As German action gears up for its third round of play, Steve Cherundolo and Die Roten face a tough test in Bayern, while Heath Pearce and Hansa look to get on course against Frankfurt.

BAYERN MUNICH v HANNOVER 96
SAT 9:30 am ET (GolTV)
Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld could celebrate the 250th win of his Bundesliga career playing Hannover 96, and on the paper, it seems to be a safe deal. After a 3-0 win versus Rostock and a victory in Bremen, Munich fortified its outstanding position in the league.

Last season, 96 earned their first win in Munich in Bundesliga history as Szabolcs Huszti scored the winner in the 43rd minute. Hannover coach Dieter Hecking expects the underdog role to be an advantage for his team: "Psychologically, this will be the easiest game of the season."

US defender Cherundolo is expected to play on the defensive line with along with Thomas Kleine, Frank Fahrenhorst and Sören Halfar, substituting for former Bayern veteran Michael Tarnat, who is still suffering a rupture of a muscle fiber.

Bayern have a clear edge over their red rivals, having won five of the past seven clashes between the two.

EINTRACHT FRANKFURT v HANSA ROSTOCK
SUN 11:00 am ET
Former Portland Pilot Pearce will be looking to steer Die Kogge back on track after the club stuttered to two consecutive defeats, with a trip to Frankfurt.

While Rostock keeps out in search of a positive result, Frankfurt will be looking to build on last week's 1-0 defeat of Hertha Berlin.

Ryan Gyaki remains out injured for Hansa, while striker Naohiro Takahara and keeper Oka Nikolov both miss for the hosts through knee injuries.

Honors are even in the past three encounters between the two, with a win going either way and a draw to keep it all level.

TSG HOFFENHEIM v 1860 MUNICH
SUN 8:00 am ET
Out of the dark, 1860 have started with two surprising wins and finds itself on the top of the 2.Bundesliga standings as they head to Hoffenheim. 1860 scored nine goals in the first two outings, a league record.

The key to their strong offensive play has been the three players behind goal getter Antonio Di Salvo: Daniel Bierofka, Berkant Göktan and US forward Josh Wolff.

Leading the assist statistics, Wolff earned an article in German soccer magazine Kicker rewarding his performances. The American has announced that he would be interested in re-signing, with his current deal set to expire next summer. Talk of decisions down the road will have to hit the back-burner with a trip to Hoffenheim on Sunday.

The team of coach Ralf Rangnick is one of the most ambitious stories in German professional soccer as Hoffenheim patron and billionaire Dietmar Hopp wants to establish a Bundesliga team in the Mannheim region. Expectations are high and Hoffenheim might face a crisis with another defeat.

This will be the first ever clash between the two clubs in the 2.Bundesliga.

ST. PAULI v TUS KOBLENZ
SUN 8:00 am ET
Both teams started the season with a loss followed by a win. The last regular game between the two was 57 years ago when St. Pauli defeated TuS Koblenz predecessor TuS Neuendorf 4-0 on May 21, 1950 during the German championships in Hannover.

Scottish-American defender Ian Joy is expected to take a seat on the bench, but might get the chance to earn some minutes in the second half. For Koblenz, Yank defender Josh Grenier remains on the sidelines thanks to a muscle strain.

The Anarchists will be without fullback Florian Lechner and playmaker Charles Takyi through injury and suspension, respectively, while Koblenz make due without the services of striker Tayfun Pektürk.

In another weekend first, this will be the initial 2.Bundesliga encounter between the two clubs.

ON THE SIDELINE
Despite receiving yet another call up for the national team during the international break, VfL Wolfsburg striker Kamani Hill is not expected to be involved as the Wolves host last season's league runners up Schalke on Sunday (11:00 am ET on GolTV).