Matchday 11 preview

The battle of the two Borussias - Dortmund vs. Mönchengladbach - is actually the last game of matchday 11 on Sunday, but the first one everyone wants to watch this weekend in Germany.

Gladbach are now unbeaten in 18 matches in a row this season: a club record. Coach Lucien Favre's rotation policy has been effective almost without fault recently and on Thursday night in the Europa League they played perhaps the worst they've played all season and still won.

Their opponents on Sunday, Borussia Dortmund, are on a run of seven winless games in the league, have had no luck at all of late and have followed up every sensational European display with domestic disappointment. Still, Jürgen Klopp is likely to stick with the same XI for the third time this season, while Favre will bring the changes again to bring back his big names. This should be a great game, with both teams having plenty to play for.

Bayern without Alaba

The game had been in doubt this week due to Germany’s nationwide train drivers’ strike but Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Bayern Munich will now definitely be going ahead. The stadium in Frankfurt has happy memories for Bayern: it was here that they sealed the Bundesliga in that treble-winning season.

Although that won't be possible this weekend, a win is still likely against Thomas Schaaf's side, a team that has drifted off after a strong start. No David Alaba until 2015 would normally be a season-altering blow for most sides considering the Austrian's phenomenal talent and versatility, but for Bayern the show must and will go on. Franck Ribery is returning to the form that saw him in contention for the Ballon d'Or in 2013 and Sebastian Rode will fancy a chance to show off his progress against his former employers.

Elsewhere on Saturday, Hoffenheim against Cologne could be the season make-or-break game for both sides this season. With the former three points off the likes of Gladbach and Wolfsburg near the top of the table, it's fair to say the Markus Gisdol revolution is proving not to be a fleeting one at the small club. Cologne were sloppy last week and handed Freiburg their first win of the season. While 12 points from 10 games is a good start for a newly promoted side, another defeat here could be the start of a bad run for Peter Stöger's men.

Schalke back to basics

Coming off the back of a disappointing, but perhaps typical, Champions League performance, Schalke are looking to restore their confidence with a visit to Freiburg, also on Saturday. Having won last week and at home, the hosts will fancy an upset against Roberto Di Matteo's up and down team. If Freiburg can keep Klaas-Jan Huntelaar quiet, then an upset might be on the cards. Then again, Schalke might score four and get back into the top six.

Most trips this weekend won't be helped by the on-going rail strike, but Hamburg, on the road to Wolfsburg, will still travel with a good group of fans after six club buses have been laid on to accommodate the train strikes. Can the club transport the magic surrounding their still shiny coach Joe Zinnbauer to Wolfsburg, a place where Dieter Hecking's side are brimming with confidence having won a club record seven consecutive games?

Werder play Stuttgart in a game that looks the least appetizing of the weekend, but could have some big ramifications for Stuttgart. Armin Veh is under pressure, and with the new life Viktor Skripnik is breathing into the Werder team, a trip to Bremen is probably the last thing he wants.

As the only team in the Bundesliga yet to do so, Augsburg could finally manage a draw this weekend, when they host plucky Paderborn. The fact this one is a top-ten clash after 10 games of the season is remarkable enough, result aside. Meanwhile, after their run at the start of the season Kasper Hjulmand's Mainz side have now lost twice in the league. A Saturday trip to Leverkusen won't help that.