DID YOU KNOW?
* Bayern Munich have won 10 of their last 11 home games.
* In the last 40 home games against Schalke, the Bavarians have lost just six times.
* That said, Bayern Munich last won against the Royal Blues at home in March 2007, losing twice and drawing twice.
* The Bavarians have scored at least one goal in their last 16 Bundesliga games. Bayern Munich last failed to get on the scoresheet at the Veltins Arena in a 2-0 loss to Schalke.
* Schalke have not won in five games, picking up just two draws.
* Ralf Rangnick last won against Bayern Munich three years ago with Schalke at home.
* The Royal Blues have scored just 35 goals in Munich. The Bavarians have recorded an astonishing 101 in their meetings.
* Should Schalke topple Bayern Munich, it will be Ralf Rangnick's 100th win in the Bundesliga.
PROBABLE LINE-UPS
Bayern Munich (4-2-3-1)
Butt; Lahm, Van Buyten, Badstuber, Contento; Tymoshchuk, Schweinsteiger; Robben, Muller, Ribery; Gomez
Andries Jonker's team will be boosted by the fact that Arjen Robben returns from suspension, meaning that Bayern Munich are going to field their most potent attacking force. Miroslav Klose will most probably be replaced by Thomas Muller in the role behind Mario Gomez, while Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery will take the right and left wings respectively.
Luiz Gustavo is suspended after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season, which means that Holger Badstuber will deputise for the versatile Brazilian.
Schalke (4-4-2)
Neuer; Uchida, Howedes, Metzelder, Escudero; Farfan, Papadopoulous, Kluge, Jurado; Raul, Edu
Ralf Rangnick is likely to field the same team that lost 2-0 at Veltins Arena to Manchester United in the first leg of the semi-finals of the Champions League. Benedikt Howedes, who missed the game against the English outfit in midweek due to injury, is likely to recover in time for the game at the Allianz Arena.
He will likely replace Joel Matip as partner of Christoph Metzelder at the heart of Schalke's defence. Sergio Escudero is likely to replace Hans Sarpei at left-back on the grounds that the ex-Bayer Levekusen man does not have enough pace to deal with swift attackers as shown against Manchester United.
Prediction
Bayern Munich need all the points they could get now, and will give their all to win this game. With a full-strength attack at Andries Jonker's disposal, the Bavarians are likely to break their recent negative record against Schalke at the Allianz Arena. The Royal Blues do not have much to fight for in the Bundesliga, and with a game in England on Wednesday, they are likely to put less effort in this match.
Bayern Munich 2-0 Schalke 04 
