Kevin Kuranyi has boldly claimed that his Schalke team can win against Bayern Munich in the Allianz Arena at the weekend.
Schalke are top of the Bundesliga table, three points clear of Werder Bremen, while reigning champions Bayern are down in fourth place - seven points off the pace.
"We have earned the self-confidence to say we will travel anywhere and win - even in Munich,'' Kuranyi said.
The weekend presents a pivotal moment in the race for the title. If Bayern triumph at home on Saturday and Bremen beat mid-table Energie Cottbus, Schalke could find themselves in second again. That would prove devastating for a club that has not won the league since 1958.
"To win in Bayern would be a milestone for our self-confidence,'' Kuranyi added. "We have beaten Bremen twice and Stuttgart recently. All that is missing is Bayern.''
Ottmar Hitzfeld, coach of the Bavarian giants, has also done his utmost to stir things up ahead of the match.
"First place can bring pressure that's hard to deal with," he said. "You can see that in Schalke's last few matches."
The Gelsenkirchen club only managed a draw with Hannover two weeks ago and have recently lost to Hamburg and Bayer Leverkusen.
Kuranyi eyes Allianz win - Football - Eurosport