There will be no sympathy on show when Schalke face Bayern Munich this weekend with both clubs desperately needing a victory, and both coaches under pressure to deliver. Schalke manager Felix Magath led Bayern to back-to-back league and cup doubles before being unexpectedly shown the door in 2007.

His achievements with Bayern rank among the greatest in his career, and they have earned him a prominent place in the club's history books, but his only focus this weekend will be on ensuring Die Königsblauen pick up three points at Arena AufSchalke.

Magath survived a crisis meeting with club bosses yesterday while Bayern coach Louis van Gaal was told at his club's Annual General Meeting this week that his side must win their last three league games of 2010, and both are under intense pressure to win this weekend.

"We have got to play well and, if possible, get all the points because we are not doing well at the moment," said Magath. "But Bayern are not as strong as they were last season either, although they are getting back on track."

And Bayern president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge says it must now be full steam ahead for his side. "We have got to ensure that the Bayern express gets rolling again," he said. "Fifth place is not a good enough position for us."

Bayern are not as strong as they were last season either, although they are getting back on track.
Felix Magath, Schalke coach

By the time they take to the field on Saturday evening, they could be as low as eighth in the table. If Hoffenheim win at Stuttgart, Eintracht Frankfurt win the Rhine-Main derby against Mainz, and the clash between Freiburg and Hamburg provides a winner, Bayern would drop down the table, although nowhere near as far down as Schalke are at present.

The Die Königsblauen risk slipping into the bottom two if they fail to win with Cologne picking up points in their local derby at Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday and Stuttgart defeating Hoffenheim.

Meanwhile, two other crisis clubs will be looking for a way out of danger on Saturday at the VW-Arena. Wolfsburg and Werder Bremen are both lagging behind their expectations at present and cannot contemplate defeat on Saturday.

Elsewhere, St Pauli host Kaiserslautern, Borussia Monchengladbach entertain Hannover and, finally, league leaders Borussia Dortmund complete the weekend with their trip to Nurnberg.