Rose: "It's cool to be top and we want to stay there"

Gladbach have a chance to extend their lead over the defending champions to seven points when they meet at Borussia-Park. Victory would also stave off any challenge from RB Leipzig in second and Schalke in third with three games to go before the mid-season winter break, extending the club’s stint in first place to eight matchdays.

Speaking in his pre-match press conference, Rose at first played down his side's lead before dangling a tasty carrot for his Foals.

"We're first and Bayern are fourth. That's how it is and we're not making anything more out of it, but I think it's cool to be top and we want to stay there," said the 43-year-old, who is in his first season in the Gladbach hot seat.

Watch: Rose's Gladbach warmed up for Bayern by beating Freiburg!

"I think we've found our style of play. It's good to watch and very promising," the two-time Austrian champion with Red Bull Salzburg continued. "You can see where we want to go, we're in good form with good results. We're enjoying it but have to always beware and remain eager."

Gladbach's form has seen them win a league-best nine of their 13 Bundesliga matches this season, including their last five at home that has seen them score 17 goals. It also means they come into a game against Bayern ahead of the record champions in the table for the first time since 1977 – the year Borussia won the last of their five Bundesliga titles.

The Munich giants have historically struggled on their visits to Mönchengladbach, suffering more defeats there (20) than at any other Bundesliga club and averaging just 1.1 points per game, which is their worst return against a top-flight club they’ve visited at least five times.

Despite comparisons to the Gladbach side that pushed Bayern in the title race throughout the 1970s and their legendary coach Hennes Weisweiler, who would've turned 100 on Thursday, Rose has insisted the club's current crop need to show respect to "the best team in Germany" and not simply focus on top scorer Robert Lewandowski.

"As a player with Mainz we had to show respect to Bayern, and I'll do the same in my first game against Bayern as a coach because, at the end of the day, we're playing against the best team in Germany and will only have a chance if we put in a top performance," the Leipzig native stated before focussing in on the Munich attack.

"Lewandowski is one of many good players in the Bayern squad. Battling against him and restricting his arc is a real challenge. If we focus too much on Lewandowski we might forget they have two really quick guys on the wings who are incredibly lethal in front of goal, as well as a midfield that provides a goal threat.

Watch: All of Lewandowski's Bundesliga goals so far this season

"Bayern have such a strong line-up that they've mastered the whole concept. They always have an idea and radiate that feeling of 'Mia san Mia'.

"I don't think they’re defensively susceptible," Rose added on the champions' makeshift backline that has conceded just two goals and nine shots on target in five competitive matches under Hansi Flick.

"There won't be a moment's rest for us on Saturday, but we'll also get our own chances. The fact is every team in the Bundesliga wants to beat Bayern."