Bundesliga Matchday 32: Bayern out to sink strugglers Schalke

Bayern Munich can take a big step towards retaining their Bundesliga title by denting Schalke's survival hopes at the Allianz Arena.

Borussia Dortmund, meanwhile, will be determined to capitalise on any potential dropped points from the Bavarians by beating Borussia Monchengladbach.

Elsewhere, it is fourth versus fifth as Union Berlin and Freiburg battle for a top-four spot, while third-placed RB Leipzig can consolidate their position with a win over Werder Bremen.

At the other end of the table, relegation-threatened Stuttgart host a Bayer Leverkusen side targeting European qualification.

Game of the week: Bayern Munich vs Schalke (Saturday, 2.30pm)

Bayern will be aiming for all three points against Schalke in order to remain at the Bundesliga's summit for another week.

They should be confident of doing so on account of their strong record against Saturday's opponents — FCB have not lost any of their last 24 competitive meetings with Die Knappen (21 wins, three draws).

Bayern boast the division's most fearsome attacking record, netting 83 times. In contrast, Schalke have been the competition's least prolific side with just 31 strikes of their own.

Thomas Reis' outfit will be wary of Serge Gnabry, who has netted in successive league outings and has only scored more times in the Bundesliga against FC Cologne (11) than his seven against S04.

Borussia Dortmund vs Borussia Monchengladbach (Saturday, 5.30pm)

Dortmund cannot afford any slip-ups as they breathe down Bayern's necks in the title race.

Encouragingly, BVB have beaten Monchengladbach in 16 of their previous 17 home meetings across all competitions (one defeat), including each of the last nine.

Dortmund have also won 10 consecutive home matches in the Bundesliga this season — a club record in a single campaign — and have claimed victory in 13 of 15 league fixtures on their own patch.

Furthermore, Edin Terzic's side have been on fire in 2023, netting 48 times since the turn of the year — more than any other team in Europe's top five leagues.

Monchengladbach, meanwhile, have scored a league-low 18 times in that timeframe.

Union Berlin vs Freiburg (Saturday, 2.30pm)

Union and Freiburg go into this contest level on points, meaning victory for either side could be crucial in the race for Champions League qualification.

The Breisgau Brazilians have had trouble against the division's other high-flying sides this term, however, losing six of their seven meetings with the Bundesliga's top four — their only victory came in the reverse fixture against Union.

Die Eisernen have scored a league-high 12 headed goals this term but they may struggle to add to that tally against Freiburg, who have conceded a league-low four headers.

The first half of this one could prove to be a cagey affair on Saturday. Freiburg have not conceded before half-time in any of their last 11 Bundesliga outings, while Union have netted a league-low four times before the break in 2023.

RB Leipzig vs Werder Bremen (Sunday, 4.30pm)

Leipzig go into Matchday 32 in third but just one point separates them from fifth-placed Freiburg.

The short top-flight history between Leipzig and Werder Bremen has been exceptionally lopsided, with the former having won all five of their home Bundesliga clashes.

By contrast, Leipzig have conceded only three times in that period, which is the fewest in Germany's top tier.

Kevin Kampl has directly contributed to four Bundesliga goals against Werder (one goal, three assists), more than he has managed against any other club. 

Given he has netted twice in his last four league outings, the 32-year-old will be confident of adding to that tally this weekend.

Stuttgart vs Bayer Leverkusen (Sunday, 2.30pm)

Stuttgart are within touching distance of exiting the bottom three — but face a daunting task against European hopefuls Bayer Leverkusen, who will be looking to bounce back from their 1-0 Europa League semi-final first-leg defeat to Roma on Thursday.

Die Werkself have beaten Stuttgart more often in the Bundesliga than any other side (40) and have lost just one of their last 22 meetings in all competitions (17 wins, four draws).

The hosts have managed just two clean sheets all season, fewer than any other side. However, there is a glimmer of hope as Xabi Alonso's men have failed to score in each of their most recent two away league games.

This encounter could be an ill-tempered affair — Stuttgart (147) and Leverkusen (143) have been shown the most red cards in Bundesliga history. 

The pair have also had the joint-most players sent off in the division this term (five, level with Hoffenheim).

The weekend's other games

FC Cologne vs Hertha Berlin (Friday, 7.30pm) 

Bochum vs Augsburg (Saturday, 2.30pm) 

Wolfsburg vs Hoffenheim (Saturday, 2.30pm) 

Eintracht Frankfurt vs Mainz (Saturday, 2.30pm)

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