Bayern Munich plays Hannover in Bundesliga

FRANKFURT, Germany (AP) — After reaching the German Cup final, Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund return to Bundesliga business hoping to recover from extra midweek shifts.

Both had to play extra time in their German Cup semifinals and Bayern also needed the extra burden of a penalty shootout before setting up the dream final in Berlin on May 12 between the top two German teams.

Dortmund will have more time to recover before it visits Cologne on Sunday. Bayern played a day later but will go into action on Saturday at home against Hannover.

Both teams had to work hard — Dortmund won at second-division leader Greuther Fuerth 1-0 with the last shot of the 120-minute match and Bayern needed a penalty shootout to prevail over Borussia Moenchengladbach on Wednesday after a 0-0 draw in extra time.

In the Bundesliga, Dortmund holds a five-point lead over Bayern with seven matches remaining.

Until Moenchengladbach, Bayern had been on a scoring spree, putting in 20 goals in three matches.

Recent history speaks for another bumper day on Saturday — Bayern has won the last four home matches against Hannover with a goal difference of 18-1.

Hannover is seventh in the standings and is hoping to qualify again for next season's Europa League. It has made the quarterfinals this season.

The team has also acquired a new weapon in striker Mame Diouf, who arrived in midseason from Manchester United. Diouf has scored four goals in the Bundesliga and two others in the Europa League.

"When everything works out over 90 minutes, then we have a chance," Diouf said.

Dortmund travels to Cologne, which will have forward Lukas Podolski back from suspension.

Cologne is only three points from the relegation zone and is going through a prolonged upheaval. The club has been without a president for months and the sporting director was fired last week.

The never-ending speculation about Podolski's upcoming departure for Arsenal is another distraction.

The 27th round kicks off Friday when Wolfsburg hosts Hamburger SV. Hamburg has lost three straight and is now below Cologne. Another loss and the only Bundesliga club never to have been relegated could drop into the danger zone if other results go against it.

Fourth-place Schalke, which is one point behind Moenchengladbach, hosts Bayer Leverkusen on Saturday. Leverkusen is fifth, but already 10 points behind Schalke. Schalke needs to win to stay in the chase for a slot in next season's Champions League.

Moenchengladbach, hoping to recover from the loss to Bayern, hosts Hoffenheim.

Also Saturday, Freiburg hosts last-place Kaiserslautern, which comes with new coach Krasimir Balakov. Werder Bremen plays relegation-threatened Augsburg and Mainz meets next-to-last Hertha Berlin.

On Sunday, Stuttgart hosts Nuremberg.