Bayern Munich can move to their highest league position of the season this weekend when they kick-off against Borussia Monchengladbach.

A win for the Bavarians will take them third in the table, just three points behind leaders Bayer Leverkusen, who travel to Hannover on Saturday.

But Bayern coach Louis van Gaal and his team may have an arguably more important fixture in their minds when they take to the field at the Allianz Arena.

On Tuesday they travel to Turin needing to beat Juventus to pip the Serie A side to a place in the knockout stage of the Champions League and Van Gaal admits tomorrow's game will be a true test of his side's character.

"It is a hallmark of a top footballer that they can always focus on the next game, and that is Gladbach, Juventus comes afterwards," said the Dutchman.

"A win would increase our self-confidence."

However, their opponents have enough self-confidence of their own after going five games without defeat and coach Michael Frontzeck insists they are not travelling to Munich purely to make up the numbers.

"You cannot say we have nothing to lose, there are three points to lose," he said. "We don't want to be able to blame ourselves afterwards for not trying."

Should Bayern lose at home to Monchengladbach for the first time in 14 years, they could find themselves back down in eighth position by the end of the weekend.

Hamburg could move above them tomorrow night on goal difference before hosting sixth-placed Hoffenheim on Saturday.

Mainz could also climb back above Bayern by winning the Rhein-Main derby at Eintracht Frankfurt and defending champions Wolfsburg host Freiburg on Saturday needing a win to break back into the top five.

Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund's seven-game unbeaten streak has lifted them to mid-table and another positive result at home to struggling Nurnberg could see them join an increasing number of clubs chasing leaders Bayer Leverkusen with three games to go before the midway stage of the season.

At the bottom of the table, Hertha Berlin go to Schalke on Sunday still searching for their first win since the opening day of the season.

Sunday's other game pits strugglers Cologne against Werder Bremen, who have not lost any of their last 21 fixtures.

Stuttgart and Bochum meet in a relegation battle on Saturday with the home team's coach Markus Babbel desperate for a win to save his job ahead of their Champions League decider against Unirea Urziceni next Wednesday.