Trapattoni set for familiar foes

'Great times'
Trapattoni enjoyed two spells at Bayern between 1994 and 1998, winning a league title and the German Cup, and although he admits he has forged a lasting relationship with the Bavarian club, friendships will count for nothing. "I experienced great times with Bayern," the 66-year-old said. "Oliver Kahn and Mehmet Scholl remain from those days, but for now I have to focus on my team and we want a positive result."

'Something special'
There have been few of those at the Gottlieb-Daimler this season, with the Swabian outfit claiming one win from seven home games so far. Indeed, draw specialists Stuttgart sit eighth in the table with only three victories all term. Trapattoni sees the Bayern match as the perfect time to buck the trend. "Every game is important," he said, "but this one against the leaders is something special for me and my players.

Lahm returns to flock
"It will be a challenging game, and I would love to play myself," Trapattoni continued. Stuttgart may well be grateful he will not, but they would love to include Germany's Philipp Lahm in their lineup. The 22-year-old full-back spent two years on loan at Stuttgart before returning to Munich in the summer, and he is in two minds about his return. "My time at Stuttgart was very important, it was a seminal period," he said. "But on Saturday, I will have just one thing in mind."

Ballack back
Sadly for Stuttgart, that is a Bayern win as Felix Magath's men look to extend their six-point lead. They will have to do so without Lucio, but Michael Ballack should return after recovering from a thigh injury, while the home side will be without Horst Heldt and Marco Streller. Trapattoni will nonetheless be keen to see his team improve before the winter break, and if things do not go to plan, may even peel off his tracksuit.