The Royal Blues would move five points clear at the top of the table with five games remaining with a win at the Arena AufSchalke tomorrow and Magath, who won the title with Wolfsburg last season as well as twice with Bayern, claims his side is starting to close the gap on the record German champions.

"Schalke is going to remain an interesting prospect in the coming years," he said.

"There is still a lot of work to do and things to change and not everything is gold, but if we carry on developing then we are going to get more and more dangerous for Bayern."

Bayern have shown concern this week with the state of the pitch at the Arena AufSchalke, declaring it unfit and unworthy of such an important Bundesliga fixture.

They have even written to the German Football League asking them to take action over a surface they claim favours the home side.

But Magath is ignoring the mind games and concentrating on getting a result.

"It is a decisive phase of the season and I am concentrating on my work with the team and am not really at home with all these side-shows," he told Sport Bild magazine.

"Such remarks divert attention from your own team and they belong elsewhere. These remarks have an intention, but they don't bother me. Nobody here should make the error of getting distracted by them."

Bayern know they cannot afford to lose tomorrow if they want to win back the title Magath took off them with Wolfsburg last season.

"This is the game which will decide the title," chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said. "We want to get back to the top with a win, but we cannot lose this game whatsoever.

"It is going to be a very hot game, but we have the quality to win."

Bayern coach Louis van Gaal has a fully-fit squad to choose from and Arjen Robben should return to the starting XI instead of Hamit Altintop after missing the 2-1 win over Manchester United in midweek.

Magath also has no new injury worries, allowing him to name the same team which beat Leverkusen 2-0 last weekend.