Domestic duty calls

Ready to bounce back
But the 1. Bundesliga leaders can lift the doubts with a win against VfL Bochum 1848 this weekend. Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said: "We have to bounce straight back and defend our position in the Bundesliga."

Advantage Bremen
Second-placed SV Werder Bremen, by contrast, will want to take their European form into the home game against FC Hansa Rostock. Thomas Schaaf's men thrashed FC Metalurh Donetsk in the UEFA Cup in midweek, and have won all three league games at the Weserstadion.

Comfort and calamity
BV Borussia Dortmund, in third place, can keep pace with the front two with victory at newly promoted Hannover 96, in a match connecting top and bottom of the division. One team now familiar with both extremes, Bayer 04 Leverkusen, visit VfL Wolfsburg, while three points will be the difference between comfort and calamity as 1. FC Kaiserslautern take on fellow strugglers FC Energie Cottbus.

Inter lose gloss
As with Bayern, so a stuttering start in Europe has taken the shine off Internazionale FC's domestic accomplishments too. The Serie A leaders will still expect to smuggle the points out of Piacenza.

Absentee list
AC Milan and Juventus FC have the tightest grip on Inter's coat-tails - not to mention negotiable assignments at home against Torino Calcio and Como Calcio. Filippo Inzaghi and Andriy Shevchenko will likely miss out through injury along with Juve's David Trezeguet, although the loss of captain Giuseppe Signori could be even more detrimental to Bologna FC at Empoli FC.

Auxerre nurse hangover
French leaders AJ Auxerre are another team nursing a Champions League hangover. But success against AS Monaco FC would provide Guy Roux's men with the perfect pick-me-up. However, Djibril Cissé is out for Auxerre, while Marcelo Gallardo could return for Didier Deschamps' visitors, who are unbeaten in four games. The other teams above Monaco, OGC Nice and Olympique de Marseille, play SC Bastia and Lille OSC respectively.

Seville derby
Two wins and a draw from their opening Primera División games hardly amounts to a sunrise for Real Betis Balompié - but it at least assures them favourites' tag in the Andalusian derby at Sevilla FC. Betis should be at full strength with Alfonso, Capi, Joaquín, Marcos Assunção and Prats all available. Sevilla will want to avoid a repeat of the crowd trouble which marred the sides' last meeting.

Top two face off
Just as tense will be the encounter between bottom club RC Recreativo de Huelva and Athletic Club Bilbao, two places above them. Real Madrid CF could include Ronaldo against Deportivo Alavés, while José María Movilla returns to former employers Málaga CF with Club Atlético de Madrid. Yet the boldest circle in the fixture list surrounds the top two, Valencia CF and RC Celta de Vigo, who meet at the Mestalla.

Arsenal bandwagon
In England, Sunderland AFC have the unenviable task of trying to halt the Arsenal FC bandwagon at Highbury. Middlesbrough FC aim to stay in the nosebleed territory of third position when they play Bolton Wanderers FC, while Liverpool FC can add to Chelsea FC's woes following the latter's UEFA Cup exit. Manchester United FC host Everton FC on Monday.

Old Firm
Nowhere will events be more keenly felt than in Glasgow, however. There is more than local pride at stake in the Old Firm derby, with a point currently dividing Scottish leaders Rangers FC from champions Celtic FC in second place.