As ever, bundesliga.com brings you the reaction to the weekend's barnstorming entertainment...
MATCHDAY 23 RESULTS:(Click on the score in each fixture to view individual match highlights).
FC Bayern München 4-1 1. FC Köln
Borussia Dortmund 3-0 FC Schalke 04
Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1-0 SC Freiburg
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim 2-0 1. FSV Mainz 05
Hannover 96 1-1 VfB Stuttgart
Hertha Berlin 1-0 FC Augsburg
Eintracht Frankfurt 2-1 Hamburger SV
Borussia Mönchengladbach 2-0 SC Paderborn 07
SV Werder Bremen 3-5 VfL Wolfsburg
Monday 2 March
Eyes on the cup
Dresden vs. Dortmund is just one of seven other cup ties taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday. Here's the full fixture list for the DFB Cup last 16:
Tuesday
Bayer 04 Leverkusen vs. 1. FC Kaiserslautern
VfR Aalen vs. TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
SC Freiburg vs. 1. FC Köln
Dynamo Dresden vs. Borussia Dortmund
Wednesday
RB Leipzig vs. VfL Wolfsburg
Arminia Bielefeld vs. SV Werder Bremen
Kickers Offenbach vs. Borussia Mönchengladbach
FC Bayern München vs. Eintracht Braunschweig
Make sure you keep up to date with all the action right here on bundesliga.com. Our live updates will resume on Thursday ahead of Matchday 24. Bis dann!.
Auf nach Dresden! // Off to Dresden! #sgdbvb https://t.co/gobXvL7vjR
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) March 2, 2015

They may still be eight points behind league leaders FC Bayern, but with 33 points still to play for this season and a favourable run of games to come in the league, Wolfsburg haven't given up hope of winning the Bundesliga title just yet. Dieter Hecking's charges are in scintillating form at the moment and continued their unbeaten start to 2015 at the Weserstadion on Sunday evening.
Das @DFB-Sportgericht hat @stindl28 wegen unsportlichen Verhaltens für ein zusätzliches BL-Spiel gesperrt. #H96 (1/2) pic.twitter.com/eCm8ODlNfd
— Hannover 96 (@Hannover96) March 2, 2015

Stuttgart were dealt another blow in their battle against the drop with news that midfielder Martin Harnik will miss the club's next two Bundesliga games through suspension after being shown a straight red card against Hannover 96 on Saturday. The Swabians have accepted the punishment and will therefore be without the 27-year-old against Hertha Berlin and Bayer 04 Leverkusen. Stuttgart confirmed the news on their official Twitter account on Monday afternoon: "Two-game ban for Harnik."
Zwei Spiele Sperre für Martin #Harnik. http://t.co/xUWuB8JSPL #H96VfB pic.twitter.com/wn7qRszzxi
— VfB Stuttgart (@VfB) March 2, 2015

Check out what the Bundesliga head coaches made of their sides' performances in the latest round of action by heading here. Bayern boss Pep Guardiola was particularly effusive in his praise of goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who made a number of top-notch saves to nip a Köln fightback in the bud on Friday.
Top Trainingseinheit heute! Great training session today! pic.twitter.com/6GMjdKHPrx
— Basti Schweinsteiger (@BSchweinsteiger) March 2, 2015

The pictures of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Marco Reus celebrating as Batman and Robin during Dortmund's 3-0 win over Schalke on Saturday may have stunned most spectators, but for those who know 'Auba', it will not have comes as a surprise. Not only does he have previous when it comes to superhero celebrations, he's long had a thing for Gotham City's most famous son. Find out more right here.

The Bundesliga stars strutted their stuff over the weekend and now it's your turn to get involved. Vote for your Matchday 23 Player of the Week from our three-man shortlist here, and cast your ballot for the Goal of the Week right here. If you've not seen the top five strikes yet, you can check them out in the video below:

Wondering what Wolfsburg's Bas Dost or Bayern's Arjen Robben had to say for themselves after continuing their remarkable scoring form on Matchday 23? Or perhaps you'd like to hear from Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to get the lowdown on his outrageous Batman and Robin celebration against Schalke? Well, you're in the right place! We've got video interviews with that fearsome trio, and plenty more besides. Head to our WATCH page to enjoy the full spread of our audiovisual delights...
Klopp: "Wir wollen dieses Jahr nicht nur nach Berlin, sondern wenn wir dann da sind, dieses Mal auch gewinnen.“ #sgdbvb
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) March 2, 2015
Klopp über @HenrikhMkh: "Das Spiel war mehr Befreiungsschlag als sein Tor. Das war defensivtaktisch sein bestes Spiel.“ #sgdbvb #dfbpokal
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) March 2, 2015
On my way to training and preparing for our massive game against Stuttgart #Bundesliga pic.twitter.com/6dRBFEs1dw
— John Heitinga (@Johnheitinga) March 2, 2015
Stöger: "Regardless of cup or league fixtures, we approach every match with 100% focus." #effzeh pic.twitter.com/xSnObGCDFC
— 1. FC Cologne (@fckoeln_en) March 2, 2015
He's still in individual training for now, but hopefully he'll be back with the team soon. Vamos @Thiago6! #MiaSanMia pic.twitter.com/WiR7Z4CXli
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) March 2, 2015

Gladbach's goalscorer Patrick Herrmann admitted after yesterday’s 2-0 win over Paderborn the Foals have their sights set firmly on European qualification. “It’s looking good for us, but there’s still a long way to go,” said the 24-year-old to bundesliga.com. “We have a lot of quality in our squad. Everyone’s doing a phenomenal job.”
It's cup week! The first of two training sessions ahead of our last 16 tie vs. @arminia is under way. #werder #dscsvw pic.twitter.com/3B1D3n5ic5
— SV Werder Bremen EN (@werderbremen_en) March 2, 2015

Local newspaper Wolfsburger Allgemeine Zeitung was full of praise for the Wolves after their 5-3 win at Bremen: “Yet another crazy goal-fest for Wolfsburg away from home! After their 5-4 victory at Leverkusen a fortnight ago, VfL again showed they’re currently the most attractive team to watch. Meanwhile, T-Online ascribed Wolfsburg's current winning streak to forward Bas Dost, who struck twice last night: "He's in the form of his life."

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, meanwhile, takes a closer look at Borussia Dortmund’s four-game winning streak that has seen Jürgen Klopp’s side climb off the foot of the table to move into tenth. “Dortmund have been playing some thrilling, brave football, and they got their reward. BVB are a prime example for all sides facing the drop.” Süddeutsche Zeitung was similarly positive: “The only way is up [in the table] for BVB.”

Wolfsburg coach Dieter Hecking was a happy man indeed after his sides' Bremen win: "I’m very, very satisfied. Bremen got their goals far too easily and we didn’t defend well, but we managed to reply to every goal we conceded. I was impressed the team were able to put in a shift like this after the Lisbon game [where the Wolves knocked out Sporting in the Europa League in midweek]."
Gooooaaaaal @felixkroos18
— Toni Kroos (@ToniKroos) March 1, 2015
The man who can't stop scoring... Bas Dost now has 14 in his last nine games! #UEL pic.twitter.com/1jAuL5tZRU
— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) March 1, 2015
TEAM OF THE WEEK Fill in the blanks and make your #BLTOTW for #Bundesliga Matchday 23 pic.twitter.com/LV2z9kc0kS
— Bundesliga (@Bundesliga_EN) March 2, 2015
Sunday 1 March

If you missed any of the Bundesliga action this weekend, and you cannot wait to see the highlights right here on bundesliga.com tomorrow, we've summarised the biggest stories from Matchday 23. Find out here who celebrated in comic-book style, which club celebrated a winning birthday and who is in the running for a major award.

We've collated all the most important facts and figures to emerge from Matchday 23 and put them into one bite-sized article for your perusal. Which player cannot stop scoring? How long since Frankfurt last lost at home? Who got his first straight red card in 163 games? All the answers can be found here.
Happy to score. Unfortunately today we couldn't take any point in spite of we fought until the end. https://t.co/egsIwgsdDC
— Franco Di Santo (@fdisanto9) March 1, 2015
Ach Mann....auch von das wir mussen lernen...
— Theo Gebre Selassie (@TheoGS23) March 1, 2015
#Skripnik: "We need to take the positives - we put in a good shift against a top team." #svwwob
— SV Werder Bremen EN (@werderbremen_en) March 1, 2015
PLAYER OF THE WEEK Who was the standout performer of #Bundesliga Matchday 23? Vote at http://t.co/Od32YP3sh5 pic.twitter.com/hGTqktyqDZ
— Bundesliga (@Bundesliga_EN) March 1, 2015
Second-half turnaround sees @VfLWolfsburg_EN edge thriller against @werderbremen_en to keep pace at the top #SVWWOB pic.twitter.com/R3E5nVRsJj
— Bundesliga (@Bundesliga_EN) March 1, 2015
Or will a strikeforce of @fdisanto9 and Davie Selke inspire this @werderbremen_en XI to continue their run? #SVWWOB pic.twitter.com/ua5UKLaO7A
— Bundesliga (@Bundesliga_EN) March 1, 2015
Or will a strikeforce of @fdisanto9 and Davie Selke inspire this @werderbremen_en XI to continue their run? #SVWWOB pic.twitter.com/ua5UKLaO7A
— Bundesliga (@Bundesliga_EN) March 1, 2015
#Gladbach's XI for #BMGSCP Sommer - Korb, Stranzl, Jantschke, Wendt - Nordtveit, Xhaka - Johnson, Traoré - Raffael, Hrgota. #fohlenelf
— Borussia (@borussia_en) March 1, 2015
Die Startelf gegen @borussia! Kruse - Brückner, Hünemeier, Ziegler, Heinloth - Stoppelkamp, Rupp, Bakalorz, Meha - Lakic, Kachunga #BMGSCP
— SC Paderborn 07 (@SCPaderborn07) March 1, 2015
The warm-up is under way at BORUSSIA-PARK. #fohlenelf #BMGSCP pic.twitter.com/JV5hMm143L
— Borussia (@borussia_en) March 1, 2015

Salomon Kalou was a happy man indeed after scoring Hertha Berlin’s match-winning goal in the 1-0 success against Augsburg yesterday, securing the capital club’s first victory in three. “We will enjoy the moment,” the Ivory Coast attacker said, adding: “We were looking a lot more confident [than in the previous games] today."

Bayer 04 Leverkusen will have to do without midfield dynamo Lars Bender when the Werkself take on Bundesliga 2 side 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the DFB Cup on Tuesday the club have confirmed after the Germany international bruised an ankle in Saturday’s 1-0 victory against Freiburg.
All quiet at Säbener Straße today as the #FCBayern players have the day off. Tomorrow, our full focus switches to #FCBEBS in the #DFBCup.
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) March 1, 2015
Der 1. FC Kaiserslautern trauert um Wolfram Wuttke, der in der Nacht in einem Krankenhaus in Lünen verstarb. pic.twitter.com/eOyZd9B9FK
— 1. FC Kaiserslautern (@Rote_Teufel) March 1, 2015
R.I.P Wolfram #Wuttke. The former #Borussia midfielder passed away in the early hours at the age of 53. pic.twitter.com/4oMrWhRAzS
— Borussia (@borussia_en) March 1, 2015
MATCHDAY! Back to business in the Bundesliga, with another chance to tighten our grip on 3rd! #fohlenelf #BMGSCP pic.twitter.com/iZYzmJkx7d
— Borussia (@borussia_en) March 1, 2015
It's MATCHDAY! #svwwob kicks off at 17:30 CET. Can the boys make it 7 games unbeaten? #werder pic.twitter.com/5Y5KwHP9Bc
— SV Werder Bremen EN (@werderbremen_en) March 1, 2015
Saturday 28 February
Derbyhelden. // Derby heroes. #bvbs04 #aubameyang #reus pic.twitter.com/ktNOTje9oG
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) February 28, 2015
FINAL SCORE #Eintracht 2-1 #HSV. Two Meier goals secure the home win for #SGE! Great job, lads! pic.twitter.com/fRL2pzisJA
— Eintracht Frankfurt (@eintracht_eng) February 28, 2015
Seen everything about @BVB's #DynamicDuo Reus and @Aubameyang7? Not yet..... pic.twitter.com/ET9ep4kkyh
— Bundesliga (@Bundesliga_EN) February 28, 2015
Danke @HenrikhMkh, @Aubameyang7, @woodyinho! #bvbs04 #derbysieger pic.twitter.com/sg9jkb1il8
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) February 28, 2015

Well, what a pivotal Saturday afternoon that could prove to be in the Bundesliga. Dortmund and Schalke served up a brilliant local derby, with die Schwarz-Gelbentaking the spoils after a triple salvo late on. Leverkusen, meanwhile, moved into the top four after beating Freiburg 1-0. Elsewhere, Hertha and Hoffenheim picked up three points, while Hannover and Stuttgart played out a tense 1-1 draw. Stay tuned for reaction to Saturday's action...
BVB: Weidenfeller - Kirch, Subotic, Hummels, Schmelzer - Sahin, Gündogan - Mkhitaryan, Kagawa, Reus - Aubameyang #bvbs04
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) February 28, 2015
SCHAAAAAAAAAAALKE!!! #BVBS04 #Schalke #Revierderby pic.twitter.com/W1JyO6KbsV
— FC Schalke 04 (@s04) February 28, 2015
Unsere Aufstellung! #hahohe #bscfca Präsentiert von AUDI: http://t.co/Spi8pL4khJ pic.twitter.com/lC0ONT5iUh
— Hertha BSC (@HerthaBSC) February 28, 2015
#FCA starting XI: Hitz - Feulner, JICB, Klavan, Baba - Baier - Caiuby, #Højbjerg, Altintop, Werner - Bobadilla #FCA #BSCFCA @HerthaBSC
— FC Augsburg (@FCAugsburg) February 28, 2015
Die #Bayer04-Startelf: Leno - Hilbert, Toprak, Spahic, Wendell - Bender, Rolfes - Bellarabi, Calhanoglu, Son - Kießling. #B04SCF
— Bayer 04 Leverkusen (@bayer04fussball) February 28, 2015
#SCF Startelf: Bürki - Günter, Krmas, Höhn, Riether - Schmid, Darida, Schuster, Klaus, - Philipp, Mehmedi.#B04SCF pic.twitter.com/vsXh8XZHjR
— SC Freiburg (@sc_freiburg) February 28, 2015
Hier gibt's die #Aufstellung von #H96 und dem @VfB. #H96VfB pic.twitter.com/oUvWmjhBhb
— Hannover 96 (@Hannover96) February 28, 2015
#VfB: 1 Ulreich – 2 Sakai, 3 Schwaab, 6 Niedermeier, 7 Harnik, 16 Klein, 19 Werner, 20 Gentner, 26 Serey Dié, 33 Ginczek, 44 Maxim. #H96VfB
— VfB Stuttgart (@VfB) February 28, 2015
Starting XI: Baumann, Beck, Strobl, Bicakcic, Kim, Rudy, Polanski, Volland, Firmino, Salihovic, Szalai #TSGM05
— Hoffenheim EN (@Hoffenheim_EN) February 28, 2015
Unsere Startelf für das heutige #Bundesliga-Spiel #TSGM05 #Mainz05 pic.twitter.com/26LuF38QA1
— 1. FSV Mainz 05 e.V. (@1FSVMainz05) February 28, 2015
The players are here and are checking out the pitch for today's match. We'll have some team news shortly. #BVBS04 pic.twitter.com/4vbvPcdAdE
— FC Schalke 04 (@s04_en) February 28, 2015

So with just an hour to go until kick-off on this sunny Saturday afternoon, here's a reminder as to where and how you can see and hear the action live. To check which television channels are broadcasting games live in your territory, click here. The Revierderby will be live on Bundesliga radio here, or alternatively find out first when the balls hit the back of the net via Twitter.

Further bad news for Borussia Dortmund on the morning of the Revierderby with Sokratis Papastathopoulos (r.) confirming via Facebook (see below) that he is going to miss out due to injury. The Greek defender was injured during the midweek UEFA Champions League defeat to Juventus and will now have to join the over 80,000 fans in the stands at the Signal Iduna Park this afternoon.

FC Bayern München head coach Pep Guardiola was once again full of smiles after Friday's 4-1 victory against Köln at the Allianz Arena. "We've beaten the second best away team in the Bundesliga," the Catalan explained. "It's really, really, really tough to score four against [Köln], so I'm really happy."
An 11-point lead at the top of the #Bundesliga for @FCBayernEN after they beat @fckoeln_en pic.twitter.com/sa4XQUXT4U
— Bundesliga (@Bundesliga_EN) February 27, 2015
No change for @fckoeln_en, but a chance for @BVB to continue up the #Bundesliga table on Saturday pic.twitter.com/RQ2IXwb2kz
— Bundesliga (@Bundesliga_EN) February 27, 2015
A recovery session at Säbener is on the agenda following #FCBKOE, before focus switches to #FCBEBS in the #DFBCup. pic.twitter.com/bpGh5RWKmG
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) February 28, 2015

Well, the Bundesliga has already begun with a bang on Matchday 23 thanks to FC Bayern's Friday night victory! However, if you're wondering where you can catch the rest of the weekend's action, including a Revierderby which is set to be a thriller, then bundesliga.com has rounded up where and when you can watch some of Germany's best sides over the next couple of days here.
Happy Birthday to Sebastian Rudy! Three points would make a great birthday present #TSGM05
— Hoffenheim EN (@Hoffenheim_EN) February 28, 2015

FC Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer (r.) earned praise from all quarters following his heroics against Köln, with team-mate Arjen Robben (l.) particularly effusive: "It was down to Manu that we won today. Without him maybe the game would have finished differently." Click here for more post-match reaction from the Allianz Arena.
#kommanDOderbysieg #feiertag // It's a DERBY matchday! #bvbs04 pic.twitter.com/1mlOmX8esb
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) February 28, 2015
Friday 27 February
Three-Point-Birthday-Party! #MiaSan115 #da27 pic.twitter.com/RZrWCnkCTW
— David Alaba (@David_Alaba) February 27, 2015
FULL TIME: #FCBayern win their anniversary home match 4-1. #FCBayernLive #FCBKOE #MiaSan115 pic.twitter.com/cIcd95FRd3
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) February 27, 2015
A #Bundesliga return for @BSchweinsteiger - can 'Mr Bayern' inspire the leaders on their birthday? #FCBKOE pic.twitter.com/ALL5uxsQkK
— Bundesliga (@Bundesliga_EN) February 27, 2015
Two strikers for @fckoeln_en - can @ujah_9 make it two in two? #Bundesliga #FCBKOE pic.twitter.com/HLl24Sig1t
— Bundesliga (@Bundesliga_EN) February 27, 2015
Our birthday party gets under way in 90 minutes! ;-) #MiaSan115 #FCBKOE #packmas pic.twitter.com/kYSffATD3S
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) February 27, 2015
Mañana tenemos que ganar!!!! // Tomorrow we have to win!!! http://t.co/MS8clp3ebB
— Junior Díaz (@JuniorDiazCR) February 27, 2015
League high: Arjen #Robben has had a hand in 21 goals in 18 appearances this season! #FCBKOE pic.twitter.com/pijMy4xBBx
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) February 27, 2015
Wendt looks on the bright side
After defeat to Sevilla yesterday, Oscar Wendt of Gladbach says the club will continue pushing in the league and the DFB Cup to make sure they get back into Europe next year:
Ein von Oscar Wendt (@owendt_17) gepostetes Foto am 27. Feb 2015 um 7:31 Uhr
Matchday! Happy Birthday @FCBayern! #MiaSan115 #FCBKOE #packmas #da27 pic.twitter.com/5kHLdBkfag
— David Alaba (@David_Alaba) February 27, 2015

SC Paderborn have extended the contract of injured left-back Thomas Berthels until 30 June 2016. "We're really pleased," said the club's sporting director Michael Born. "We hope he'll be back to full fitness soon." 28-year-old Berthels has made just one appearance in the Bundesliga due to a long-term foot problem.
#UEL @EuropaLeague Our 'Round of 16' opponent has been drawn. The Wolves will face @Inter #vflwolfsburg
— VfL Wolfsburg EN (@VfLWolfsburg_EN) February 27, 2015
Europa League 'Round of 16' First leg: 12.03.2015 VfL Wolfsburg - Inter Second leg: 19.03.2015 Inter - VfL Wolfsburg #UEL #UELdraw
— VfL Wolfsburg EN (@VfLWolfsburg_EN) February 27, 2015
At 1pm, the draw for the Europa League 'Round of 16' will be held in Nyon #UELdraw pic.twitter.com/xiJuFf0C4e
— VfL Wolfsburg EN (@VfLWolfsburg_EN) February 27, 2015

Swiss midfielder Granit Xhaka says Gladbach have got a taste for European football after going out of the Europa League to Sevilla and now want to qualify for next season's Champions League more than ever. The third-placed Foals face SC Paderborn on Sunday afternoon.
MATCHDAY! Will we be able to shock the leaders? Come on #effzeh #FCBKOE pic.twitter.com/AsnjkfGuJL
— 1. FC Cologne (@fckoeln_en) February 27, 2015

There was joy for VfL Wolfsburg, but sorrow for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the UEFA Europa League last night. The Wolves will find out in just a few hours what their reward is for eliminating Sporting Clube de Portugal while the Foals can at least now focus all of their efforts on qualifying for the UEFA Champions League next term, starting with Sunday's visit of SC Paderborn.
Stolzer Blick zurück, volle Kraft nach vorn! #fohlenelf #UEL #BMGSEV pic.twitter.com/xZu5apk2r3
— Borussia (@borussia) February 26, 2015
Team game! #Schalke's last 7 @Bundesliga_EN goals have been scored by 7 different players. #s04 pic.twitter.com/IphEqYDQ60
— FC Schalke 04 (@s04_en) February 26, 2015
Happy birthday, @FCBayern !! 115 years. It`s great to play for such an club with these fantastic history. #esmuellert #MiaSan115
— Thomas Müller (@esmuellert_) February 27, 2015
Thursday 26 February
#Pep rounds off by saying: "The fans should go home happy after #FCBKOE. That would be the best present." #MiaSan115 pic.twitter.com/kKplqGMm1q
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) February 26, 2015
FULL TIME! Yesssssss! The #Wolves go through to the #UEL last 16 thanks to a 2-0 aggregate win over @SportingCP_en! #SCPWOB #UEL
— VfL Wolfsburg EN (@VfLWolfsburg_EN) February 26, 2015
Good luck defending your title, @SevillaFC. That was a cracking game of football. #fohlenelf #BMGSEV pic.twitter.com/FgLS8sEN3s
— Borussia (@borussia_en) February 26, 2015
#UEL #SCPWOB Line-up: Benaglio - Träsch, Naldo, Knoche, Rodriguez - Guilavogui, Luiz Gustavo - Vieirinha, De Bruyne, Schürrle - Dost
— VfL Wolfsburg EN (@VfLWolfsburg_EN) February 26, 2015
#Gladbach line-up: Sommer - Jantschke, Dominguez, Stranzl, Wendt - Kramer, Xhaka - Herrmann, Hazard - Raffael, Kruse #fohlenelf #BMGSEV
— Borussia (@borussia_en) February 26, 2015
Kalou and Heitinga in the frame for Hertha
This weekend is a big one for Hertha Berlin and Salomon Kalou. The Ivorian international is yet to score since winning the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations, and will be hoping for his first goal since Matchday 14 when Augsburg visit the capital on Saturday. The Berliners will have their work cut out agains the high-flying Bavarians, but will hope to have Dutch defender John Heitinga back.
My boy Heitinga #ex_ajax #amsterdam #feyenoord #rotterdam #netherland #JohnHeitinga #hertha_Bsc
Ein von Salomon Kalou (@salomonkalou) gepostetes Foto am 26. Feb 2015 um 8:51 Uhr
The boys have arrived! Big few hours ahead in the @EuropaLeague for the #fohlenelf! #BMGSEV #UEL pic.twitter.com/PldqyzIEUt
— Borussia (@borussia_en) February 26, 2015
Die VfL-Fans stimmen sich bereits in der Lissabonner Innenstadt auf eine heiße Europapokal-Nacht ein. #scpwob #uel pic.twitter.com/rm4Mfevyjr
— VfL_Wolfsburg (@VfL_Wolfsburg) February 26, 2015
TEAM BUILDING The Eagles during yesterdays laser action game - hopefully high score on Saturday guys! #SGE #Eintracht pic.twitter.com/1iWIKvAcN5
— Eintracht Frankfurt (@eintracht_eng) February 26, 2015

Javi Martinez has become the third FC Bayern player to resume light training in a matter of days after the Spanish international was spotted doing some light jogging at the club's Säbener Straße complex on Thursday afternoon. Martinez, 26, has not featured for Pep Guardiola's side since injuring cruciate knee ligaments in the Supercup defeat to Borussia Dortmund in August last year.
#RDM: Jan #Kirchhoff will more than likely be unavailable for #BVBS04. #s04
— FC Schalke 04 (@s04_en) February 26, 2015
#RDM: Things are looking better squad-wise. #Uchida is back in training, as are @FuchsOfficial and Dennis #Aogo. #BVBS04
— FC Schalke 04 (@s04_en) February 26, 2015

It's not hard to see where BVB head coach Jürgen Klopp is coming from, although the Royal Blues have not had the best of results of late. Of their five league matches since the turn of the year, Roberto Di Matteo's side have won just two - both by a 1-0 scoreline - drawn two and lost one. Indeed, the only game involving die Knappen in 2015 in which one team has scored more than once was the Champions League last 16 first-leg tie against Real Madrid.
The press conference ahead of #BVBS04 is about to begin. #s04 pic.twitter.com/mDxOdPIsho
— FC Schalke 04 (@s04_en) February 26, 2015

Dortmund star Marco Reus has been talking exclusively to bundesliga.com ahead of Saturday's Revierderby with Dortmund's bitter rivals Schalke 04. The 25-year-old explains what the mother of all derbies means to BVB's players and fans, opened up about his recent contract extension and shared his thoughts on BVB's rich vein of form. Click here for the full interview...
#Pep at the presser before #FCBKOE: "We have a lot of respect for @fckoeln_en - they are well organised at the back." pic.twitter.com/Y5XB4YurL6
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) February 26, 2015
#Pep on #Robben: "Arjen enjoys every training session - he has a clear mind. He wants to keep improving. That's why he's so good." #FCBKOE
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) February 26, 2015
.@MedhiBenatia is still unavailable, the same goes for @Thiago6, @Javi8martinez & #Lahm. Otherwise, everyone else is fit for #FCBKOE.
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) February 26, 2015
#Pep: "Every game provides an opportunity for us to improve our game and our confidence." #MiaSanMia #FCBKOE pic.twitter.com/tYTs472cl5
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) February 26, 2015
#Pep rounds off by saying: "The fans should go home happy after #FCBKOE. That would be the best present." #MiaSan115 pic.twitter.com/kKplqGMm1q
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) February 26, 2015

A frightening prospect indeed, but that's exactly what Pep Guardiola just told the media at his pre-match press conference ahead of Friday's home game with 1. FC Köln. Asked if he had learned anything from FC Bayern's recent 8-0 and 6-0 victories over Hamburger SV and SC Paderborn 07 respectively, the Catalan simply said: "That we can play better, particularly over 90 minutes."
Final training ahead of #FCBKOE is done and dusted. We'll have the presser with Pep #Guardiola from around 13:30 CET. pic.twitter.com/26BzsthEUq
— FC Bayern English (@FCBayernEN) February 26, 2015
#ichhättbock pic.twitter.com/h66wuDZ2Mz
— SV Werder Bremen (@werderbremen) February 25, 2015
Translation: I'm up for it
Stöger: "The match is a huge challenge, but also an opportunity to achieve something special." #effzeh #FCBKOE pic.twitter.com/OX0AJNVadQ
— 1. FC Cologne (@fckoeln_en) February 26, 2015
Es wird mit rund 7000 Fans gerechnet, die den #effzeh nach München begleiten. #FCBKOE
— 1. FC Köln (@fckoeln) February 26, 2015
.@KJ_Huntelaar is getting ready to hunt his prey this weekend... #BVBS04 https://t.co/0Y1rBcpZ8s
— FC Schalke 04 (@s04_en) February 25, 2015
Gute Besserung an den besten "Right-Back" Piszcu pic.twitter.com/zpJIozZM3g
— Neven Subotic (@NSubotic4) February 26, 2015
Insatiable appetite
The weekend's action begins in Munich, though, where in-form def

Hosts Dortmund approach the fixture on the back of three consecutive Bundesliga wins, while the Royal Blues have the opportunity to make it derby double. Take a look at this handy infographic to find out how the Ruhrpott neighbours have fared since locking horns at the Veltins Arena back on Matchday 6.
Coal Vs. Steel
It's Germany's most passionate football derby, but where did the rivalry between Schalke and Dortmund begin? Join us as we find out courtesy of the Bundesliga's official YouTube channel...