Bayern out to exorcise Gladbach defeat in derby

Bayern Munich host Ingolstadt in the first Bundesliga derby between the clubs on Saturday full of respect for their Bavarian neighbours, but determined to bounce back from their shock defeat at Moenchengladbach.

Pep Guardiola's Bayern crashed to their first German league defeat of the season last Saturday when they were humbled 3-1 by third-placed Gladbach.

It was only Bayern's second loss of the season, following a Champions League defeat at Arsenal, and Bayern are determined to protect their five point lead in the table.

"We have to play well and fight for everything, it won't be an easy game," said Robert Lewandowski, whose goals sealed a 2-0 win at Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday with Bayern in the last 16 in Europe.

"We have to keep our concentration and score the first goal, that should lay the foundations for us to have some fun."

Ingolstadt deserve Bayern's respect with a symmetrical record of five wins, five draws and five defeats in their first season in Germany's top-flight and are 11th in the table with 20 points.
Coach Ralph Hasenhuettl has kept most of the side which won last season's second-division title and they have drawn with top side Wolfsburg, Schalke and Moenchengladbach so far.

"They deserve to be where they are in the league and I hope they stay up," said Bayern captain Philipp Lahm, who played alongside Hasenhuettl in the Bavarian youth football.

"They don't just play defensively and don't just stand at the back."

Between them Poland's Lewandowski and Thomas Mueller have scored 27 league goals so far this season, but the Germany forward expects a tussle.

"We have a task on Saturday which will clearly be a difficult thing," said Mueller.

Bayern are set to be without centre-back Medhi Benatia, who suffered a suspected torn left thigh in Zagreb.

Second-placed Borussia Dortmund, who lag five points behind Bayern, want to keep the pressure on Munich with a win at home to Eintracht Frankfurt on Sunday.

Gabon striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored 17 of Dortmund's 42 goals in 15 games this season, while German striker Marco Reus has weighed in with eight more.

- Chicharito's goal haul -

Mid-table Frankfurt have won just one of their last ten games, while Thomas Tuchel's Dortmund have lost just twice all season in Germany's top flight after being drubbed 5-1 by Bayern and stumbling to a shock defeat at Hamburg.
Fresh from their Champions League exits in midweek, Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Moenchengladbach meet at the BayArena with the teams in contrasting form.

Roger Schmidt's Leverkusen have won one of their last eight games in all competitions while Gladbach are unbeaten in their last nine German league games under new coach Andre Schubert.

Unlike the team he plays for, Leverkusen's Javier Hernandez is in form and the ex-Manchester United and Real Madrid striker 'Chicharito' has scored 12 goals in the last 11 games.

Bayer have only failed to score twice in their last 32 games against Gladbach, one of which was a 3-0 defeat when the sides last met.

Fresh from qualifying for the last 16 of the Champions League for the first time in the club's history by beating Manchester United 3-2 last Tuesday, fifth-placed Wolfsburg host Hamburg looking to build on their midweek success after crashing to a 2-1 defeat to Dortmund at the Volkswagen Arena last Saturday.  

Fixtures (all times 1430 GMT unless stated)

Friday

Mainz v Stuttgart (1930)

Saturday

Bayern Munich v Ingolstadt, VfL Wolfsburg v Hamburg, Werder Bremen v Cologne, Hoffenheim v Hannover 96, Darmstadt v Hertha Berlin, Bayer Leverkusen v Borussia Moenchengladbach (1730)

Sunday

Augsburg v Schalke 04, Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt (1630)
Source: AFP