Local boy Lell billed as Germany contender

Christian Lell must by now have realised that Ottmar Hitzfeld holds him in high esteem. The defender has made 32 appearances for Bayern this term, more than any other recognised full-back in the Munich squad. Nevertheless, a statement by coach Hitzfeld mooting Christian as a potential candidate for the German senior side has taken the FCB youth product by surprise.

"I'm a bit overwhelmed to be honest,“ Lell said, obviously struggling for words on being quizzed about Hitzfeld's remarks. "If he keeps it up, he'll definitely be a candidate for [Germany coach] Jogi Löw,“ the General told a news conference on Thursday.

Carpe diem

"Obviously I'm delighted if Ottmar Hitzfeld chooses to say something like that,“ Lell responded, denying he had been harbouring any hopes of making the Germany team, let alone leaping aboard the Euro 2008 express at the last minute. "I'm just going to continue trying to perform to the best of my ability,“ he continued. He has done exactly that in convincing fashion of late.

Lell has simply stretched out both hands and seized the chance presented by Willy Sagnol's injury-related absence for the whole of the first half of the season, and spells on the sidelines for Philipp Lahm and Marcell Jansen. "That's the reason I've made so many appearances and had the chance to show what I can do,“ Lell reflected.

Profitable time on loan

"After an unbelievable first half of the season, I just hoped it would carry on,“ he continued. He missed last Saturday's Bundesliga encounter with Leverkusen due to suspension, but could be back for the weekend trip to Nuremberg. "I'm personally not surprised Christian's played so often,“ Hitzfeld observed.

Lell himself regards his progress as part of a development process. "I agreed to go out on loan to Cologne in order to gain experience.“ In a spell with the Rhineland club from 2004 to 2006, he appeared in the first and second divisions, and also the third division north. "All in all, I'd say it was a complete package," he smiled. Perhaps not quite: a call-up for Germany would complete the set.

Klose, Podolski, Ribéry on target for national teams

Bayern's international stars returned to Munich from a round of friendly internationals in midweek with a record of four victories, a draw and two defeats. The biggest smiles belonged to Miroslav Klose, Lukas Podolski and Franck Ribéry, who not only ended up on the winning side, but also showcased their talents in imposing style in the final tests before the naming of squads for this summer's Euro 2008.

Germany took on Euro co-hosts Switzerland in Basel and rattled up an impressive 4-0 victory, Klose opening the scoring on 23 minutes with his 38th goal for his country, thereby overtaking Oliver Bierhoff to go seventh in the German all-time scoring chart. The remaining goals in Germany's 800th senior international fixture came from VfB Stuttgart star Mario Gomez (61, 67) and 58th minute sub Podolski (89), who now has a remarkable 25 goals in 46 appearances for his country.

France down England

"We were prepared to run and we were well-organised,“ analysed Philipp Lahm, one of four Bayern men in the Germany starting line-up alongside Klose, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Marcell Jansen. With 74 days remaining until the start of hostilities this summer, the Germans restored a lot of the reputation lost in a lethargic 3-0 win against the other co-hosts Austria a short time ago. "We can get even better once we've had a decent period of time together,“ reflected Lahm, "we'll be an even better team at the Euro than we were today.“

Over in Paris, France underlined their European championship ambitions with a 1-0 victory over England, Ribéry scoring the only goal of the game from the penalty spot on 32 minutes after a foul on Nicolas Anelka. Ribéry was the most dynamic player on display in a tactical encounter at the Stade de France, where the home side were rarely threatened by a disciplined but toothless England, for whom David Beckham earned a 100th and potentially final international cap.

Wins for Lucio and Micho

Lucio emulated Ribery in completing 90 minutes on Wednesday, helping Brazil to a 1-0 success against Sweden in London. Inter hitman Pato struck for the Lucio-captained Seleção, who were without superstars Ronaldinho and Kaka. Two goals settled the issue in Cairo where Argentina took on African champions Egypt. In a low-paced match, Agüero (66) and Nicolas Burdisso (84) netted for the Gauchos, for whom Martin Demichelis featured until the 82nd minute.

Hamit Altintop spent considerably less time on the pitch for Turkey away to Belarus in Minsk. The Bayern man was forced out of the action after just 22 minutes and watched as the match ended 2-2. The home side twice took the lead through Vitali Kutuzov (34) and Aliaksandr Hleb (64), but Tuncay Sanli (37) and Tümer Metin (72) levelled for the Turks.

Toni out of luck

Bayern's losers on the night were Luca Toni and Daniel van Buyten. The Italian and his team-mates fell 1-0 to Spain in Elche, although the result was a shade harsh on the Squadra Azzurra who failed to convert a string of decent chances. Toni, who played the first half for the Italians, was unlucky to see a 12th-minute header ruled out for an alleged offence, and Mauro Camoranesi hit the bar shortly after half-time. The Spaniards' winner came from an opportunistic David Villa strike 13 minutes from time.

In Brussels, Van Buyten and Belgium fell to a sobering 4-1 home defeat against Morocco. Soufiani Alloudi (14) and Tarik Sektioui (35) struck as the Belgians turned in a dismal first half display, but the Red Devils fought back and Axel Witsel reduced the arrears on 51 minutes. However, Nabil El Zhar (83) and Abdessalam Benjelloun (90) netted in the closing stages to seal the Moroccan victory.

Kahn rolls back the years as Toni rolls on

One has 21 winners’ medals from his time with Bayern, the other has yet to taste trophy success at club level. One is a few months short of ending an illustrious playing career, the other is in his prime. One prevents goals, the other scores them. Oliver Kahn and Luca Toni appear to have little in common, except for their ability to win matches at opposite ends of the park. In Saturday’s meeting with Leverkusen, Toni’s 34th appearance for Munich, the Italian opened the scoring for the 13th time this term. He also scored the only goal of the reverse fixture last autumn. “It’s no coincidence,“ Ottmar Hitzfeld reflected, “Luca’s always on the scene in the penalty area. He’s ruthless and has an amazing nose for goal.“ Lahm’s assist, Toni’s goal Toni struck again on the hour to make it 26 goals for the season and 16 in the Bundesliga, where he is once again out on his own as leading scorer. “Obviously I’m counting the goals,” he declared, “my job is to keep scoring and help the team win the Bundesliga and a Cup or two.“ The 30-year-old praised provider Philipp Lahm. “At half-time, I told him I’d like to score with my head and asked for his help,” the striker revealed. Twelve minutes after the restart Lahm duly served up an inch-perfect cross for the Italian to nod home. Kahn called into action Toni was suspended in midweek “so he was totally fired up for Saturday,“ Hitzfeld reported. The prolific marksman has made the leading scorer crown his declared target, “but also to please the team and the fans. I hope I can keep it up, or the club will start complaining!“ Toni will have gone home in good spirits on Saturday, and so will Kahn. The Bayern skipper had a relatively quiet afternoon, as Bayer only managed four shots at goal – although one of them called for Kahn to use every inch of his 6 ft 2 in frame. The keeper had already dived to his right for Bernd Schneider’s 29th-minute drive, but Sergej Barbarez applied a hefty deflection from less than ten yards out. Kahn still managed to keep out the near-unstoppable effort with the tip of his left boot. Like a young ‘un “It was a spectacular situation,“ Kahn reported, “it was deflected but I somehow got a foot to the ball.“ The reaction save was not all down to good fortune, the shot-stopper insisted. “If you work and train properly, you make your own luck in that kind of situation.“ Mark van Bommel emphasised the importance of the save at a time when Bayern were only 1-0 up: “It would have been a completely different game if Leverkusen had equalised before half-time.“ Even in his final season as a pro, the 38-year-old’s hunger for medals remains undiminished. “Oliver’s having a fantastic season with no errors. He played like a 25-year-old today,“ Uli Hoeneß beamed. The general manager’s words were later reported back to the keeper. “What does he mean by ‘today’?“ the veteran quipped.

Bayern Cool On Boruc Reports

He has strongly asserted that current reserve keeper Michael Rensing will be the one to inherit the mantle of the great Oliver Kahn when he retires at the end of the season.

Reports from Scotland this week claimed that Bayern were set to make a €13 million bid for the Celtic keeper after sending goalkeeping coach Sepp Maier to spy on the Polish keeper in action.

“There is absolutely nothing in the story” Hoeneß stressed. “It’s a strange story. Sepp Maier wasn’t there. From beginning to end, there is no truth in it” he added.

Speaking after Bayern’s 2-1 Bundesliga victory over Bayer Leverkusen, Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge described the story as “complete nonsense”.

“It’s grotesque to think that Sepp Maier is looking for a goalkeeper for Jürgen Klinsmann. We certainly won’t be spending €13 million on another keeper.”

The Scottish tabloid ‘The Daily Record’ reported that 28 year old Boruc would be brought in to succeed Oliver Kahn in the Bayern goal.

Rummenigge however has repeated the claim that Michael Rensing is the confirmed successor to Kahn.

“We have assured him that he is our number one. That assurance remains. Therefore everything else is just not an issue” he said.

Eleven Reds away on international duty

Ottmar Hitzfeld rewarded his players for beating Leverkusen by cancelling training on Easter Sunday and Monday, potentially the last time the Bayern boss will feel able to hand his men two free days in a row this term. Should Munich make it to the UEFA Cup final, the Bundesliga leaders will play twice a week from now until the end of the campaign. However, this week is an exception, as Bayern are not due in Nuremberg until Saturday. Even so, there will be no additional rest for almost half the first-team squad, as eleven Bayern stars have been called up to represent their countries in a round of international fixtures to be played in North Africa and Europe. Euro 2008 warm-ups The matches may only be friendlies, but they are more significant than usual for eight Munich stars, as they offer a final chance to impress before the naming of squads for this summer’s Euro 2008 tournament in Austria and Switzerland. As normal, Germany accounts for the single biggest Bayern contingent. Miroslav Klose, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Philipp Lahm, Lukas Podolski and Marcell Jansen have been called up by coach Joachim Löw to meet Euro co-hosts Switzerland in Basel. Prestige at stake Considerable pride is at stake when Franck Ribéry and his France team-mates take on England in Paris, although Willy Sagnol (neck) misses out with injury. World Cup holders Italy and Luca Toni travel to Elche in Alicante province for an equally prestige-laden meeting with Spain. Minsk is the destination for Hamit Altintop and Turkey in a run-out against Belarus. Belgium meet Morocco in Brussels, but the home team failed to make it to Euro 2008, so Daniel van Buyten and his men will have their thoughts trained on the forthcoming qualifying contest for the next World Cup. Martin Demichelis and Argentina also face North African opposition, as the Gauchos travel to Cairo for a meeting with freshly-crowned continental champions Egypt. No injuries, please World Cup qualifying is already underway in South America, and the Argentines will be using the midweek fixture as preparation for their next two competitive matches in June, which include a clash with arch-rivals Brazil. The Seleçao are also in action on Wednesday, when captain Lucio leads out his men against Euro hopefuls Sweden in London. Bayern’s current international stars are due back in Munich on Thursday, where the coaching staff will be waiting anxiously for news of any injuries. “The most important thing is that we get the players back in good health,“ commented head coach Hitzfeld.

Bayern in good shape for title run-in

The Bayern stars danced for joy in front of the Allianz Arena faithful after sealing a place in the German Cup final in midweek, but Saturday's celebrations were tinged with a note of caution. "That was a major step towards the championship," said Ottmar Hitzfeld after a 2-1 victory over Bayer Leverkusen, which took Bayern nine points clear of their Rhineland visitors and extended their lead over second-placed Hamburg to seven points. However, no-one in the Munich camp is prepared to claim the title just yet.

"It's a good cushion now, but we still have to watch ourselves," commented Uli Hoeneß. Added Oliver Kahn: "We've put ourselves in a very good position, nothing more and nothing less.“ Hitzfeld warned his men to be watchful and wakeful, "because complacency is a real danger.“ The coach has not forgotten that his side pulled out a seven-point lead two weeks ago and promptly slumped to a second defeat of term in Cottbus. "I hope the players learned their lesson from that.“

Profligate Bayern

That would certainly appear to be the case up to now. Following a convincing display in the Cup against Wolfsburg, the Bavarians utterly dominated for long spells against third-placed Bayer. "It was classy. We had the look of champions at times," FCB general manager Hoeneß enthused, describing the élan and poise with which Hitzfeld's men created chance after chance as "well worth watching. It's a long time since I've seen as many scoring chances as that in a top-of-the-table match.“

With the exception of a ten-minute spell around the half-hour mark, Bayern easily bossed proceedings on Saturday and were rewarded with a Luca Toni brace on 17 and 59 minutes, taking the Italian to 16 league goals for the season. "After that, it was just a question of the margin of victory," reflected Hitzfeld, although Bayern declined to accept a string of presentable openings. "We were profligate in front of goal," complained the General, whose team were almost punished for their wastefulness.

Bayer flattered

Dmitry Bulykin pulled one back out of the blue to make it an unnecessarily anxious last seven minutes for the men in red. "We just made life difficult for ourselves," Hitzfeld lamented. "We should have been 5-0 up before Leverkusen scored," argued Hoeneß, "it would have been disastrous and totally unjust if Leverkusen had made it 2-2.“

However, Bayern shut up shop and the visitors never seriously threatened to sneak off with a point. "We were a class apart at times," Hitzfeld said in praise of his men, "it was an extraordinarily good display." The match stats backed the coach's point of view, as his side delivered 21 shots to their opponents' four, and won 56 percent of their challenges. "Looking at the 90 minutes, we're flattered by the scoreline. We deserved to lose the match,“ Leverkusen coach Michael Skibbe conceded.

No neighbourly gestures

Hitzfeld has rewarded the stars with two days off before ordering his men back to the training ground on Tuesday ready for the weekend trip to fellow Bavarians 1. FC Nürnberg. "The job is to perform away from home, which we failed to do in Cottbus," observed Philipp Lahm. Bayern are in no mood to be generous to their relegation-threatened neighbours. "Nuremberg have had plenty of opportunities to pick up points," Hoeneß pointed out, "we can't go there and hand out neighbourly gifts. We want the title, so we need to take points wherever we go.“

The general manager called for an equally good performance in Nuremberg. "If we play like we did today, no-one in Germany can hurt us," he said, looking forward to the title run-in with some confidence. With nine games still to play, "it's in our own hands," Mark van Bommel noted. The squad needed to concentrate right to the end, Hitzfeld thought. "Then we'll be very difficult to stop."

Luca double sends Reds seven points clear

Luca Toni netted twice as Bayern saw off third-placed Bayer far more easily than the scoreline suggests, stretching their lead at the top of the Bundesliga to seven points over Hamburg.

The 69,000 full house at the Allianz Arena erupted on 17 minutes to acclaim Toni's ninth opening goal of the league campaign, but the leaders were careless with a string of chances after that and were grateful to captain Olli Kahn for preserving the half-time lead with a blinding save from Sergej Barbarez.

If Bayern enjoyed the better of the first period they utterly dominated the second, Toni completing his brace on the hour to put the men in red firmly on the way to victory. Only Bayer keeper Rene Adler stood between Munich and a cricket score for long spells after that, but Leverkusen sub Dmitriy Bulykin pulled one back out of the blue with seven minutes remaining, although the outcome was never really in doubt as the home side shut up shop to seal a fully merited win.

Luca and Philipp restored

Ottmar Hitzfeld relaxed his exhaustive rotation policy of recent weeks, making just two changes to the side which beat Wolfsburg in the Cup on Wednesday. Philipp Lahm replaced the suspended Christian Lell, with Toni back in the side for Lukas Podolski.

Bayer boss Michael Skibbe caused a raised eyebrow or two with a much more attacking formation than expected, fielding veteran Bernd Schneider in a midfield playmaking role behind four nominal forwards in the shape of Stefan Kießling, Barbarez, Tranquilo Barnetta and Theofanis Gekas.

Luca, yet again

Toni had the ball in the net after just five minutes only to be ruled offside, and the highly-rated Adler tipped Ze Roberto's deflected shot over the bar, but Lucio was forced into a crucial intervention at the other end after Barnetta's backheel sent Kießling scampering clear.

But Bayern clearly held the upper hand and were rewarded after 17 minutes when Franck Ribery released Miro Klose on the edge of the six-yard box, the Germany striker unselfishly squaring for Toni to burst between two defenders and slot home from close range.

Heroics from Kahn

Leverkusen full-back Hans Sarpei made a desperate late clearance when Ze elected to cross from Klose's sublime defensive-splitting pass, but there was a let-off for the home side on the half-hour when Barbarez diverted Schneider's drive goalwards, only for Kahn to hack the ball clear with his left foot despite going the wrong way in anticipation of the original shot.

After a brief lull, the Bavarians mounted another onslaught as the half drew to a close, but Klose declined three highly presentable openings, first directing a header wide, then falling victim to a Sarpei block, and finally seeing Adler pull out a stunning reaction stop to keep out a firm downward header from Hamit Altintop's cross.

Luca completes brace

Klose was out of luck again from the first chance after the restart, nodding over from close range after Demichelis' header back across goal, but Toni made no mistake with the next opportunity, rising above the statuesque Bayer defence and planting a firm header past Adler from Lahm's energetic dash into the box and cross to the far post.

The Italian blasted over with only Adler to beat and the keeper made yet another great stop to deny Demichelis as Bayern threatened to overrun the despondent visitors, but Adler's resistance continued with a brave double block from late sub Podolski.

Reds ease to finish

Bayer appeared to have thrown in the towel, but Bulykin's late strike from fellow sub Paul Freier's neat lay-off set up a far more nervous finish than the course of the match ever deserved. In truth, any result other than a home win would have been a minor travesty, but the men in red held out comfortably enough to take another giant stride towards a 21st domestic league crown.

Live match report for fcbayern.de by Chris Hamley


Bayern Munich - Bayer Leverkusen 2-1 (H-T: 1-0)

Bayern Munich:		Kahn - Lahm, Lucio, Demichelis, Jansen - Altintop, Van Bommel, Zé Roberto, Ribéry (Schweinsteiger 77) - Toni, Klose (Podolski 77)
Substitutes:		Rensing, Van Buyten, Ottl, Sosa, Kroos
Bayer Leverkusen:		Adler - Castro, Haggui, Friedrich, Sarpei - Schneider Rolfes - Kießling (Bulykin 78), Barbarez (Vidal 46), Barnetta - Gekas (Freier 46)
Referee:		Mr Meyer (Burgdorf)
Spectators:		69,000 (capacity)
Goals:		1-0 Toni (17), 2-0 Toni (59), 2-1 Bulykin (83)
Yellow Cards:		Van Bommel / Vidal, Castro, Sarpei

Welcome return for Miro’s trademark flip

It has been a rarity of late, but Miroslav Klose drew gasps and applause with his trademark mid-air forward somersault in celebration of the goal which finally killed off VfL Wolfsburg in the Cup last Wednesday. The 29-year-old had actually decided to abandon the acrobatic celebration, because his two small sons had attempted to copy their dad at home, “and we suffered a few bruises,” the striker revealed to FCB.tv last autumn. So why did the Germany international temporarily put aside his reservations in midweek?

“He only does it after really vital goals,” Ottmar Hitzfeld reported. Klose’s strike came just as the player was going through a rough patch. “I’ve had a very average phase,” he himself agreed on Wednesday.

Mentally free

Since the midpoint of the season, Klose has netted twice against Wuppertal in the Cup and twice in the UEFA Cup, but only once in the Bundesliga. “It was weighing heavily on him,” pondered Hitzfeld, “so I’m delighted Miro’s finally scored again. He was looking fragile for a long time, he was thinking too hard. Hopefully that will free him mentally today.“

The initial omens were not good against Wolfsburg, as the striker passed up four chances in the first hour, either shooting wide or being denied by the excellent Diego Benaglio in the VfL goal. But Klose’s confidence soared after a superb lay-off for Franck Ribéry’s opener, before himself stabbing home the second from close range.

Battling back

“I’ve worked hard to get back, and it’ll keep on improving from now on,” the player smiled, visibly growing in stature in the phase following his goal. “Even a player of his class had to fight to regain his belief,” commented Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, “but after that he had all the confidence you need as a striker.“

Hitzfeld feels Klose had already turned the corner in any case. “He’s been working very hard for the team, went looking for the ball, put himself about in the box, and looked like scoring in the first half. I was sure he’d get his goal eventually,” the coach observed.

One for the boys

Bayern fans will hope Klose’s next goals are not long in the coming, although the somersault celebration will remain a rarity, for the sake of the player’s children. “It was OK to do it because my boys were already in bed,” Klose grinned in midweek. The next match kicks off at the family-friendly hour of 3.30 pm on Saturday – a less propitious time for acrobatics.

FCB eye chance to stifle Bayer threat

Bayern are fired up and ready to go in the last top-of-the-table clash of the season this Saturday, when third-placed Bayer Leverkusen visit the Allianz Arena (Live in English from 3.15 pm on FCB.tv Web Radio). After draws with Bremen and Hamburg, and victory away to Schalke, a win at the weekend would see the Bavarians put nine points between themselves and the men from the Rhineland.

“The pressure’s on Leverkusen, not us,” commented Bayern captain Oliver Kahn, “we could knock Leverkusen out of the title race.“ Victory over Bayer would hardly hand Bayern the championship shield on a plate, but given the fixtures through to the end of the season – almost all the remaining title aspirants still have to face each other – it would represent a major stride towards a 21st German league title.

No more slip-ups

“I hope we keep going where we left off against Wolfsburg,” remarked chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge. Bayern bounced back from last weekend’s shock 2-0 defeat away to bottom club Energie Cottbus with a thoroughly convincing win over the Wolves in the German Cup semi-finals. “We need to prove we can get the job done in the Bundesliga. We can’t afford any more slip-ups, because it’s still tight at the top, despite our five-point lead.“

“Wednesday’s win will give us a real lift. If we beat Leverkusen, we’ll keep a title rival safely at arm’s length,” coach Ottmar Hitzfeld agreed. However, the General and his men know Bayer are certain to prove a tougher proposition than Wolfsburg in the Cup.

Hitzfeld expects stern challenge

“They’re an attacking team who pass the ball exceptionally well. I do think it’ll be a very hard match,” offered Miroslav Klose, keen to return to the Bundesliga goal trail after netting against the Wolves. “Leverkusen are dangerous rivals. They’ll definitely be looking for a point, or even all three. We just have to play like we did against Wolfsburg,” Franck Ribéry added.

“Leverkusen are having a good season. The team has bags of potential,” Hitzfeld warned ahead of final training in Munich on Friday. “If you let them get going, they can wipe the floor with anyone,” the General continued, urging his men to produce a solid and disciplined performance: “We’ll have to put in a lot of very hard work.“

Skibbe aiming for a point

Hitzfeld made no secret of his relief at the return of Mark van Bommel from suspension. “He’s a leader who drives the team on. I’m delighted he’s available again.“ Luca Toni, banned in the Cup, also returns to the line-up. The General is without Christian Lell (suspended) and Willy Sagnol (injured).

Leverkusen have won many admirers this term with an attractive brand of attacking football, “but we’d be happy to come away with a point,“ boss Michael Skibbe confessed. His players would like more than that: “Every series comes to an end, and it’s time this one did,“ midfielder Simon Rolfes declared in the light of Bayer’s failure to win in Munich for some 18 years, but Skibbe remained realistic: “Bayern are outstanding and dependable, and that won’t change over the remaining games. We’re not consistent enough yet.“

Probable line-ups:

Bayern Munich: Kahn - Lahm, Lucio, Demichelis, Jansen - Altintop, van Bommel, Zé Roberto, Ribéry - Klose, Toni
Also in matchday squad: Rensing, Van Buyten, Breno, Ottl, Sosa, Schweinsteiger, Podolski, Schlaudraff, Kroos

Bayer Leverkusen: Adler - Castro, Haggui, Friedrich, Sarpei - Vidal, Rolfes - Kießling, Barbarez, Barnetta - Gekas

Referee: Florian Meyer (Burgdorf)

Bayern’s record in the fixture: P28 W21 D5 L2 F64 A25

Kahn: Triple would be my dream outcome

Mark van Bommel manoeuvred within a couple of yards of the glittering DFB Cup during the warm-up, while Uli Hoeneß stole a lingering glance at the trophy in the course of a pre-match TV interview, but two halves of football later, the Munich club as a whole had taken a giant stride towards laying hands on the highly-prized object. Following Wednesday’s 2-0 semi-final win against VfL Wolfsburg, only Borussia Dortmund stand between the men in red and a 14th Cup triumph in the final on 19 April. Even seasoned skipper Olli Kahn was moved to dance for joy in front of the south terrace faithful, as he contemplates a record seventh final at the end of an illustrious professional career. “I’ve never got the hang of these win celebrations,” he grinned. “He was definitely pleased,“ Miroslav Klose reported from the dressing room afterwards, and even Ottmar Hitzfeld declared himself “surprised that Olli jumped around like a youngster. It just show how much pressure has been released.“ Patient and composed A meaningless defeat to Anderlecht and a shocker in Cottbus had placed Bayern on the brink of an unthinkable third reverse in a row. “Olli knows Bayern Munich is a sensitive object which can explode at any time. We’d have gone up in flames if we’d been knocked out tonight,” commented Hitzfeld, although his team efficiently snuffed out any threat posed by the visitors from Wolfsburg. The 13-times Cup winners dominated the 90 minutes against the side with the best Bundesliga record since the winter break. “We were everywhere from start to finish. We were so focused that Wolfsburg hardly got close to our goal,” Hoeneß remarked. Added Hitzfeld: “We were always closer to scoring than Wolfsburg. We were patient and kept stepping up the pressure.“ Bouncing back Franck Ribéry (60) and Miroslav Klose (66) scored the goals as Bayern not only booked a trip to Berlin, but also erased the memory of the painful defeats. “After Cottbus I was afraid we might have hit a trough,” reflected Hoeneß, “but we talked about it this week, and the team showed the right reaction today.“ Hitzfeld praised his troops for restoring lost pride against Wolfsburg. “My players showed their true colours,” the head coach declared, hoping the berth in the final “will give us a real and major impulse. We’ve set ourselves a clear target. We want to add a second trophy to the League Cup in four weeks time, and that’ll be a huge boost for the championship too.“ Saturday versus Leverkusen Bayern can take another step towards the Bundesliga title with a home win over third-placed Leverkusen on Saturday. “Today’s victory will give us a real lift,” Hitzfeld considered. “We can knock Leverkusen out of the title race,” added Kahn, “if we win, they’re nine points behind us.“ “We want the lot, the league, the Cup and the UEFA Cup, everything we can win,” the keeper continued, “that’s obviously my dream outcome.“ Bayern are slowly but surely coming close to realising their captain’s dream, as Hoeneß noted: “We’ll pick them off one after another.“ Hitzfeld’s former charges Borussia Dortmund stand in the way when Bayern go for the first leg of the triple on 19 April in Berlin.

‘The team sent out a clear signal’

20.03.2008 Chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge radiated satisfaction after Bayern beat Wolfsburg 2-0 in the German Cup semi-finals on Wednesday. “I think it was a fully merited win,“ Rummenigge summarised. fcbayern.de picks the highlights of the chairman’s post-match statements to reporters. Interview: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge Question: Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, was that the kind of display you want to see from Bayern? Karl-Heinz Rummenigge: “It was a good game. We were focused and determined, and very creative in the second half too. After a poor display against Cottbus, the team bounced back and proved its quality tonight. I think it was a fully merited win.“ Question: “Could it be that the defeat to Cottbus was a wake-up call at exactly the right time? Rummenigge: “We were all upset by the performance in Cottbus, so it was vital the team sent out a clear signal today. Sometimes a defeat like the one in Cottbus can be helpful. We’ve beaten everything there’s been to beat since Christmas, so maybe we’d started thinking we’d pick up the title as an afterthought. Obviously that’s not possible, so Cottbus certainly wasn’t counterproductive. We dropped three crucial points, but the team learnt its lesson.“ Question: Martin Demichelis was missing in Cottbus. How did you rate his performance tonight? Rummenigge: “He was world-class. He’s reacted totally professionally to his disciplinary suspension. It was exactly the reaction we were hoping for.“ Question: Were you pleased to see Miroslav Klose return to the scoresheet? Rummenigge: “It was important for Miro to score. We need an in-form Klose. He brilliantly laid on the opener for Franck, and it was obvious that even a player of his class needs that kind of confidence-booster. After that he had the belief you need as a striker.“ Question: What are you expecting from the final against Borussia Dortmund? Rummenigge: “You obviously go all-out to win a final. We’ll probably be burdened with the role of favourites, but we don’t have a problem with that. We’re delighted we’ve made it to Berlin, and now we want the trophy.“ Question: You have a pivotal match on Saturday, when a win against Bayer Leverkusen would effectively see off another title rival. Rummenigge: “I hope we can continue where we left off today. It won’t be easy against Bayer Leverkusen, they’re at least as good as VfL. But we don’t want Leverkusen coming any closer, so we have to beat them. We can’t afford any more slip-ups, because it’s still tight up there, despite our five-point lead.“

Hoeneß: We played well from start to finish

20.03.2008 The 62,000 at the Allianz Arena sang songs in anticipation of the DFB Cup final trip to Berlin and treated the players to a standing ovation after Bayern's 2-0 victory over Wolfsburg in Wednesday's semi-final. The 19 April meeting with Borussia Dortmund will be Bayern's 16th appearance in the final as the Reds chase a 14th Cup triumph. The Munich camp was an understandably happy place after the ultimately comfortable victory over the Wolves. Reaction to Bayern v Wolfsburg: Uli Hoeneß: "We've made the final with something to spare. The team played very, very well from the first minute to the last today. It'll definitely be a great final, yellow-and-black against red, arch-rivals over the last 20 years, and I do believe it'll be a fantastic day.“ Oliver Kahn: "It was a very, very important match for us as a team, after the last couple of matches failed to go according to plan. It was never easy today against a good Wolfsburg side. It was especially hard in the first half, but we improved in the second period, we totally dominated possession and prevented Wolfsburg creating any clear-cut chances.“ Miroslav Klose: "Once you've made it to the final, you obviously go full out to win it. I've played in the final once, but it was a lost cause after four minutes – when Bayern were already 2-0 up.“ Alexander Madlung (VfL): "We gave the ball away much too cheaply in the first half, and we were extremely lucky not to concede the opener a couple of times. We did our best after half-time and made a few chances, but we stupidly lost possession to gift them a goal, and it was obviously hard after that. Bayern were smart and deserve their place in the final." Diego Benaglio (VfL keeper): "Obviously we're gutted, because we wanted to make it to the final. We came here in search of victory but we've failed. I've always thought Bayern are probably the best team in Germany, that's not up for discussion. We had the chance to make it to the final but we've not taken it.“

Franck and Miro fire jubilant Reds to final

Bayern 2 VfL Wolfsburg 0

19.03.2008 Bayern booked an April 19 date to face Borussia Dortmund in the German Cup final after a patient and disciplined display against stubborn Wolfsburg. The 63,000 who braved the snow flurries swirling round the Allianz Arena saw Bayern enjoy much the better of the play and the chances in a lively first half, but Franck Ribery headed wide with the goal at his mercy after just two minutes, and the visitors survived until the interval. The Wolves resisted until the hour mark, but a double whammy in the space of six minutes from Ribery and Miroslav Klose deservedly sent Bayern on the way to a 16th appearance in the DFB Cup final, where the Bavarians will go in search of a record 14th triumph. Four new faces Ottmar Hitzfeld made four changes to the side which fell to Cottbus at the weekend, restoring back-in-favour Martin Demichelis in place of Daniel van Buyten and bringing in Marcell Jansen for Philipp Lahm. Mark van Bommel returned from a Bundesliga suspension at Bastian Schweinsteiger's expense, with Lukas Podolski in the starting line-up for the banned Luca Toni. Breezy start After FIFA ref Herbert Fandel whistled play underway on a freezing evening in Munich, Wolves number one Diego Benaglio was much the busier of the two keepers in an action-packed opening phase. Van Bommel's free-kick caused pandemonium in the VfL box in the first move of the match, before Ribery squandered a glorious chance by heading wide from Lell's ball behind the defence just a minute later. Lucio denied Kahn twice saved from Wolves playmaker Marcelinho as the visitors fought to relieve the pressure, but Hamit Altintop twice came even closer at the other end, before Klose planted a firm header just wide. The Wolfsburg rearguard settled now and Bayern had to work harder for their chances, but it still took a fabulous reaction save from Benaglio to deny Lucio midway through the half, with Ribery arrowing a drive narrowly past the upright a short time later. Even stevens Christian Gentner sprayed dangerous balls across the face of Kahn's goal in the closing phase before the break, but Benaglio was again in action to beat away Van Bommel's drive in the final chance of the half. The contest was evenly-matched for the first ten minutes after the restart, but Bayern picked up the pace again and Benaglio hurled himself to push aside Klose's header. Franck and Miro on target The keeper was finally beaten on the hour when Klose expertly controlled Gentner's loose touch 30 yards from his own goal, slipping a neat pass through to Ribery for the France star to open the scoring despite Benaglio getting a hand to the ball. Klose himself doubled the advantage six minutes later after Jansen fed Podolski for a thunderous drive which Benaglio could only parry, the Bayern striker reacting first to the rebound and gleefully netting at the far post. Reds in driving seat Munich were firmly on top now and Podolski might well have extended the lead only to bullet a header wide from a Ze Roberto cross ten minutes from time, but the match had effectively run its course and the men in red were the team celebrating at the final whistle. Live match report for fcbayern.de by Chris Hamley Bayern Munich - VfL Wolfsburg 2-0 (H-T: 0-0) Bayern Munich: Kahn - Lell, Lucio (Van Buyten 73), Demichelis, Jansen - Altintop, Zé Roberto, Van Bommel (Ottl 82), Ribéry (Sosa 89) - Klose, Podolski Substitutes: Kahn, Lahm, Schweinsteiger, Schlaudraff VfL Wolfsburg: Benaglio - Riether (Dzeko 68), Costa, Madlung, Schäfer - Santana (Krzynowek 84), Josue, Gentner - Marcelinho - Ljuboja (Dejagah 60), Grafite Referee: Mr Fandel (Kyllburg) Spectators: 62,000 Goals: 1-0 Ribéry (60), 2-0 Klose (66) Yellow Cards: Van Bommel, Lucio / Costa, Riether

‘We’re hard to play, and even harder to beat’

19.03.2008 Felix Magath, who led Bayern to DFB German Cup triumph at the Berlin Olympic stadium in 2005 and 2006, is just one game away from returning to the capital, this time with his current team VfL Wolfsburg. However, none other than Magath’s former club bar the Wolves’ path to Berlin. Interviewed for the Bayern-Magazin matchday programme, the VfL coach pondered his return to the Allianz Arena and revealed how his feels his team could upset the favourites. Interview: Felix Magath Question: Felix Magath, you’re back at the Allianz Arena for the second time this term. The first reunion wasn’t an especially happy one, was it? Felix Magath: “I saw a number of familiar faces at the Allianz Arena back in November, people who helped make my time at Bayern happy and successful. So I’m not just thinking of our 2-1 defeat, which was very tight in every sense of the word.“ Question: Bayern have lost two matches in a row, but your team is the best in the Bundesliga this calendar year and won 1-0 in Bremen at the weekend. What’s your take on the pre-match situation? Magath: “We needn’t fool ourselves into thinking Bayern will underestimate us. Obviously we’re rank outsiders on Wednesday. Anything less than a place in the final would be a disaster for Bayern. We’ll have to play as well as we did in Bremen. Our central defence was well organised and structured. We were difficult to play, and even more difficult to beat.“ Question: How will you counter the threat from Franck Ribéry? Magath: “They have plenty of players capable of deciding a match. Bayern have better than average players in every position. We can’t focus all our efforts on one man. Obviously, Ribéry is exceptional, but we should basically be looking at ourselves.“ Question: You won the trophy twice with Bayern. Have you been telling your players about Berlin? Magath: “The final at the Berlin Olympic stadium is very special, and the players know that. One or two of my players have experienced Cup finals in their home countries. I’m sure my players are up for it without any help from me!“ Question: Do you need to motivate your players especially for this match? Magath: “You don’t need anything special before a semi-final. Everyone knows you make it to the final, or you’re out. There’s no playing for a draw. In any case, professional footballers should have self-motivation to spare before every match.“ Question: A Cup triumph would be the greatest success in VfL history. Are the fans dreaming of glory? Magath: “Despite an unbroken decade in the Bundesliga, Wolfsburg is not a club accustomed to success. Part of taking the club forward will be learning to expect victory in crucial matches more than we do now.“ Question: VfL are in contention for a UEFA Cup place. Which would you prefer: the Cup final or fifth in the league? Magath: “We’ve actually set ourselves different targets. This season, the priority always was to keep VfL well clear of the relegation zone, and we’ve succeeded so far! In years to come, we aim to climb the Bundesliga and start competing for a place in Europe.“ Question: When will we see Wolfsburg in the Champions League? Magath: “I’ve set myself three years to establish VfL in the top third of the table and therefore in the hunt for a European place. Once we’ve managed that, we’ll se what the future looks like for VfL Wolfsburg.“

Toni Set For Milan Move?

AC Milan are set to begin negotiations with Bayern Munich in the hope of signing their star striker Luca Toni, according to La Repubblica.

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The Rossoneri have identified a top-class centre forward as their number one priority in this summer’s transfer market.

Toni only signed for Bayern Munich last summer from Fiorentina, however he has been a huge hit in Germany, and is currently the joint top-scorer of the Bundesliga with 14 goals.

Milan are ready to bid €10m for the giant hitman, as they aim to begin their rebuilding process following a hugely disappointing season.

The chances of Toni moving to Milan are said to be promising as the Milan vice president is known to have a good relationship with Bayern supremo Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.

A possible obstacle however could be Toni’s current annual salary of almost €6m a season. The striker, who turns 31 in a couple of months, may also wait and see if Milan qualify for next season’s Champions League before consenting to the move.

Toni has never played in Europe’s premier club competition, and Milan are struggling to qualify as they are currently fifth in Serie A, four points behind fourth-placed Fiorentina.

Schweinsteiger Slams Effenberg Criticism

Bayern Munich midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger has angrily hit out at criticism aimed at him by former Bayern star Stefan Effenberg.

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The German international has claimed that Effenberg’s comments made in the ‘Bild am Sonntag’ show a lack of respect.

Effenberg told Schweinsteiger that he needed to find a new club in his column for the tabloid paper. "Bastian has not only stopped in his development, he has even taken a step backwards" he wrote.

The 23 year old midfielder did not take kindly to those remarks and has hit back at the former Bayern captain.

"I respect Effenberg as a player, but not as a person. If you have your heart in the right place, you don't do things like this.

"He played so many years for Bayern, so I don't understand this."

Schweinsteiger has seen his form take a dip since the World Cup in 2006 due a mixture of injuries and personal problems.

Mathew Burt

Bid For Amauri - Agent Urges Roma

The agent of Palermo star Amauri has again urged Roma to make an offer for his client.

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The Brazilian is regarded as one of the top strikers in Serie A, and will leave Palermo for a big club in the summer. Juventus are currently seen as the clear favourites to sign the 27-year-old.

However Amauri’s agent Mariano Grimaldi has come out in the past and said that his client would like to move to Roma, as he enjoyed his stay there last year while recovering from a serious injury.

"Amauri was happy in Rome,” Grimaldi again told Tutto Mercato Web.

“He met many friends, was in love with Roma and their style of game. There is every chance that he could go to Roma.”

Grimaldi believes that Amauri’s style of play would fit in nicely with that of Roma coach Luciano Spalletti.

"Certainly the game of Luciano Spalletti suits the player,” he said.

“Amauri can be the second striker. Let us not forget that at Chievo he scored 13 goals as the second striker.

“Not only look at the last two seasons in which Amauri played as the first striker. He could combine very well with Francesco Totti."

Juve Set To Bid For Lucio – Report

Juventus are set to launch a summer transfer bid for want-away Bayern Munich defender Lucio, according to the Corriere dello Sport.

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The 29-year-old is widely considered as Brazil’s best central defender, and has been at Bayern since signing for them from Bayer Leverkusen in 2004.

However he yesterday admitted that he may leave the Bavarian giants after revealing his desire to play in Italy, Spain or England.

"I have already said the leagues in Spain, Italy and England - three of the strongest in the world - all interest me" Lucio told Abendzeitung.

"If interest is shown from any of these countries, I would be very pleased. Bayern have already told me they want to keep me. But all clubs say that to their players if they are still under contract.”

The Corriere says that Juventus have watched Lucio on a number of occasions this season, and are ready to make a summer bid.

Lucio has played 70 times for the Brazilian national team, and was a star at the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea, where he picked up a winners medal.

The classy stopper, who is famous for sparking counter-attacks by bringing the ball out from the back, rejected moves to Juventus and Roma in order to join Bayern in 2004.

Gianni Wilson

Sivori’s Son Urges Juve To Sign Cavenaghi

Nestor Sivori, son of Juventus legend Omar, has urged the Bianconeri to sign Bordeaux striker Fernando Cavenaghi.

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Omar Sivori is widely regarded as one of the best players, not only in Juventus’ history, but in the history of football itself.

The Argentine played for Juve from 1957 to 1965, achieving great success, while after his playing days he worked as a full-time scout for the club in Argentina, until his death in 2005.

Sivori’s son, Nestor, is a scout and agent himself, and he has urged his father’s beloved club to sign Bordeaux hitman Fernando Cavenaghi.

“If you asked me to suggest the names of three River Plate players: I would say the striker Radamel Falcao, the midfielder Oscar Ahumada, and the 19-year-old attacker Andrés Rios,” said Sivori, whose father also had a big attachment with River.

“But there is an ace who more than anyone else deserves to be a Bianconero. Fernando Cavenaghi of Bordeaux. He is 24 and he scored again at the weekend.

“He is a bomber like Crespo. He is already Juventino in his soul. My father made him love the Old Lady, as they always used to speak when Cavenaghi was in the River Plate youth team. My dad was like a father to Cavenaghi.”

Sivori also criticised the Juventus hierarchy for their transfer policy last summer, saying that many of the players bought were not up-to-standard.

"It is not easy to play for Juve, we need to know the level of players. For example, I saw that last summer Almirón, Criscito, Tiago and Andrade joined. They are not Juve players,” he concluded.

Gianni Wilson

Sheva Loan Move In The Works?

The latest reports out of Italy suggest that Milan and Chelsea are busily hammering out a deal that will see Andriy Shevchenko return to the San Siro on loan at the end of the season.

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The Ukrainian bomber has barely managed a sputter since his high profile move to Chelsea in 2006, and the latest suggestion is that the Blues have reached a point where they will settle with just having him off their payroll despite having splashed out a record fee for him less than two years ago.

The fact that he doesn't play a prominent part in Avram Grant's plans has been obvious from the start, and that was underlined recently when as his teammates prepared for the win over Olympiacos in the Champions League, Shevchenko was playing against Reading reserves at Brentford's Griffin Park.

Milan's fans would welcome the prodigal son with open arms, even though a recent poll suggests that not many of them regard him as an adequate solution to their striker crisis, which was exasperated by the potentially career threatening injury to Ronaldo last month.

Shevchenko, who has a rather unspectacular record of 20 goals in 68 appearances for Chelsea, is now considered fourth in line in the striker's pecking order at Stamford Bridge behind Didier Drogba, Nicolas Anelka and Salomon Kalou.

Derek Wanner, Goal.com

Diarra Moving Closer To Inter - Report

Real Madrid midfielder Mahamadou Diarra is looking increasingly likely to join Inter Milan in the summer, according to the Gazzetta dello Sport.

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The Mali international has been tipped to leave Madrid for quite sometime now due to his frosty relationship with Coach Bernd Schuster.

Inter have identified the signing of a top-class centre midfielder as their priority in this summer's transfer market, and Roberto Mancini's first-choice is Diarra.

Madrid are demanding just under €20m for the 26-year-old, a fee that Nerazzurri President Massimo Moratti is more than happy to cough up.

Diarra joined Madrid from Lyon in the summer of 2006 for a whopping €26m, however he has never really hit top form in the Spanish capital.

His relationship with Schuster took another turn for the worse last month when he was fined €300,000, a month's wages, for returning to Spain late from the African Cup of Nations.

Diarra's other former clubs in Europe include Greek islanders OFI Crete, and Dutch-outfit Vitesse Arnhem.

Anthony Sormani

Pienaar Could Sign Permanent Everton Deal

South African international midfielder Steven Pienaar could sign a permanent deal with English Premiership side Everton FC before the end of this week...

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The Liverpool Echo reports that the player could be a full-time Everton player by the end of the week.

Pienaar is currently on loan at Everton from German Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund, and has impressed Toffees boss David Moyes so much that a permanent deal move is now in the offing.

There are reports, however, that other top clubs like Arsenal and Valencia are interested in the services of the talented and skilful midfielder.

But it is believed that Pienaar has settled in well at Goodinson Park and would prefer to remain with the Liverpool-based side.

The Echo further added that Everton have already agreed a fee with Borussia Dortmund, and that negotiations with the player's advisors are at a late and encouraging stage.

The South African has made 33 appearances for the Blues so far, scoring twice and contributing a wealth of assists.

Awenlimobor Sylvester

Diego Happy In Bremen

Werder Bremen star Diego has put an end to the recent rumours suggesting a move to the Santiago Bernabéu.

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Reports have claimed that the Brazilian player could leave Werder Bremen to join the Spanish giant in the summer, with Diego's father, who is also is agent, having allegedly claimed that his son would be eager to sign with the Merengues.

But the former Porto midfielder has denied the speculation, saying that he is more than happy with life in Bremen.

"The rumours about my father are not true - he would never force me to go to another club," Diego told German TV channel DSF.

"All he wants is for me to be satisfied and that is at Werder Bremen."

Diego also confirmed that his stay at Werder Bremen will not depend on qualification for the Champions League, despite his side currently being in fourth place in the Bundesliga.

"Even if we do not qualify for the Champions League, I want to stay at Werder Bremen," he added.

Luís Mira