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Bayern's Xabi Alonso, left, and Schalke's Joel Matip, right, jump for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Schalke 04 and Bayern Munich in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015. Schalke was defeated by Bayern with 1-3. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Bayern's Xabi Alonso, left, and Schalke's Joel Matip, right, jump for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC Schalke 04 and Bayern Munich in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015. Schalke was defeated by Bayern with 1-3. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)Martin Meissner/Associated Press

Bayern Munich vs. Schalke: Team News, Preview, Live Stream, TV Info

Clark WhitneyApr 15, 2016

Just five rounds remain to be played in the Bundesliga this season, and with the home stretch upon us, Bayern Munich are closing in on a fourth consecutive title in the German top flight.

The Bavarians have a seven-point lead atop the table as they prepare to host Schalke on Saturday at the Allianz Arena. Bayern are coming off a 2-2 draw with Benfica in Lisbon. It was a tough match, and the Germans looked occasionally suspect, but the result proved to be enough for them to advance to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for a fifth consecutive season.

After the match, captain Philipp Lahm was bullish, according to the official Bayern website, saying: "[Once] you’re among the last four teams in Europe, you obviously want more. We’re not done yet."

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As it stands, Bayern are among the last four in the Champions League and DFB-Pokal. But now they'll have to work towards wrapping up the Bundesliga as the Schalke match approaches.

Schalke have experienced their share of struggles as of late, with a 3-0 loss to Ingolstadt perhaps being the nadir of their season. It left the Gelsenkirchen club reeling, with hopes of a return to the Champions League next season highly in doubt.

Yet for Schalke, their 2-2 draw with archrivals Borussia Dortmund last weekend provided a bit of encouragement. And if they manage an improbable win in Munich, Andre Breitenreiter's side will surely take a dose of confidence into the final four matches of the season.

Schalke may be down, but they aren't yet out. Ahead of the Bayern match, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar issued a rallying cry. Via the Schalke website, he said: "We need to concentrate, get to work and make sure that we put points on the board in the coming weeks. We’re into the decisive phase. Bayern Munchen are obviously a strong team with lots of quality in their team, but we aren’t afraid."

Date: Saturday, April 16

Time: 5:30 p.m. BST/12:30 p.m. ET/6:30 p.m. local time

Venue: Allianz Arena, Munich

TV Info: Fox (U.S. only), BT Sport Europe (UK only)

Live Stream: Fox Soccer 2Go (U.S. only), BT Sport Player (UK only)

Form Guide

Bayern Munich Schalke
Benfica: Draw Borussia Dortmund: Draw
Stuttgart: Win Ingolstadt: Loss
Benfica: Win Monchengladbach: Win
Eintracht Frankfurt: Win Hertha BSC: Loss
Cologne: Win Cologne: Win

Team News

Bayern Munich

For Bayern, defenders Holger Badstuber and Jerome Boateng are out injured, as is winger Arjen Robben. Xabi Alonso, meanwhile, is suspended, meaning that Sebastian Rode might get a chance to play.

Possible Bayern starting XI: Neuer; Lahm, Kimmich, Alaba, Bernat; Rode, Thiago; Costa, Muller, Coman; Lewandowski.

Schalke

Captain Benedikt Howedes is still sidelined with injury and will miss the match, as will fellow injured players Leon Goretzka, Atsuto Uchida, Sidney Sam, Nemanja Nastasic, Marco Hoger and Fabian Giefer. Sead Kolasinac will serve a suspension after receiving his fifth booking of the season last week.

Possible Schalke starting XI: Fahrmann; Caicera, Matip, Neustadter, Aogo; Geis, Hojbjerg; Schopf, Meyer, Sane; Huntelaar.

Players to Watch

With Douglas Costa, Thomas Muller and Franck Ribery having started in midweek, it could be a big game for Kingsley Coman and/or Robert Lewandowski. The onus will be on Bayern's more rested stars to push them towards victory.

Most of Schalke's hopes will rest on their young and rising stars. Leroy Sane and Max Meyer are their best-known prodigies, but Bayern loanee Pierre Hojbjerg and ex-Bayern II man Alessandro Schopf will want to make an impression against the Bavarians.

Key Battles

Robert Lewandowski vs. Joel Matip

Lewandowski was left out of the starting lineup on Wednesday, earning a much-needed and well-deserved rest. He'll likely start against Schalke, and with his team-mates perhaps a bit fatigued, the Polish striker will be under pressure to deliver as he's done so time and time again this season.

Matip is Schalke's most experienced player in a central defensive role, and his athleticism and skill will be needed to contain Lewandowski. The Cameroon international will join Liverpool this summer and will aim to make a good impression in his last match against Bayern as a Schalke player.

Leroy Sane vs. Philipp Lahm

Sane has been hit-or-miss this season, but when he's been on, he's been razor sharp. And in his still-young career, he's proved to be a big-game player: His most noteworthy performance to date was in the Champions League against Real Madrid, and he scored in the Ruhr derby against Dortmund last weekend.

Lahm is exactly the kind of player Bayern will want to have facing Sane. Despite his advancing years, the captain continues to excel. He was brilliant against Benfica in midweek and apparently still has much in the tank.

Odds 

Bayern: 1/5

Draw: 11/2

Schalke: 12/1

(Courtesy of Odds Shark)

@Mr_Bundesliga

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