Fourth-placed Bayern Munich, for whom only winning the title is deemed a successful season, are 11 points behind leaders Schalke 04.

The arrival last week of Hitzfeld, who took them to the 2001 Champions League title, didn't have the desired immediate effect with defeat to Nuremberg in his first match.

Bayern have found the net 32 times in 20 league matches which statistically is their worst goal-scoring haul since the 1991/92 season, when they had only scored 27 at the same point, before ending the season in 10th spot for their worst final position in the last three decades.

"Sometimes it's good to return to the basics and go through the standard routines," Roy Makaay told the club's internet site.

"Obviously we've not forgotten how to score goals, but nothing's going our way at the present time, and it starts to chip away at your confidence."

Makaay added that simply scoring more often was not enough.

"It's all about recapturing our former strength," the striker said, adding: "We're letting in too many goals. Conceding very few goals was always a strength here at Bayern in the past.

"I'm convinced we'll soon base our attacking efforts on a solid defensive platform."

And on the Arminia Bielefeld game, Makaay continued: "It's an important game and we need to win. We want to close the gap to third place, not see it get bigger."

Bayern have earned just a single point and two goals from three matches in the second half of the campaign.

Hitzfeld has vowed to improve their goal scoring record and has made it a priority in his first few days in the job.

Schalke 04, who surged three points ahead of Werder Bremen following their 2-0 away victory last weekend, host Hertha Berlin, while Bremen have a trip to VfB Stuttgart.

Schalke coach Mirko Slomka said, though they were buoyed by the Bremen victory, they were not getting carried away.

"Of course we are delighted with this success," Slomka said.

"But we are working in just the same way as before and concentrating even better."