Bundesliga preview: Bayern continue Dortmund chase

Borussia Dortmund face a tricky clash against Werder Bremen as the in-form Bayern Munich continue their chase of the Bundesliga leaders.

Juergen Klopp’s Dortmund side are unbeaten this year, and on Saturday host a Bremen outfit missing top-scorer Claudio Pizarro through suspension.

The Peruvian striker was handed a two-match ban for slapping Hannover defender Emanuel Pogatetz during sixth-placed Bremen’s 3-0 win on Sunday.

Robert Lewandowski has led the way for Dortmund this season with 16 league goals, but the Polish striker’s future is unclear after he rejected a contract extension offered to him by the champions on Tuesday.

Bayern Munich will be hoping Dortmund drop points as Jupp Heynckes’ side travel to struggling Hertha Berlin looking to build on their ominous recent form.

Heynckes’ men followed their 7-1 win over Hoffenheim on Saturday with a 7-0 rout of Basel in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Striker Mario Gomez has netted seven times in two matches, while Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben impressed out wide against Basel.

Hertha have lost eight of their last nine matches in all competitions, leaving them in the relegation play-off spot.

Meanwhile, fifth-placed Bayer Leverkusen welcome Borussia Moenchengladbach to BayArena on Saturday.

Lucien Favre’s Moenchengladbach side are winless in their last three league outings, a run that has seen them slip eight points adrift of Dortmund.

Schalke, who occupy the fourth Champions League spot ahead of Leverkusen, travel to bottom-placed Kaiserslautern on Sunday.

Led by Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (19 league goals) and Raul (11), Schalke have been a constant threat throughout the campaign.

In other matches, Freiburg will travel to fellow strugglers Hamburg on Saturday as they try to get out of the relegation zone.

Mid-table sides Nuremberg and Wolfsburg clash on Saturday, while Hoffenheim and Stuttgart do battle on Friday.

Augsburg will be looking to move clear of the bottom three when they host Mainz, and Hannover’s chase of a European spot continues when they welcome Cologne to AWD-Arena on Sunday.