Bayern Munich vs. Schalke 04 preview: Can Schalke win BVB the title?
Unthinkably, Dortmund fans will be praying for lowly Schalke to get a result against the record champions on Saturday afternoon in a massive contest for both the title and relegation races.
Bayern Munich
With their win over Werder Bremen on Matchday 31, Bayern remain one point clear of Dortmund with three matches left. It’s the tightest battle at the top in recent memory and the record champions have been unconvincing of late.
Bayern must avoid looking ahead to their match against Leipzig next week, but they haven’t lost to the Royal Blues in a very long time. This could be their 25th straight competitive game without a defeat against Schalke.
Leon Goretzka should return to the starting lineup after serving his suspension last week and it still seems likely that Thomas Müller will start on the bench.
When asked about Müller's future on Friday, Thomas Tuchel commented, "Thomas decides that himself. Thomas is Bayern and Bayern is Thomas. He's playing for his 12th league title and that's the complete focus. Everything else is unnecessary. Thomas is totally focused and only wants this title."
Team News
Manuel Neuer trained individually this week, but he’s still not ready to return. Dayot Upamecano will play, while Josip Stanisic, Lucas Hernandez, Alphonso Davies, and Eric Choupo-Moting are out.
Schalke 04
Schalke have somehow climbed above the relegation places as their shocking away win over Mainz last week puts them in 15th place. But, there’s still work left to do and the storied club will surely be relegated if they can’t pick up any points in their last three games.
BVB supporters will have a keen eye on their rivals, who could very well earn Dortmund the title with a surprise result on Saturday. The up-and-down Alexander Schwolow will continue in goal and Marius Bülter will of course be the focal point up front.
Bayern will likely shift their focus to slowing down Bülter on the left wing, which could open the space for Rodrigo Zalazar through the middle.
In his presser, Thomas Reis stated, "We have lots of respect for Bayern, but will do all we can to get what we want from the game. We have got ourselves into a good position and want to give them a real game. We know what to expect and can't let our heads drop if something doesn't go well."
Team News
Ralf Fährmann, Moritz Jenz, Eder Balanta, and Soichiro Kozuki are unavailable. Bülter will play after sitting out parts of this week’s training to rest.