Munich, Germany – Bayern Munich has won eight straight in all competitions to chase down Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga, and advance to the Champions League semifinals.
Just a few days after sealing its place in the semifinals against Real Madrid, Bayern hosts promoted Augsburg on Saturday in the Bundesliga in its last tune- up for next week's Bundesliga title showdown with Dortmund.
Dortmund visits revived Wolfsburg on Saturday, when its three-point lead could evaporate ahead of Bayern's visit to Signal Iduna Park on Wednesday.
Although the title will not be decided this week, if Bayern is going to make a legitimate case for dethroning Dortmund, which is on a 22-game league unbeaten run, the next few days will play a significant role.
"We have to forget the Champions League," Bayern Munich's Franck Ribery said.
Although the clash with Madrid will be huge later this month, Bayern has a lot more to focus on first. Augsburg recently tied Dortmund and Hannover, and only dropped the first meeting this season 2-1 against Bayern.
"It'll be tough. We need all three points, no matter what it takes," Bayern's Toni Kroos said. "The fact we're still three points behind Dortmund is enough to get us fully motivated for every Bundesliga match."
Dortmund has not lost since early in the season, but Wolfsburg carries a four- game win streak into the clash Saturday at Volkswagen Arena. Up to ninth place in the table, Wolfsburg is level on points with sixth-place Stuttgart.
Mario Mandzukic and Patrick Helmes combined for 19 of Wolfsburg's 40 goals and will need to produce again this weekend.
Wolfsburg has accumulated the third-most points in the second half of the season, and have lost just once at home in its last nine games. Following the trip to Wolfsburg, Dortmund plays Bayern, Schalke and Monchengladbach.
"We don't have any problems with our remaining fixtures, because we already know them from the first half of the season," Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp said.
Also Saturday, Cologne hosts Werder Bremen, Freiburg hosts Nurnberg, Stuttgart hosts Mainz, Kaiserslautern hosts Hoffenheim, and Monchengladbach hosts Hertha Berlin. On Sunday, Schalke hosts Hannover and Hamburg hosts Bayer Leverkusen.
The mid-week action opens Tuesday, when Augsburg hosts Stuttgart, Hertha hosts Freiburg, Mainz hosts Cologne, and Werder Bremen hosts Monchengladbach. And in Wednesday's other games, Bayer Leverkusen hosts Kaiserslautern, Hannover hosts Wolfsburg, Hoffenheim hosts Hamburg, and Nurnberg hosts Schalke.
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