Reds seek to maintain form before Berlin

Almost exactly 12 months have passed since Bayern travelled to Stuttgart on 15 May 2004 for the penultimate game of last season. Then coach Ottmar Hitzfeld and his men had just suffered the pain of losing their league title to Werder Bremen, but there was to be no rehabilitation against the Reds' southern rivals as VfB under then boss Felix Magath ran up a convincing 3-1 success. A cloud of gloom settled over the Säbener Strasse as Bayern contemplated the prospect of losing a direct Champions League qualifying place to Stuttgart.

Bayern return to VfB on Saturday, but the situation could hardly be more different. Munich wrapped up the championship three weeks ago, prompting a wild weekend of celebration after the thrilling 6-3 victory over Nuremberg last Saturday. Meanwhile, Matthias Sammer's side are battling to defend third place in the standings and the Champions League qualifier which goes with it.

Magath was already touted as Hitzfeld's successor at the time of last year's meeting, before his new appointment was confirmed on 24 May. "I had three-and-a-half good years in Stuttgart. I learnt a lot from VfB and I'm looking forward to seeing some of my former players again," the Munich boss said this week.

However, the coach made it clear he was intending to go home with all three points this Saturday. "It's a very important match for us. I'm expecting my team to produce the goods." The finale in front of a capacity crowd at the Gottlieb-Daimler stadium is Bayern's last competitive run-out before the DFB German Cup final in Berlin a week later. "It's the players' last chance to put themselves forward for the line-up in Berlin," Magath confirmed.

The boss will be hoping for another goal festival along the lines of recent victories over Nuremberg (6-3), Mainz (4-2) and Kaiserslautern (5-0), with Roy Makaay and company finding the target 15 times. "I want us to win, even though it's our last match," the 51 year-old declared.