In Germany, the programme started last night with the top clash between free-scoring Borussia Dortmund who are leading the standings, and Hamburg. Dortmund won the clash 2-0 with second goals from Kawaga and Barrios.

Third-place Bayer Leverkusen (21 points) travels to St Pauli, while Eintracht Frankfurt (19) visits slumping Werder Bremen. Bremen has lost its last three in the league and is coming off a 6-0 thrashing at Stuttgart. Frankfurt is unbeaten in its last six, five of them wins, and can rely on the league’s leading scorer Fanis Gekas, who has 11 goals.

Bremen will have to do without striker Claudio Pizarro, who will be out for three weeks with a hamstring injury.

Defending champions Bayern Munich, already 12 points behind Dortmund, could benefit from the return of Franck Ribery and Mark van Bommel when it hosts Bavarian rivals Nuremberg tomorrow.

The German giants are in need of a good win to boost their place in the standings as well as their confidence.

Today, Wolfsburg hosts Schalke, Cologne plays Borussia Moenchengladbach and Stuttgart visits Kaiserslautern.

Tomorrow, Hoffenheim hosts Freiburg.