FRANKFURT - In the past few years, showdowns between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund were the highlight matches of the Bundesliga seasons. [url=http://www.cubsauthentic.com/cubs-yu-darvish-jersey/]Yu Darvish Jersey[/url] . Dortmund usually came out on top, even if Bayern claimed the title at the e

FRANKFURT - In the past few years, showdowns between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund were the highlight matches of the Bundesliga seasons. Yu Darvish Jersey . Dortmund usually came out on top, even if Bayern claimed the title at the end.This season, it is another Borussia, the one from Moenchengladbach, which is turning into Bayerns closest challenger, holding the defending champions to a 0-0 draw last week.Dortmund, on the other hand, is languishing near the bottom following a terrible start. Less than a third into the season, Dortmund is already 14 points behind leader Bayern and faces an uphill struggle just to make it into the Champions League places.Dortmund must now travel to Munich, while Moenchengladbach hosts Hoffenheim.Here are some things to know about this weekends matches in the Bundesliga:___DORTMUNDS TROUBLESHit by a series of injuries, Dortmund has lost its last four matches in the Bundesliga and has the most defeats of all teams at six. It is one point away from the danger zone.Instead of being a title challenger, Dortmund now must fear about reaching a European competition next season.Bayern, however, produces the best in Dortmund, which has not lost in its last four visits to Munich. Bayern has started the season with six victories and three draws.___ROBBENS THREATBayern winger Arjen Robben is Dortmunds main concern, having scored five goals in the last five matches against the team, including in last seasons German Cup final. He also scored the winner in the Champions League final between the two clubs in 2013.With Robben on the field, Bayern has five victories in five league matches, without the often-injured Dutchman, Bayern has only one victory in four matches.Robben missed the 0-0 draw in Moenchengladbach and the 3-1 victory in Hamburg in the German Cup on Wednesday because of a leg injury.But I think its going to work out (for Saturday), Robben said.___KAGAWA FACTORThe return of Shinji Kagawa could also work in Dortmunds favour. The Japan midfielder has played four times against Bayern and all four were Dortmund victories.Back in Dortmund after an unhappy spell at Manchester United, Kagawa proved his worth again when he scored one and set up another in Dortmunds 3-0 German Cup victory at St. Pauli.St. Pauli plays in the second division but Dortmund will take any victory it can as it tries to shore up its shaken confidence.___MISSING LEWANDOWSKIRobert Lewandowskis departure for Bayern has severely blunted Dortmunds attack. After nine matches last season, Dortmund was second behind Bayern with 22 goals scored. It has only 10 goals at the same stage this season.Trying to fill the void, Dortmund coach Juergen Klopp has been rotating three strikers, Ciro Immobile, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Adrian Ramos. But sporting director Michael Zorc thinks Dortmund has a different problem.Weve made unbelievable mistakes in the defence, like never before, Zorc said.Dortmund has conceded 15 goals.___UNBEATEN RIVALSApart from Bayern, two other teams are unbeaten — Moenchengladbach and Hoffenheim. The two, along with Wolfsburg, are four points behind Bayern.Sundays match in Moenchengladbach should prove a thriller. Both teams play attractive, attacking football and both are coming off German Cup victories.Moenchengladbach was the first team to stretch Bayern this season and the champions had goalkeeper Manuel Neuer to thank for coming away with a point.Lucian Favres team could match a club record if it stays unbeaten on Sunday. The Moenchengladbach team of the 1970-71 season went unbeaten in its first 17 matches in all competitions and Favres side is match short of the mark. Kerry Wood Cubs Jersey . UEFA said Wednesday that the champions of England and France only have to include five home-trained players in their 21-man squads next season instead of the expected eight. Only one of the five players needs to be trained by the club itself. Addison Russell Cubs Jersey . The $145.7-million Tim Hortons Field was slated to open this month, a year before it was to host all 32 mens and womens soccer competitions. The delay has forced the Hamilton Tiger-Cats football team to use a smaller facility for the first two home games of the season. http://www.cubsauthentic.com/cubs-ron-santo-jersey/ . Stepanek gave the Czech Republic its second straight Davis Cup title Sunday, sweeping past Dusan Lajovic in straight sets in the fifth and decisive match to secure a 3-2 win over Serbia in the final.KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Nelson Cruz has only two hits in 15 at-bats against the Kansas City Royals this season. Both are home runs. Cruz hit a two-run homer and the first-place Baltimore Orioles beat the Royals 2-1 on Thursday night to snap a four-game losing streak. Cruz homered in the fourth after Chris Davis drew a walk to lead off the inning. It was Cruzs 12th home run, which is second in the American League to the 15 of Chicago White Sox rookie Jose Abreu. Cruzs 35 RBIs are tied for second in the AL. "Hes one of the best power hitters in the American League over the past five or six years," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "Hes hit in a good hitters park in Texas, but hes got power to all fields." Wei-Yin Chen (5-2) limited the Royals to one run and seven hits over 5 1-3 innings with one walk and one strikeout. Chen, who is 5-1 in his past seven starts, was removed in the sixth after Salvador Perez walked and Alex Gordon singled with one out. Darren ODay replaced Chen and struck out Danny Valencia and retried Johnny Giavotella on a fly to right. Royals rookie right-hander Yordano Ventura (2-3) struck out nine and walked one in 6 1-3 innings, allowing two runs and seven hits. After Cruzs home run, Ventura retired the next 10 batters, striking out seven, including six straight at one stretch. "He made a mistake to Nelson Cruz and it wasnt even a mistake," Yost said. "I think he threw a good fastball to Nelson. It was up and over the middle of the plate and he ambushed it." Cruz hit the first pitch out to right-centre from Ventura, who has a fastball that routinely hits triple digits on radar guns. "We know hes got a great fastball," Cruz said. "He can get you quick. Hes got great stuff. It was one of those at-bats that I got what I was looking for. We were trying to be aggressive and he was throwing a lot of first-pitch fastballs. I was looking for a fastball." With a northwest wind blowing 15 mph and gusting up to 28, it was less than ideal conditions to hit a homme run. Carlos Zambrano Cubs Jersey. . "You could have made some money off me if youd have bet me that somebody could have gotten a ball out of here tonight," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. Valencias sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the fourth scored Eric Hosmer for the only run off Chen. "Ventura pitched great," Giavotella said. "We just couldnt back him up with any runs." Left-hander Zach Britton, who had not allowed a run in 7 1-3 innings in his past eight appearances, worked a perfect ninth for his first major league save. Showalter elected to go to Britton after closer Tommy Hunter blew his past two save chances. "Guys graduate," Showalter said. "It was a good start and its good to know that if we need him for a given night hell be ready. Well see how it goes from here." The Royals did not have a baserunner off four Baltimore relievers, who retired 11 straight. "Our pitchers did a really good job and we really needed this win," Cruz said. "Anytime you can win a game by one run its huge. We feel like we can get something going." The Orioles, who went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position, threatened in the seventh and eighth innings, but came away empty. Gordon, a three-time Gold Glove Award winner, threw out J.J. Hardy at the plate to end the seventh for his fourth outfield assist this season and his 58th since moving to the outfield in 2011. Hardy attempted to score from second on Nick Markakis single. Manny Machado and Adam Jones led off the Orioles eighth with singles off Louis Coleman, the third Kansas City pitcher. Kelvin Herrera replaced Coleman and struck out Davis and Cruz and retired Steve Clevenger on a grounder to strand the runners. NOTES: The Orioles recalled RHP Evan Meek from Triple-A Norfolk and optioned RHP Kevin Gausman, who lost a Wednesday start to Detroit, to the same club. ... Markakis snapped an 0-for-14 skid with three singles. ... Royals RHP Wade Davis has a stiff neck and was not available. ' ' '