Bayern Munich make the difficult trip to Schalke 04 on Saturday for their first away game of the Bundesliga season.

The Bavarians began their title defence with a hard-fought 2-1 win over Wolfsburg last Friday, with Arjen Robben and Thomas Muller cancelling out a strike from former Bayern striker Ivica Olic.

Things do not get any easier for Pep Guardiola's team this weekend as they visit a Schalke side who won more home matches than anybody other than the German champions during 2013-14.

It was their away form which prevented the Gelsenkirchen outfit from ever challenging Munich at the top end of the table last season, with 26 points eventually separating the two sides.

Schalke still managed to secure Champions League football, though, and Thursday's group stage draw revealed that they will face Chelsea, Sporting Lisbon and Celtic's Slovenian conquerers Maribor.

The 2013 European champions also have a trip to England on their calendar as they were pitted against Manchester City, Roma and CSKA Moscow, in arguably the toughest of the eight pools.

That means a return to his former club for Mehdi Benatia, who left Roma to join Bayern in a big-money move this week, and the Moroccan international may come straight into the starting lineup.

Holger Badstuber could be shifted to right-back to accommodate Benatia, with captain Philipp Lahm moving into the midfield role where he spent much of last season.

With Javi Martinez and Bastian Schweinsteiger injured, Guardiola is short of options in the centre of the park, but has decorated Real Madrid star Xabi Alonso on his way to strengthen this area.

Schalke lost their opening fixture 2-1 to Hannover 96, but were dominant for long periods and are unlikely to rush into changes. World Cup winners Julian Draxler and Benedikt Howedes will start.

There will be an enforced alteration in defence, however, with left-back Saed Kolasinac having been ruled out for most of the season with knee ligament damage, so Christian Fuchs is in line for a recall.

Recent form

Schalke: LL

Bayern: WWL

Possible starting lineups

Schalke: Fahrmann; Ayhan, Matip, Howedes, Fuchs; Sam, Neustadter, Boateng, Draxler; Choupo-Moting, Huntelaar

Bayern: Neuer; Badstuber, Benatia, Dante, Alaba; Lahm, Bernat; Gotze, Muller, Robben; Lewandowski

Sports Mole says: 1-1