Bayern champagne on ice

Bayern on the brink
If Bayern win, and second-placed VfB Stuttgart and third-placed BV Borussia Dortmund both fail to take maximum points, then the Bavarian club will complete the first half of a league and cup double. "It is too early for me," Bayern legend Franz Beckenbauer admitted. "It would be better if there was excitement until the end [of the season]." Hitzfeld and company are eleven points clear of Stuttgart with five matches left. Stuttgart entertain FC Hansa Rostock while Dortmund, a further point adrift, travel to TSV 1860 Munchen. Bayern will play 1. FC Kaiserslautern in the German Cup final on 31 May.

Close call
The championship race is less of a foregone conclusion in England, where three points separate leaders Manchester United FC from Arsenal FC, who have a game in hand. Arsenal, still without injured captain Patrick Vieira, are away to a Bolton Wanderers FC side not yet safe of relegation, while United make the journey to Tottenham Hotspur FC. The teams occupying the other UEFA Champions League qualification places, Chelsea FC and Newcastle FC, have derby matches against Fulham FC and Sunderland AFC respectively. Liverpool, in fifth position, take on relegated West Bromwich Albion FC.

Away days
Meanwhile, the top three teams in Spain all face tough away assignments. Real Madrid CF have a one-point advantage over RC Deportivo La Coruña and Real Sociedad but that could change after the weekend action. Madrid head to UEFA Cup-chasing Sevilla FC with doubts over the fitness of Iván Helguera and Luis Figo. Deportivo are at RCD Mallorca while Real face FC Barcelona at Camp Nou hoping to recover Darko Kovacevic from injury. Elsewhere, Club Atlético de Madrid can boost their centenary celebrations with a home victory against Club Atlético Osasuna.

Much at stake
There is much to play for in Italy too, where second-placed Internazionale FC look to follow their midweek Champions League success with victory against S.S. Lazio at the San Siro. Inter are missing several key players through injury and suspension, however, while Lazio will be keen to bounce back from their UEFA Cup semi-final defeat and consolidate fourth place in the table. Leaders Juventus FC, six points clear of the Nerazzurri, are at home to Brescia Calcio, while AC Milan in third place meet AS Roma at the Olimpico in a dress-rehearsal of next month's Italian Cup final.

Cup magic
Topping the bill in France, meanwhile, are the French Cup semi-finals which, for the first time in five years, are contested by four top-flight teams. Paris Saint-Germain FC have home advantage against an FC Girondins de Bordeaux side still with one eye on the league championship. The other tie brings together two of the Ligue 1's most colourful coaches as Guy Roux's AJ Auxerre take on Vahid Halhilodzic's Stade Rennais FC at the Abbé Deschamps stadium.