Rivals out to attack absent Bayern’s lead

BERLIN – With runaway leaders Bayern Munich involved in Saturday’s Club World Cup final, their Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen will be aiming to trim the Bavarians’ lead.

Saturday, December 21, 2013

BERLIN – With runaway leaders Bayern Munich involved in Saturday’s Club World Cup final, their Bundesliga rivals Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen will be aiming to trim the Bavarians’ lead.Munich hold a seven-point lead at the top of the table and are threatening to again run off with the title, unless their rivals can steal a march with Bayern in Morocco.Second-placed Bayer Leverkusen face Werder Bremen away on Saturday with the hosts winless in their last five games."It won’t be easy for us but we want to make a good impression in our last match before the winter break and take all three points,” said Bayer coach Sami Hyypia.Leverkusen can set a new club record of 40 points for the first half of the season with a win at Bremen on what will be the final Bundesliga weekend of 2013.But Bayer slumped to a shock defeat at the hands of strugglers Eintracht Frankfurt last weekend and Bremen plan to follow suit.Third-placed Borussia Dortmund, who are 12 points behind Bayern and five adrift of Leverkusen, host Hertha Berlin looking for only their second league win in five games.