Bayern Munich host Schalke 04 on Saturday as they look to remain at the top of the Bundesliga and their opponents attempt to create breathing room above the relegation playoff place.
The hosts are on 65 points, just one point clear of Borussia Dortmund as the Bundesliga season heads into the final three games. Their opponents are in 15th place on 30 points, just two clear of the relegation playoff spot and will look to take anything from this game.
Bayern have not dominated the league as much as some expected, with recent slip ups against TSG Hoffenheim and Mainz 05 making the title closer than they would like. However they did claim top spot back following a 2-0 win over Hertha BSC and beating Werder Bremen 2-1 last weekend.
Schalke themselves have also seen back to back wins propel them close to securing their Bundesliga status. A 2-1 win over Bremen was then followed up by a 3-2 win away at Mainz last weekend thanks to a Marius Bulter converting a penalty in the 12th minute of added time.
It will be a tough ask for Schalke as Bayern are unbeaten at home and have the second best home record in the league, and have won four of their last five home fixtures.
These two faced each other back in November, with Bayern winning 2-0 courtesy of goals from Serge Gnabry and Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting.
One interesting fact for this game is that Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel has only won 14% of his game against Schalke, which is his lowest win percentage against any Bundesliga side.
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Team News
Bayern Munich
Tuchel has had positive news with multiple players returning to training and being available for the weekend. Choupo-Moting has been one of those that has returned to training and he may feature this Saturday as he has scored many important goals this season.
Defenders Lucas Hernandez and Dayot Upamecano both completed extra training sessions on their road to recovery. Upamecano has missed out on the two previous games and could return to the squad on Saturday.
Youngster Paul Wanner is also back in training and may make the bench for the weekend. Alphonso Davies is still unavailable due to a thigh injury, but Tuchel almost has his full squad back for the final few games.
Schalke 04
Schalke themselves have received positive team news, with goalkeeper Ralf Fahrmann returning to individual training so Alexander Schwolow will likely start in between the sticks.
Moritz Jenz has returned to training but is not expected to play and so Sepp van den Berg will start in defence.
They did receive some negative news however with Soichiro Kozuki being out for the season following ankle surgery back in March. Defender Eder Alvarez Balanta is still missing due to a knee injury and is unlikely to feature before the end of the season.
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Likely Lineups
Bayern Munich
Sommer; Mazraoui, Pavard, de Ligt, Cancelo; Goretzka, Kimmich; Coman, Musiala, Mane; Gnabry
Schalke 04
Schwolow; Brunner, van den Berg, Kaminski, Matriciani; Krauss, Kral; Karaman, Zalazar, Bulter; Terrode
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Key Players
Bayern Munich - Jamal Musiala
Jamal Musiala is the next Wunderkind to come through at Bayern but he does not really fit that title anymore, he is already a superstar and is one of the keys to everything Bayern do. At just 20 years old, he leads the team with nine assists and is the joint top scorer alongside Gnabry with 11 goals in the league.
He has the fourth-most shots on goal of any Bayern player, showing that his finishing is a great asset, especially when running from midfield and they do not play with a regular number nine.
His greatest skill is his dribbling. He has the ability to use both feet and his frame and speed allows him to glide across the pitch and create opportunities for himself or teammates.
Schalke will have to stand strong if they are to stop Musiala from grabbing the game.
Schalke 04 - Marius Bulter
Bulter is quite clearly the key player for Schalke and is integral in them ensuring survival. Despite their poor season, Bulter has 11 goals to his name which contributes to 35% of all of Schalke's goals this season.
Last time out against Mainz he scored two goals, the opener and the last-minute winner. Recently he has played out on the left wing with Simon Terrode playing as the focal point through the middle.
Being right-footed this has aided his goal scoring as he is able to cut inside onto his strong foot before having an effort on goal. If Schalke are to get anything from the game, Bulter will likely be involved in their play.
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Match Details
Where is the game being played?
Schalke make the long journey south to visit Bayern at the Allianz Arena.
What time is kick-off?
The game will kick-off at 14:30 BST on Saturday.
How can I watch?
The game is available to UK viewers on Sky Sports Arena with build-up starting just before kick-off and you can follow all the latest news and views right here on VAVEL UK as Bundesliga reaches its climax.