Bundesliga Weekend Preview

This weekend Schalke look to get their title challenge back on track at the expense of local rivals Borussia Dortmund.

The 135th Revier derby is the highlight of the 24th round of matches.

However, Dortmund need the points themselves to remain on course for European football next season and the stakes, as ever, are high in Gelsenkirchen.

"This is about all or nothing; only a win counts," said Schalke goalkeeper Manuel Neuer on his club's website.

"It may be like any other Bundesliga game in that only three points can be won, but this game is particularly important to me.

"I want to win this game at all costs. We want to make our fans happy."

Schalke's 2-1 defeat to Wolfsburg last weekend has seen them slip four points behind league leaders Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich.

Therefore, a win tomorrow night is even more necessary to rekindle their hopes of winning the title this season.

"Three points against Dortmund are immensely important in view of our games in March," added Neuer.

"March is not going to be easy. We have to go to Leverkusen and Hamburg and the game against Stuttgart will also be difficult.

"Yet we are not afraid of any opponent in the Bundesliga. We know what we can do and we are not third in the league by a fluke."

Leverkusen will then get the chance to move three points clear at the top when they host Cologne in another intriguing derby on Saturday.

Bayern get the right to reply 24 hours later when they host Hamburg bidding to return to winning ways after their 13-game winning streak was ended by Nurnberg last weekend.

That point was not enough to take Nurnberg out of danger at the bottom of the table and only a win at Bochum on Saturday will give them any chance of leaving the relegation zone.

Freiburg risk slipping below them as they head to Borussia Monchengladbach while Hannover, who have lost their last eight, will look to stop the rot on a day of derbies in the Lower Saxony version with Wolfsburg on Sunday.

Elsewhere, in-form Stuttgart can reduce the arrears on Eintracht Frankfurt with victory at the Mercedes-Benz Arena while Mainz and Werder Bremen jostle for position behind the top five at the Bruchweg Stadion.

Finally, Hertha Berlin could lift themselves off the bottom of the table for the first time since September with victory over Hoffenheim.