Dortmund, Bayern in home Bundesliga tests

Sep 21, 2017 - 9:25 AM Flush from thumping midweek away wins, Bundesliga leaders Borussia Dortmund and their closest pursuers Bayern Munich return to their own fans this weekend.

Reigning champions Bayern open the action on Friday at home to Wolfsburg and Dortmund feature in Saturday's late game against Borussia Moenchengladbach.

At the other end of the table, Cologne, Werder Bremen and Freiburg all attempt to find a first win at the sixth time of asking with the latter pair facing off in a crunch encounter.

Bayern made six changes to the starting XI yet still rolled over Schalke 3-0 on Tuesday.

Whoever coach Carlo Ancelotti picks on Friday are likely to provide problems for the visiting Wolves.

Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer is out with a broken foot for the rest of the year, with Sven Ulreich between the sticks.

Wolfsburg, 13th, will play for the second time under new coach Martin Schmidt, who was appointed this week before the 1-1 draw with Bremen.

Dortmund are riding a club record start to the season of not conceding in five games under new coach Peter Bosz.

"Five matches without conceding - we're doing brilliantly at the moment. We're trying to win every game," Christian Pulisic, who struck the final goal in the 3-0 win at Hamburg, said.

Gladbach are seventh but could enter the European spots with a win.

Continental competition is arguably proving a distraction to their local rivals Cologne, who are pairing their first European entry in a quarter of a century with a disastrous start to the league.

They are bottom, without a point, ahead of Sunday's trip to high-flying Hannover.

Newly-promoted Hannover are unbeaten in fourth while fellow newcomers Stuttgart, in 12th, host surprise package sixth-placed Augsburg.

Freiburg are in the relegation play-off place one point better off than their Saturday hosts Werder.

Other games on Satuday are RB Leipzig v Eintracht Frankfurt, Hoffenheim v Schalke and Mainz v Hertha Berlin while Bayer Leverkusen v Hamburg completes the round late Sunday.

Source: AAP