AFP, Berlin :
Bayern Munich’s stand-in captain Bastian Schweinsteiger says the Bundesliga leaders must raise their game at VfB Stuttgart on Saturday to secure their first league win of 2015.
After Friday’s shock 4-1 defeat at second-placed Wolfsburg, Bayern took a point despite playing for more than 70 minutes with ten men in Tuesday’s 1-1 draw at home to Schalke, who are fourth.
Arjen Robben’s second-half header for the hosts was cancelled out by Benedikt Hoewedes at Bayern’s Allianz Arena after Germany defender Jerome Boateng was sent off with just 17 minutes gone.
Bayern hold an eight-point lead at the top of the table, but having taken just a single point from a possible six, Schweinsteiger wants both a win and convincing display at second-from-bottom Stuttgart.
“We need a win as well as a good performance in Stuttgart,” said Schweinsteiger, Bayern’s skipper in the absence of the injured Philipp Lahm.
“We played better than we did against Wolfsburg, we controlled the game more and didn’t allow them to counter-attack, but we’re not happy to have drawn with Schalke.
“Even with ten men, we still had chances to win the game.”
Goal-scorer Robben says Bayern must improve if they want to challenge for this season’s Champions League title as they prepare to face Shakhtar Donetsk away in a fortnight in their last 16, first-leg tie.
“We controlled the game with a man down, but the Schalke result is annoying,” said the 31-year-old Robben.
“Of course, we played with ten men for most of the match, but when you go 1-0 up and then let them equalise, conceding a goal like that can be deadly in the Champions League.”
Schalke face holders Real Madrid at home in their Champions League last-16, first-leg clash in a fortnight.
Roberto di Matteo’s side face a tough task having been routed 6-1 by the Spaniards at the same stage of the competition in Gelsenkirchen last season.
“We picked up a point in Munich and our plan worked well, but despite that we’re a bit disappointed with the result,” said Di Matteo.
The ex-Chelsea boss was forced into giving teenager Timon Wellenreutehr his professional debut in the second-half after Schalke’s two other goalkeepers were injured.
