the hands of Bayern last time out. 

It extends a poor run of form for Ole Werner's men, who have won only two of their last five league outings and are now four points off the European places.

Mainz vs Eintracht Frankfurt (Sunday, 2.30pm)

Frankfurt have been one of the most entertaining sides in the Bundesliga this term. 

Their defensive record certainly does not stand out — but their 31 goals scored is the best in the division bar Bayern. 

They have not compromised on efficiency either, winning seven of their previous eight games in all competitions (one defeat). 

Die Adler will fancy their chances of recording another victory this weekend when they take on a Mainz side who have lost their last three.

The weekend's other games

Augsburg vs Bochum (Saturday, 2.30pm) 

Bayer Leverkusen vs Stuttgart (Saturday, 2.30pm) 

Hertha Berlin vs FC Cologne (Saturday, 2.30pm)

Hoffenheim vs Wolfsburg (Saturday, 2.30pm) 

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