The visitors deserve to be in front after a blistering start to the match, with two goals inside the first 11 minutes. They could have added a couple more afterwards and be out of sight already, but Sommer kept Gladbach in the game with some excellent saves. Stindl reduced the deficit with his 50th Bundesliga goal - two of his three goals this season have been against Bayern - leaving the match finely poised at the haldway stage.

Will we see another goal before the break? Both teams are getting forward at every opportunity, so it's not out of the question.

We're just a few minutes away now! The teams are mingling in the tunnel, high-fiving the mascots and getting their game faces on. 

The absences of Robben, Ribery, Coman, Tolisso, Alaba and Goretzka have opened up space on the visitors' bench, with goalkeeper Sven Ulreich, defender Mats Hummels and midfielder Renato Sanches the only established first-team members listed as substitutes. Teenage quartet Alphonso Davies (18), Lars Lukas Mai (18), Woo-Yeong Jeong (19) and Meritan Shabani (19) are the others and have a combined total of seven Bundesliga appearances between them. Jeong is the only one still to make his competitive debut for the senior team.

The Foals start with the exact same XI that began the reverse fixture this season, which they famously won 3-0. That means USA international Fabian Johnson, who started at right-back for the last four matches, drops to the bench, with Michael Lang taking his place. Elsewhere, Brazilian attacker Raffael is included in the squad for the first time in 2019 following injury, while defender Nico Elvedi makes his 100th Bundesliga appearance.

It's largely as expected for the visitors, with Thomas Müller, James Rodriguez and Serge Gnabry filling the attacking midfield roles for Bayern, while Javi Martinez, who has been in terrrific form in defensive midfield, partners Thiago just in front of the defence. Jerome Boatng gets the nod ahead of Mats Hummels alongside Niklas Süle at centre-back, with Rafinha deputising for the injured David Alaba at left-back.

SUBS: Sippel, Strobl, Herrmann, Zakaria, Raffael, Johnson, Jantschke OUT: Beyer (ankle), Cuisance (Achilles), Drmic (thigh), Doucoure (thigh), Jantschke (flu), Traore (groin) COACH: Dieter Hecking  

SUBS: Ulreich, Hummels, Davies, Jeong, Mai, Sanches, Shabani OUT: Alaba (ankle), Coman (thigh), Goretzka (ankle), Ribery (stomach bug), Robben (thigh), Tolisso (knee) COACH: Niko Kovac

Kick-off is just over an hour away, so the starting line-ups are expected out shortly. We'll bring them to you as soon as they drop in. 

Bayern arrive in Gladbach without Arjen Robben, Franck Ribery and Kingsley Coman, their preferred trio of widemen able to inflict damage in the final third. Serge Gnabry therefore seems likely to start given his pace and ability in one-on-one situations, but who will fill the void on the other wing? One option could be South Korean 'jeongster'  Woo-Yeong Jeong, 19, who has scored 12 goals in 19 reserve team fixtures this season and has impressed during training with the first team. More likely, however, is that Thomas Müller - who has not started for Bayern since Matchday 20 - will come into the side.

Gladbach may be winless in their last three Bundesliga games, scoring just once in that time, but midfielder Christoph Kramer insists there is nothing to worry about. "I can't understand why people are getting nervous at all. We're still right on track. Nobody needs to worry about us. We're still in a good position and can go into the Bayern game feeling good. They're one of the best teams on the planet, but if they don't have a good day and we do, it's not like we don't have a chance against them."

Gladbach attacker Thorgan Hazard has had a quiet 2019 so far by his standards. The Belgian is without a goal since Matchday 16 and, having become a father for the third time in mid-February, was asked by coach Dieter Hecking if he was getting enough rest during the night. "He wanted to know if everything was OK at home with the kids and whether I perhaps wasn't sleeping as much as a result," the 25-year-old told Bild. "But I told him everything was fine and that I feel in good shape physically. My wife is fantastic and I don't have to do anything at night - I just play with the two older kids during the day. Now I need to score again. With a bit of luck I'd already have two or three in 2019, but I think the goals will come again now - hopefully starting on Saturday!" 

The Foals may have wobbled on their own patch recently with those defeats to Hertha and Wolfsburg in February, but they have done well at home against Bayern in recent years. Gladbach have won two, drawn one and lost one of their four most recent encounters at Borussia-Park, while a Thorgan Hazard penalty and a goal from Matthias Ginter earned them a 2-1 win when Bayern last rocked up (on 25 November 2017).

Bayern will no doubt have club legend Sepp Maier in their thoughts at the Borussia-Park today. Their iconic former goalkeeeper turned 75 on Thursday - although he insists he wants to live to the age of 100! "I still feel like a 25-year-old," he laughed. Part of Bayern's 'golden trio' in the 1970s along with Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller, Maier played over 600 games for the Bavarians, and still holds the club record for Bundesliga appearances (473). He won four Bundesliga titles and three European Cups, not to mention the 1972 European Championship and the 1974 World Cup with Germany. Later voted the country's Goalkeeper of the Century, 'The Cat from Anzing' was some animal in between the sticks.  

Bayern have won 10 of their last 11 Bundesliga outings, with a 3-1 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen exactly a month ago the only blot on their copybook. The champions have been slowly but surely closing the gap on leaders Dortmund, and will go level with BVB if they beat Gladbach today.  "We absolutely need the three points," Kovac stressed. 

Gladbach will be without Michaël Cuisance (heel) and Josip Drmic (thigh) for today's game against Bayern, with the two players joining long-term absentees Ibrahima Traore (groin) and Mamadou Doucoure (thigh) on the sidelines. However,  Raffael could return to the squad after recovering from a collarbone injury. 

Bayern will have to do without half a dozen players this evening, with David Alaba and Leon Goretzka joining Kingsley Coman, Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben and Corentin Tolisso on the sidelines. On the other hand, Manuel Neuer and Mats Hummels have recovered from illness and should be able to start in Mönchengladbach. "We won't let the injuries get the better of us," insisted Bayern coach Niko Kovac. "We're approaching the business end of the season now. We need all three points, even though it will be a difficult game."

Gladbach and Bayern were giants of the domestic and European game in the 1970s, sharing nine consecutive Bundesliga titles and getting their hands on plenty of continental silverware. To find out more about their long-standing rivalry, check out our feature article - 'Why is Gladbach vs. Bayern such an important fixture in the Bundesliga' - by clicking on the 'News' tab above. 

Gladbach have been something of a thorn in Bayern's side in recent years, even if they have never come close to challenging them for Bundesliga supremacy. Since 2014, they have picked up more points against the Bavarians than any other side (14 in nine league meetings). Over that period, they are the only team to boast a positive record against the record champions (W4 D2 L3).

Gladbach boss Dieter Hecking shrugged off any suggestion that recent form could count against Gladbach, although he conceded that his side have to improve on a return of just one goal in their last three matches. "We have no reason to be uncertain or feel under pressure to react with defiance," he insisted. "We want to be bold and attack - but we must be efficient."

Until the start of February, Gladbach boasted a perfect home record in the Bundesliga this season, having won all nine of their games at the Borussia-Park. But something came unstuck last month, as the Foals suffered back-to-back 3-0 defeats at home to Hertha Berlin and Wolfsburg. If they want to stay in the hunt for a place in next season's Champions League, Dieter Hecking's men will need to rediscover the form that made Borussia-Park such a fortress earlier in the campaign. 

As well as looking to close the gap on Dortmund, Bayern will be determined to show Gladbach who's boss after suffering a shock 3-0 loss at the Allianz Arena in the reverse fixture. Alassane Plea, Lars Stindl and Patrick Herrmann got the goals on October 6th as the Foals inflicted a first (and so far only) home defeat of the season on the Bavarian giants. 

Good morning everybody! All eyes in Germany and beyond will be on tonight's Matchday 24 "Topspiel" (literally, "top game") between European chasers Borussia Mönchengladbach (3rd) and reigning champions Bayern Munich (2nd). Can Niko Kovac's visitors make the most of Borussia Dortmund's stumble in Augsburg last night and draw level on points at the top of the table? Stick with us to find out - and for all the build-up to what should be a cracking encounter!

Welcome along to the match centre for the game M'gladbach vs. FC Bayern from matchday 24 of the 2018/19 Bundesliga season at the BORUSSIA-PARK. Check back here for full information on the match.