Preview: Werder Bremen vs. Bayern Munich

Bundesliga leaders Bayern Munich will be looking for their sixth league win in a row when they travel to Werder Bremen this weekend.

Pep Guardiola's side should head into the match full of confidence following a record-equalling 7-0 win over Shakhtar Donetsk in the Champions League earlier this week, sealing their place in the quarter-finals.

The defending champions have an 11-point lead at the top of the table, having lost just once in the league this season, and have scored 27 goals in their last five outings.

Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery will both miss the match after being taken off early in the win over Shakhtar with a trapped nerve and ankle knock respectively.

Xabi Alonso, who was suspended from European duty on Wednesday, will also be absent, as he picked up his fifth booking of the season last time out.

Club captain Philipp Lahm has been back in training after a four-month absence with an ankle injury, but Guardiola has insisted that the defender will not be rushed back into first-team action, so is not expected to feature this weekend.

Meanwhile, Bremen will be hoping to maintain their strong form to keep their hopes of playing in Europe next season alive.

This weekend's hosts sit eighth in the table heading into this match, just five points adrift of sixth-placed Augsburg.

Viktor Skrypnyk's side have lost just once in their last eight outings in the German top flight, with six of those matches resulting in wins, including last week's 1-0 victory over Freiburg.

Levent Aycicek could return from a 10-day absence with a knee injury after coming through training with no setbacks on Wednesday, but Alejandro Galvez is expected to sit out again as he returns to fitness after a month out with a foot problem.

Bremen will be hoping to avoid a repeat of their meeting with Bayern in October, when the champions clinched a 6-0 win at the Allianz Arena.

Werder Bremen:

Form in Bundesliga: WWWDLW Form in all competitions: WWDLLW

Possible starting lineup: Wolf, Garcia, Vestergaard, Prodl, Selassie, Fritz, Oztunali, Aycicek, Bargfrede, Di Santo, Bartels

Bayern Munich:

Form in Bundesliga: DWWWWW Form in all competitions: DWWWWW

Possible starting lineup: Neuer, Dante, Boateng, Badstuber, Schweinsteiger, Rafinha, Bernat, Rode, Alaba, Gotze, Muller

Sports Mole says: 0-3