Bundesliga Week 19: Preview and schedule

The Germany top flight resumes at midweek, and top of the table clubs will have to keep up their pace to maintain their hope of a European spot.

The Bundesliga fixture list is over its month and a half break, lining up another set of matches at midweek. Bayern Munich are at the top of the table, but now they have to look like Champions as they host longtime rivals Schalke 04. Just down the road, Augsburg continue their fight into the European top-flight as they look to avenge their 3-2 loss against Borussia Dortmund, who are in their own fight in the relegation zone.

Bayern Munich vs Schalke 04

Watch: GOLTV (USA & Canada), BT Sport 2 (UK), Sky Bundesliga 1 (Germany)

As the rest of Germany rejoices in the fall of the Bavarian giants, the Rekordmeister are regrouping in a position very uncomfortable for them. They have not received a spanking like that in six years, and they now play host to a Schalke team that has recorded three clean sheets in their last five Bundesliga matches. Pep Guardiola and Roberto Di Matteo will have to deploy a three-back system out of squad necessity, a tactical duel not seen in Germany since the mid-2000s. Bayern have only dropped a total of four points at home over the last season and a half, and the players will springboard off their ruckus crowd to wipe their weekend performance from their memory.

Borussia Dortmund vs Augsburg

Watch: GOLTV (USA & Canada), Fubo TV (USA), BT Sport 2 (UK), Sky Bundesliga 2 (Germany)

When these two clubs met at the end of August, who knew that Dortmund's 3-2 victory would be a meaningless addendum to a set of plot lines that went in completely opposite directions? With some reinforcements in the fold, Augsburg are set for their first push towards a Champions League spot, and will try and snatch their first Bundesliga victory ever against Dortmund. However, a solid result in Leverkusen for the Schwarzgelben suggests that these two clubs are closer than their table positions would suggest.

Round 18

Tuesday, 2 p.m. ET

Bayern Munich vs. Schalke 04

Borussia Mönchengladbach vs. Freiburg

Hannover vs. Mainz 05

Eintracht Frankfurt vs. Wolfsburg

Wednesday, 2 p.m. ET

Borussia Dortmund vs. Augsburg

Hoffenheim vs. Werder Bremen

Hertha Berlin vs. Bayer Leverkusen

Köln vs. Stuttgart

Paderborn vs. Hamburger SV

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