Schalke test Leverkusen's title mettle; Bayern lie in wait

Bayer Leverkusen LogoHamburg - After moving almost unnoticed to the top of the Bundesliga, Bayer Leverkusen have a chance of putting one of their chief rivals behind them in the German league's top game on Saturday.

Leverkusen take on visiting Schalke 04 who will be seeking to bounce back from a 2-1 home defeat to Bayern Munich last weekend which has left them five points adrift of the leaders.

Leverkusen, who are equal on 25 points with promoted Hoffenheim, have emerged as a title contender under new coach Bruno Labbadia who has a young side playing an attractive attacking game.

The 42-year-old former striker, who won two caps for Germany, had to lift his players after his team squandered a 3-0 lead to draw 3-3 at Karlsruhe last Saturday, but insists they are mentally strong enough to put the lost points behind them.

"A lot of teams would not have been leading 3-0 in the first place," he said after a draw which ended a four-game winning series.

Labbadia will be without Switzerland midfielder Pirmin Schwegler, who tore a knee ligament in training Wednesday, for the visit of Schalke, who remain upbeat despite the defeat to Bayern.

"Schalke showed (against Bayern) that they belong to the top three in the league. This will be a really tough test on Saturday," Labbadia said.

Captain Simon Rolfes believes Leverkusen are now better equipped to make a title challenge than in recent years.

"We are stronger than last season when because of the UEFA Cup we ran out of steam in the end. That won't happen this season," he said.

The absence of European football this season could prove to be a blessing for a Leverkusen side whose new signings - including striker Patrick Helmes, midfielder Renato Augusto and defenders Henrique and Michal Kadlec - have all settled in quickly.

"Our strength is the unity of the side. We are solid in defence and do not give opponents many chances. The coach wants us to believe that we can win anywhere," said Rolfes.

However former coach Klaus Toppmoeller, who in 2002 was runner-up with Leverkusen in the league, cup and Champions League, believes the side is not mature enough to mount a title challenge.

"You saw that against Karlsruhe when they drew 3-3 after leading 3-0. That really hurts," he told Bild newspaper.

"You cannot expect the league title from Leverkusen or a team like Hoffenheim. In the end it will be Bayern."

Champions Bayern - a point behind Leverkusen and Hoffenheim - travel to Borussia Moenchengladbach with the opportunity of going top for the first time this season.

Coach Juergen Klinsmann can welcome back defender Philipp Lahm and midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger following injuries as Bayern look for a sixth successive win in the league.

Moenchengladbach lifted themselves out of the relegation zone last week thanks to two goals by Marko Marin in a 2-0 win at fellow strugglers Arminia Bielefeld.

Hoffenheim, whose five-match winning run came to an end in a 1-0 defeat at Hertha Berlin, entertain Wolfsburg, while fifth-place Hertha take on fourth-placed Hamburg in another of the day's top games.

Elsewhere Saturday, VfB Stuttgart meet Bielefeld, Borussia Dortmund face Eintracht Frankfurt and bottom side Energie Cottbus entertain Karlsruhe.

On Sunday, mid-table Werder Bremen will be looking to revive a disappointing season when Cologne are the visitors, while on Friday evening, Hanover play Bochum in a match between two sides in the lower reaches.

The weekend's action will have league officials closely watching the behaviour of players and coaches after a number of controversies surrounding refereeing decisions, which led to former playing great Franz Beckenbauer leaping to the defence of match officials.

"It is terrible to see these pictures of players, trainers, substitutes all criticizing the decisions of the referee," he said.

The Bayern president said the Bundesliga compared poorly with the English, Spanish and French leagues where "people there seem to be able to behave."

Talks will be held between referees' representatives and club managers on Monday to discuss the refereeing issues. (dpa)

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