week 12 - match preview

Confidence high ahead of Bayern visit

Santander is history. For head coach Fred Rutten and his players the only thing that has mattered since the final whistle in Spain is the game against Bayern Munich, which kicks off at the VELTINS Arena at 1700 CET on Sunday.

"Obviously we want to win at home", the Dutchman said, making no secret of the club's expectations against their title rivals, who sit in third place one point ahead of the Royal Blues.

Rutten says the mood in the squad is good. "The lads are up for it, I can sense that. But we shouldn't overstate the importance of the game. The title race won't be won or lost on Sunday." 

The Schalke boss feels the game is a key stage in the development of his team. And he thinks they are well prepared for the challenge: "After eight games without a defeat we are confident. The outcome of the Bayern game won't change that."

Rutten went on to express his respect for Jürgen Klinsmann's team. "They didn't enjoy the best of starts, but Bayern have shown what they're capable of just recently", he said. He is therefore looking forward to taking on a "strong Bayern side", for whom Italy striker Luca Toni looks likely to return after recovering from a rib injury.

"Bayern Munich have lots of experience, they're a good footballing side and they're in good form", continued Rutten. "But the same can be said of us, so it's bound to be a good game." Last season the Royal Blues delivered a fine performance to claim a deserved point in a 1-1 draw in Munich, but were edged out 1-0 in the return in Schalke.

Sunday's game won't be the first time Rutten has come up against Bayern incidentally. He was assistant coach at FC Twente when the two sides clashed in the UEFA Cup. Twente suffered a narrow 4-3 defeat in the first leg at the Diekman Stadium before crashing 3-0 in Munich.