Bayern & Milan Fight For Frey

Bayern Munich and AC Milan are locked in a battle to sign Fiorentina goalkeeper Sebastien Frey, according to the Gazzetta dello Sport.

Frey has established himself as one of the best shot-stoppers in Serie A, and he has produced a string of stunning performances this season.

The Frenchman has long been linked with a move to Milan, who are expected to sign a new number one in the summer, following their troubles with Nelson Dida.

However, according to the Gazzetta, Bayern are now set to rival the Rossoneri for the 28-year-old’s signature.

The Bavarian-giants, who are well clear at the top of the Bundesliga, are looking for a new goalkeeper in order to replace retiring legend Oliver Kahn, who will hang up his gloves in June.

Frey has been recommended to Bayern by Luca Toni, who signed for the club from Fiorentina last summer.

Ironically Toni and Bayern could face Frey in the final of this season’s UEFA Cup. Fiorentina play Glasgow Rangers in their semi-final, while the German-outfit are up against Zenith St Petersburg.

Van Der Vaart To Replace Ronaldinho At Barça

Barcelona have held preliminary talks with Rafael Van der Vaart's agent as they hope to sign the Holland international when Ronaldinho's move to AC Milan is finally made official.

The Blaugrana have asked the Rossoneri not to make any statement regarding the move for the Brazilian until after the Catalan outfit have played their final Champions League game of the season.

If Frank Rijkaard's team are eliminated by Manchester United at the semi final stage then Milan will be given the green light to announce Ronaldinho's imminent arrival, but if Barça progress they will be asked to wait until after the final.

With Ronaldinho set to sign a five-year deal at the San Siro that will see his wages rise from the €8m-per-year he earned at Barcelona to €12m-a-year, the Blaugrana will have more finances to play with.

Having been linked to several players in recent weeks to play down the left, Txiki Begiristain and Rijkaard are already talking to Van der Vaart agent, Bayram Tutumlu, about the player's interest in a move to the club.

The Hamburg star has Spanish heritage and has often been linked with a move to Real Madrid, but their interest cooled last summer and now Barça are set to offer him the chance to shine in la Primera.

Russian champions bar Reds’ path to final

Zenit St. Petersburg rate as the aspiring giants of Russian football. The club which numbers President-elect Dmitry Medvedev among its supporters are the reigning Russian champions and recently added the domestic Supercup to their collection, although they have only won the league title on two occasions in total.

However, four games into the new Russian season, the team coached by former Monchengladbach boss Dick Advocaat lie a disappointing ninth in the 16-team top flight with five points from four matches, although Zenit’s strength and ability has just proved too much for Bayern’s league rivals Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the UEFA Cup quarter-finals.

Starring role for Arshavin

The Russians travelled to the Rhineland for the first leg and ruthlessly punished the home team on the break to register a 4-1 triumph. The best man on the park was Andrei Arshavin, Zenit’s biggest name and 2006 Russian Player of the Year.

Bayer recovered some of their pride and won Thursday’s return in St. Petersburg by the only goal of the game, but the Bayern observers at the Petrovsky Stadium will not have failed to note the home side’s menace in attack. The brains and creativity in the team are supplied by Ukraine playmaker and club captain Anatoliy Tymoschuk. “He could easily have played in Italy or Spain,“ Leverkusen Director of Sport Rudi Völler commented before the quarter-final second leg.

Record books offer hope

Founded in 1925 and making an eighth foray into the UEFA Cup, the men from St. Petersburg have generally come off worse against German teams until the recent Leverkusen tie. In December 2004, Zenit managed no better than a 2-2 draw with second division Alemannia Aachen at the group stage and were eliminated, while Dynamo Dresden put paid to the Russians’ hopes back in 1981-2. Bayern represent the fourth and on paper most challenging German opponents so far.

Hitzfeld: Our extra-time recovery was terrific

Bayern twice stared elimination from the UEFA Cup in the face on Thursday evening, but the men in red twice came back from the brink in Getafe, forcing the game into extra-time and recovering from two goals down to earn a 3-3 draw and a place in the semi-finals. “Fortune favoured the brave,“ general manager Uli Hoeneß declared. Oliver Kahn was rendered speechless: “I don’t know what to say, and I’ve already been through a lot in Europe.“

Reaction to Getafe v Bayern:

Ottmar Hitzfeld: “Coming back after going 3-1 down in extra-time rates as a terrific performance and speaks volumes for the team’s morale. Obviously we rode our luck too. We made life difficult for ourselves, but Getafe kept it very tight, we didn’t have much by way of chances. My players earned their place in the next round by fighting for it.“

Uli Hoeneß: “I can’t remember experiencing a game like that in a very long time. Fortune favoured the brave, but there’s a lot we need to sit down and talk about. We have to do better than that after playing for 110 minutes against ten men.“

Oliver Kahn: “It’s like I’ve just been saying in the dressing room: I’ve probably played 140 times in Europe, against Barcelona, Manchester United and Real Madrid, but that’ll all be nothing compared to what we’ve been through tonight. When we meet up again in ten years’ time, we won’t be talking about Real and United, we’ll talk about Getafe. I can’t remember ever having seen or played in a game quite like that. I’ve never before let in three goals and still gone through. I don’t know what to say, and I’ve already been through a lot in Europe.“

Mark van Bommel: “I’ve never experienced anything like that before. It’s just incredible. We deserved the equaliser in the first 90 minutes, maybe we should even have won the game in normal time. And then suddenly, we were 3-1 down in extra time.“

Philipp Lahm: “We didn’t play well today. We made too many mistakes, and it didn’t work out up front. But our mental strength saw us through. We kept on believing right to the end and we were rewarded with the very last kick.“

Third brace in six days for free-scoring Luca

Luca Toni appeared slightly nervous on Thursday, as any number of lenses and all eyes homed in on the striker and a brand new pair of boots provided by his equipment supplier. Two hours after a few tentative jogs and sprints to test the new footwear, the trademark grin had returned to the Italian’s craggy features as he faced the media at Bayern’s Säbener Strasse training ground. Understandably enough, the boots were a topic for discussion. Should the striker really be contemplating a change just now?

Toni’s current boots have brought him no fewer than six goals in as many days, two apiece in Bayern’s meetings with Getafe, Dortmund and Frankfurt. “I am superstitious actually, so I’ll test the new boots again tomorrow before deciding whether to risk them on Saturday,” the 30-year-old revealed.

Boots in focus

The 2006 World Cup winner goes in search of his first trophy at club level when Bayern face Dortmund in the DFB German Cup final at the Berlin Olympic stadium. Practically all footballers detest changes to an established routine before big matches, and Toni appears to be no exception.

However, even if the Italian chose to go without footwear, few would bet against him netting at least once on present form. “In terms of goalscoring quality, he’s one of the best we’ve ever had at Bayern,” Oliver Kahn declared on Thursday.

Memories of Müller

The man who switched to Munich from Florence last summer now has 33 goals in 40 competitive appearances, the kind of strike rate inevitably drawing comparisons with Munich legend Gerd Müller. He leads the scoring charts in the Bundesliga (20) and the UEFA Cup (10). In Frankfurt on Wednesday, he scored the goals to make the score 2-1 and then 3-1 in his side’s favour.

“He’s a poacher, the kind of forward you don’t see very often. He’s the definition of a penalty box player, always in the right place and hardly ever wasteful. He’s an outstanding striker,” continued Kahn, impressed by more than just the big man’s killer instinct. “As a World Cup winner, he has total belief in himself, and that’s infectious. You hear his voice when things aren’t going so well. He kept urging us on in Getafe, and he duly got the goals.“

Tireless Toni

The club captain also praised Toni’s professionalism. “His movement is always just right, always into the important areas. He comes across as extremely fit and doesn’t need resting.” Toni has hardly been affected by coach Ottmar Hitzfeld’s extensive squad rotation in recent weeks.

“He want goals. That’s why he’s at Bayern, and that’s what he lives for. Even when he’s tired, he’ll manage a sprint if he senses a goal. His mental strength is absolutely unbelievable,” Hitzfeld said, almost in wonder, after the two-goal gala in Frankfurt. The Bayern coach had wanted to withdraw the Italian at the interval as a precaution before the Cup final, but Toni insisted on playing on. “Someone so fired up is always going to score,” mused general manager Uli Hoeneß.

Critical phase

Toni freely admits he never expected to settle at Munich quite as quickly as he has done. “Obviously I’m delighted, but we’re only just coming to the vital games where the goals count double,” he declared before returning to the city where he won the World Cup with Italy two years ago. “Berlin was a lucky place for me,” he reflected, although he will certainly be careful with his choice of boots.

Hitzfeld set to name full-strength side for final

Right on time for the first final of the season, Bayern coach Ottmar Hitzfeld is set to pick from a full squad, with only minor injuries clouding the horizon. Two days ahead of the DFB German Cup final against Borussia Dortmund at the Berlin Olympic stadium, both Miroslav Klose and Marcell Jansen reported fit and trained with the squad. The Germany pair missed last Sunday’s 5-0 victory against Dortmund and 3-1 midweek success in Frankfurt.

“It was important to rest everything we could possibly rest, so we’ll pick the team from a full set of options on Saturday,” general manager Uli Hoeneß commented after Wednesday’s win against Eintracht. “Provided we’re not careless, we’ll win in Berlin as well,” the board director declared.

Question-mark over Sagnol

Oliver Kahn will undoubtedly make sure his team-mates do not underestimate crisis club Borussia. The captain sat out the trip to Frankfurt “purely as a precaution, because I had problems with my neck the week before and feared it might have come back.“ Kahn, who has been pursuing his normal intensive training schedule since Monday, issued a warning to his team-mates on Thursday after sensing “we were too relaxed, too laid-back in training. The alarm bells are ringing."

The entire senior squad will travel to Berlin on Friday morning, including Hamit Altintop, although the Turkey star is still out of action after fracturing a metatarsal. The only question-mark concerns Willy Sagnol, who bruised a toe during the Frankfurt clash. “It could be a close-run thing for Saturday,” the player confessed, although he does not expect to be sidelined for long.

Hoeneß: Now I believe we’ll win the league

Bayern are on a winning streak and now stand on the verge of a 21st German championship triumph. Three days after a gala 5-0 victory over Borussia Dortmund, the men from Munich came from behind to beat Eintracht Frankfurt 3-1 and maintain their ten-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga. “The game was full of incident and I do believe Frankfurt were just as entitled to win it as us,“ Ottmar Hitzfeld frankly admitted afterwards. With just five games to go this term, even ultra-cautious general manager Uli Hoeneß is convinced: “Now, I’m prepared to say this: we’ll be German champions.“

Reaction to Eintracht Frankfurt v Bayern:

Uli Hoeneß: “We’re enjoying a bit of luck at the moment, no question about that, but Frankfurt failed to get a second. But that’s the way it is, when you’re on a roll like we are, you win matches you shouldn’t be winning. Obviously we had it under control by the end, but we could also have lost the game earlier on. Now even I believe we’ll win the league. I don’t really care when it happens, but now, I’m prepared to say this: we’ll be German champions.“

Ottmar Hitzfeld: “We were very lucky today, although Frankfurt were fortunate to take the lead in a phase when we were doing well and applying pressure. We were simply caught on the break, but after that, Frankfurt could easily have made it 2-0. We poured forward again after half-time, and we more or less deserved the equaliser. We were committed to getting a second, we weren’t satisfied with only a point. The game was full of incident and I do believe Frankfurt were just as entitled to win it as us.“

Daniel van Buyten: “We never even contemplated losing the match. A few words were spoken in the dressing room at half-time, and after that we played with more determination, we created more chances, and we scored the goals.”

Friedhelm Funkel (Frankfurt coach): “Compared to our performance in Hanover, I’m not dissatisfied with my team today. We matched Bayern in every area, but it got away from us after we failed to make it 2-0, although Van Buyten clearly committed a foul before equalising. If we’d managed to hold the lead for longer, we might have ended up winning the game. We could have done better today.”

Ioannis Amanatidis (Frankfurt captain): “We were the better team against one of the best clubs in Europe for 60 minutes today, but then we were brutally punished. They’ve hit us twice on the break and gone away with a totally undeserved victory.”

Markus Pröll (Frankfurt keeper): “I think the game turned on us not taking our chances. You know you’re not going to get many chances against Bayern, so you have to put them away when they come along, and that we didn’t do. We’re very, very disappointed, because that was a game we could have won.“

Toni at the double in Reds’ rousing fightback

Two-goal Luca Toni moved to 20 for the campaign as youthful Bayern produced a stirring second-half display to come from behind in Frankfurt.

A raucous 51,500 full house at the sumptuously-appointed Commerzbank Arena saw Benjamin Köhler put the home side one up on the half-hour with the first headed goal the leaders have conceded all season, and it could have been worse if Ioannis Amanatidis had not shanked wide of an open goal a minute before the break.

The Bavarians were rewarded for their domination of possession and a considerably more inventive start to the second half when Daniel Van Buyten headed the equaliser on the hour, and the turnaround was completed by Toni’s ruthless double strike in the last quarter of an hour, taking the Italian to an astonishing 33 goals in 40 games this term.

An 18th league win in 29 matches takes Bayern to 63 points, ten clear of second-placed Werder Bremen, and now in with a theoretical chance of wrapping up a 21st domestic title in their next game, a home meeting with champions Stuttgart on 27 April.

General shuffles the deck

With the Cup final but three days away, Ottmar Hitzfeld unsurprisingly rang the changes and made five alterations to the side which thrashed Dortmund at the weekend. Michael Rensing deputised for the injured Olli Kahn, with Jose Sosa, Toni Kroos, Franck Ribery and captain for the night Lucio in for the rested Demichelis, Lahm and Podolski, and the suspended Zé Roberto.

As Bastian Schweinsteiger, Andreas Ottl and Christian Lell also lined up along with fellow U-24 men Sosa, Kroos and Ribery, and with seniors such as Kahn, Ze and Mark van Bommel absent, it was the youngest Munich starting line-up in the Bundesliga since 1995.

Uninspired Munich

The match opened with a couple of scares for the visitors, Czech wunderkind Martin Fenin failing to exploit a Rensing miscue with just seconds played, and Lucio hacking clear off the line after the Bayern keeper took the sting off an Amanatidis effort from six yards.

Sosa shot across goal and Kroos hit the side-netting before Eintracht keeper Markus Pröll dealt capably with a Luca Toni snapshot, but the brief rally petered out and stalemate set in as the players struggled with the increasingly slippery surface.

In the circumstances, the home side’s 29th-minute opener came out of the blue, former Munich reserve Patrick Ochs scampering clear down the right and swinging a cross to the back post where the unmarked Köhler headed back across Rensing and into the corner.

Daniel’s leveller

The leaders pounded the packed Frankfurt defence but had nothing to show before the break other than another Kroos drive, and there was a huge let-off for the Bavarians on the stroke of half-time when Fenin rounded Rensing and cut the ball back for Amanatidis, only for the Eintracht skipper to slice horribly wide.

Kroos gave way to Podolski for the second half, and there was a greater sense of urgency about the visitors as Pröll just applied fingertips to a slithering Ribery prod, before beating away a scuffed Lell drive and grasping a Sagnol curler at the second attempt.

Rensing pushed a Fenin shot onto the bar as Eintracht briefly threatened, but the momentum was with Bayern now and Van Buyten expertly held off Mexican defender Aaron Galindo to meet Schweinsteiger’s inswinging corner and level the scores on the hour.

Goals 19 and 20 for Luca

The equaliser brought the game to life in a big way, Toni drawing a good save from Pröll and Amanatidis netting but being called back for offside after Rensing parried Markus Weissenberger’s skidding drive.

But the Italian was not to be denied for long, thumping home a loose ball from close range on 74 minutes for his 19th league goal of the campaign after Schweinsteiger’s determined scrap with two defenders on the edge of the six-yard box.

Jan Schlaudraff, a replacement for the tiring Ribery, kept the Frankfurt defence busy with a couple of darting runs, and Lahm also made a late appearance for the limping Sagnol. Schlaudraff, reported to be on his way out of the club at the end of the season, capped a fine cameo with a sprint and cross for Toni to lash home with five minutes remaining, crowning an excellent second half comeback by the champions-elect.

Live match report for fcbayern.de by Chris Hamley


Eintracht Frankfurt - Bayern Munich 1-3 (H-T: 1-0)

Eintracht Frankfurt:		Pröll - Ochs, Galindo, Russ, Spycher - Inamoto, Fink (Caio 80) - Fenin, Köhler, Weissenberger (Heller 71) - Amanatidis
Bayern Munich:		Rensing - Sagnol (Lahm 78), Lucio, van Buyten, Lell - Sosa, Ottl, Schweinsteiger, Ribérry (Schlaudraff 68), Kroos (Podolski 46) - Toni
Substitutes:		Kraft, Demichelis, Lahm, Breno
Referee:		Babak Rafati (Hanover)
Goals:		1-0 Köhler (29), 1-1 Van Buyten (60), 1-2 Toni (74), 1-3 Toni (85)
Yellow Cards:		Lucio / Fenin

Flamini, Deco Linked With Bayern

Bayern Munich sporting director Uli Hoeness has suggested that the club will swoop for a high profile out-of-contract central midfielder this summer, with Arsenal's Mathieu Flamini and Barcelona's Deco top of the list.

The Münchner are strong down the flanks but feel they need to strengthen in the middle of the park to allow for a serious title challenge in next season's Champions League.

Bayern officials are said to be frustrated with Mark Van Bommel's on-field discipline problems, while in any case next season will be Brazilian midfielder Zé Roberto's last with the club.

Bosman Signing?

The Bundesliga leaders spent a club-record €25m last season to bring French winger Franck Ribéry in from Marseille, but Hoeness hinted that Bayern may not need to splash the cash this time around.

"Once again, we're ready to bring in a high quality player," he said on ZDF programme Sportstudio when quizzed about the midfield situation. "You don't always need to spend millions. Sometimes players come on free transfers."

Flamini And Deco The Favourites

German tabloid Bild are reporting that the two frontrunners are Arsenal's out of contract midfielder Mathieu Flamini, who has repeatedly been linked with a move to Juventus, and Barcelona's Deco.

The Portuguese has two more years on his deal, but can buy himself out for 10million euros - a sum Bayern will and some Serie A sides are supposedly only too happy to pay.

With Luca Toni, Miroslav Klose and Franck Ribery in the team, there is no shortage of stars, and with that comes the guarantee of Champions League football, making a move to Bavaria all the more attractive.

No To De Rossi?

This news would appear to suggest the Rekordmeister are leaning away from trying to sign Roma's Daniele De Rossi - the Italian international has been monitored closely by chiefs at the Allianz Arena but in contrast to Deco and Flamini would cost quite a lot of money.

Bayern Step Up Behrami Interest

German top club Bayern Munich are looking to bolster their squad ahead of their return to the Champions League next season, and word is that Lazio standout Valon Behrami is becoming an increasingly important target.

With the league title all but sown up, Bayern have been front and centre when it comes to international transfer rumours of late, and just this week they have been heavily linked with Gennaro Gattuso, Mathieu Flamini, Daniele De Rossi, Deco, and Sebastien Frey. Now, Behrami's name is the latest to fill the sports gossip columns in Bavaria.

Fiorentina have been courting the Swiss international for several months already, and his match-winning display against deadly rivals Roma last month has also reportedly roused the interest of Spanish sides Valencia and Sevilla, as well as Premiership club West Ham. This is on top of recent reports that the likes of Milan, Liverpool, Tottenham and Palermo, have been tracking the 22-year-old wing-back for some time as well.

Word is that the Biancoceleste are determined to hang on to Behrami, but would likely not turn down an offer in excess of 10m euro for the Kosovo-born wide-man, who still officially has three years remaining on his contract with the Italian capital club.

Lazio president Claudio Lotito will now have to make a full-court press in order to try to keep the player, who openly criticised him for leaving the stadium well before the whistle during the 5-1 thrashing at the hands of Milan earlier this season.

Derek Wanner, Goal.com

De Rossi To Bayern?

Bayern striker Luca Toni has voiced his desire for the club to sign another Italian and according to the Bild newspapers information, de Rossi is the man the Bayern bosses have in mind.

The Roma midfielder was linked with a move to Bayern last summer and the rumours of his arrival look set to be put in motion yet again.

The rumours that Bayern are looking for a replacement for van Bommel have intensified in recent days following his second red card within the space of a few weeks at the weekend against Bochum.

Following the latest sending off Bayern trainer Ottmar Hitzfeld commented: “We’ve discussed one or two situations.”

The Luca Toni factor cannot be underestimated either. “It is no secret that I would love to have another Italian in the team” Toni explained.

“My colleagues ask me a lot about life in Munich. The club have to decide, but I would be delighted if they did.”

The arrival of de Rossi would certainly please the Bundesliga’s leading scorer as it is understood the two have a good relationship.

Mathew Burt

Rummenigge Rules Out Lahm Exit

German international Lahm is currently in the midst of contract negotiations with the Bavarians over an extension to his current deal, but Rummenigge has rule out Lahm leaving the club before 2009 even if the talks break down.

“It is certain he will remain here until the end of his contract with us, even if it should not be extended" said Rummenigge.

Bayern Munich have sought to inject some urgency into the contract negotiations with the full back with Spanish giants Barcelona interested in Lahm.

“We have held productive, open and fair talks” Rummenigge explained. “He would be well advised to go further with us.

“We are very happy and contented with him. We do know what he means to us and he knows as well what we mean to him.”

Lahm is known to be a favourite of incoming Bayern Munich boss Jürgen Klinsmann after starring in the German national team that finished third at the 2006 World Cup.

Berbatov: Milan Talk Is Flattering

Dimitar Berbatov is a wanted man - wanted by most of the biggest clubs in Europe. But Tottenham say they have no intention of letting him go.

However, that has nevber seemed to deter Berbvatov's agent from letting potential new employers know that the Bulgarian would willing to listen to any overtures.

And it seems Berbatov has now sparked renewed speculation about his future whilst talking to the local media in Bulgaria.

Berbatov was in Sofia to receive an award and promote the launch of his own sporting foundation. Whilst in his homeland he was asked about his future by the local media.

And he revealed that there was already interest in him from AC Milan.

"All I can say is that there was an interest from the Italian club, that is all I can say," said Berbatov when asked about Milan.

"If it produces negotiations I will be flattered."

He was also asked about Manchester United's known admiration of him, replying: "I know that Sir Alex [Ferguson] wants me for a quite a while, but at the moment I am a player of Tottenham."

His future at White Hart Lane will no doubt be the subject of considered discussion by Tottenham's coach, Juande Ramos, in the summer.

Ramos will be overhaul the Spurs squad, despite their success in winning the Carling Cup, with both the entrance and exit doors at the Lane expected to be busy.

Mark Hinton, Goal.com

Tottenham Open Modric Talks

The 22-year-old playmaker has been linked to a host of clubs, including Chelsea, Manchester City and Newcastle United after impressing for club and country in recent months.

Juande Ramos is keen to start his rebuilding programme at White Hart Lane with a creative midfielder and believes that Modric could bring the flair and vision that he wants.

Dynamo president, Zdravko Mamic, has slapped a €25m asking price on the player's head, but a more realistic fee should materialise after talks.

While the midfield is a key part of the Tottenham team that needs strengthening, Ramos knows that other areas also need to be padded out during the summer months.

The fact that Tottenham officials are talking to Dynamo is a step forward after weeks of speculation about potential targets for the north London outfit.

A number of players from the Spanish league have been linked with Espanyol keeper Carlos Kameni reported to have agreed a switch by the English media, a story that was swiftly denied in Barcelona.

Ian Dixon, Goal.com

Juve Agree Amauri Deal With Palermo

The Brazilian striker has been the Bianconeri’s number transfer target for several weeks now.

The Corriere says that Juve sporting director Alessio Secco has agreed with his Palermo counterpart Rino Foschi to sign Amauri for €10.5m plus Antonio Nocerino and Marco Marchionni.

Secco is also said to be toying with the option of including Domenico Criscito as part of the exchange, in order to further lower Amauri’s transfer fee.

Juventus boss Claudio Ranieri is believed to be much happier with this deal, than the original exchange that almost went through.

Secco had reportedly agreed to sign Amauri for €15m plus young starlets Sebastian Giovinco, Paolo De Ceglie and Claudio Marchisio.

Ranieri then vetoed the deal at the last minute, and all three players are now expected to return from their current loan spells to play for Juventus next season.

As for Amauri, he will compete with Alessandro Del Piero, David Trezeguet and Vincenzo Iaquinta for a forward starting berth, with Raffaele Palladino almost certain to be sold in order to make room.

Gianni Wilson

Record books offer little encouragement

If the record books are any guide to current form, Bayern’s chances of making the UEFA Cup semi-finals at Getafe’s expense look slim. Only once in four attempts have Germany’s most successful club avoided elimination from a European competition following a 1-1 home draw in the first leg.

The solitary success came in the 1990-91 European Cup, a 2-0 win in a quarter-final return leg away to FC Porto thanks to goals from Christian Ziege and Manfred Bender.

Never out after 1-1 away draw

By contrast, Bayern have been knocked out three times after drawing 1-1 in Munich: twice in the Champions League Round of 16 against Real Madrid (2004) and AC Milan (2006), and in a European Cup Winners’ Cup semi-final against Glasgow Rangers (1972).

The Bavarians have a flawless record in the reverse situation, when they have played the second leg at home after a 1-1 away draw. The men in red have progressed to the next stage on all 12 occasions so far.

Return legs after a 1-1 draw in the first leg:

Champions Cup / Champions League:
1972-73 1st Round Galatasaray Istanbul 6-0 (H)
1973-74 Semi-final Ujpest Budapest 3-0 (H)
1975-76 Semi-final Real Madrid 2-0 (H)
1990-91 Quarter-final FC Porto 2-0 (A)
1999-00 Quarter-final FC Porto 2-1 (H)
2003-04 Round of 16 Real Madrid 0-1 (A)*
2005-06 Round of 16 AC Milan 1-4 (A)*

European Cup Winners’ Cup:
1966-67 1st Round Tatran Presow 3-2 (H)
1966-67 Round of 16 Shamrock Rovers 3-2 (H)
1967-68 Quarter-final FC Valencia 1-0 (H)
1971-72 Quarter-final Steaua Bukarest 0-0 (H)
1971-72 Semi-final Glasgow Rangers 0-2 (A)*
1982-83 1st Round Torpedo Moskau 0-0 (H)
1982-83 Round of 16 Tottenham Hotspur 4-1 (H)

UEFA Cup:
1991-92 1st Round Cork City 2-0 (H)

* eliminated
(H) Home
(A) Away

FCB fired up for classic European night

Bayern are long on confidence and short on nerves as they approach the most important fixture of the campaign so far, the UEFA Cup quarter-final return away to Getafe on Thursday evening (Live in English from 8.30 pm on FCB.tv Web radio). After last week’s 1-1 draw in Munich, the Bundesliga leaders must win or draw while scoring at least twice to progress to the next stage.

“It’ll be a real fight, it’s going to be very, very hard,” Bayern general manager Uli Hoeneß warned ahead of the clash at the 16,000-capacity Coliseum Alfonso Perez in the southern suburbs of Madrid. “But I’m really looking forward to it,” the board director insisted. Coach Ottmar Hitzfeld licked his lips at the prospect of “a big European night in a cauldron of a stadium,” and declared himself confident of success. “We’re going there with an amount of pent-up fury. We’re perfectly capable of winning away, and we still have an excellent chance.”

Final on foreign soil

Four days after a morale-boosting 3-1 win for Bayern’s ten men against VfL Bochum, the players are oozing “morale, energy and belief,” captain Oliver Kahn reported. “We all know it’s an uphill task, and you can feel the concentration as we approach this match,” the 38-year-old continued, “it’s like a final on foreign soil.”

Despite the home draw, “the watching world will still regard us as favourites,” but the match in Munich illustrated the quality of the team lying eleventh in La Liga. “Given the football Getafe play, it’s definitely an evenly-matched contest. We’ll have to impose ourselves on the game first,” Kahn warned. “But we’re not beaten yet. We’re looking forward to a fabulous night of European Cup football. We’ll get through, even if we have to do it on penalties.”

Seizing the initiative

Bayern will hope matters do not reach that stage, especially as last weekend’s heroics cost a great deal of energy. “We weren’t expecting to have to work as hard for victory as we did. We were hoping to be nicely rested for Getafe, but it wasn’t to be. On the other hand, we’re brimming with confidence and morale, which may make up for the lost energy,” Hoeneß mused.

“We’re always good for a goal or two away from home,” Hitzfeld pointed out. Luca Toni remains the leading scorer in the competition on eight goals. The coach felt Getafe would “keep it very tight and attempt to control the match.” Bayern would need to show patience, “but we also need to be bold. We need to play it our way and try to seize the initiative.”

Van Buyten pulls out

Hoeneß felt the Spaniards, fresh from a goalless draw away to Barcelona at the weekend, “won’t risk going for a 0-0 draw. They’ll want to win it, but we’ve generally managed to score away from home wherever we’ve been this season.” Miroslav Klose’s lively display as a substitute against Bochum appears to have earned him a starting berth alongside Toni. “He showed the reaction I was looking for. He made a big contribution to us turning it around against Bochum,” Hitzfeld observed.

The Bayern boss picks from close on a full squad. Michael Rensing returns to the party after dental surgery, but Daniel van Buyten was a late withdrawal on Wednesday with a knee problem. Breno will fly to Spain as back-up. Hitzfeld is definitely without Hamit Altintop (fractured metatarsal) and Willy Sagnol (fitness).

Love Madrid

Some 12 kilometres to the south of the famous Bernabeu, scene of many a might duel with Real Madrid down the years, the Bavarians now face a classic do-or-die situation. “It may be that we need this kind of pressure to reach our full potential,” mused Kahn, “we’re Bayern Munich and won’t wet ourselves at the prospect of travelling to Getafe.” Summoning up the ghosts of past glories, Hitzfeld radiated confidence: “Madrid has always been a happy place for us. I remain convinced we’ll go all the way to the final.”

‘He’s what you call a world-class defender’

Lucio’s reaction to his 31st-minute equaliser for Bayern against Bochum on Sunday was, as ever, inimitable. The Brazil stopper, a tidal wave of emotion visibly pouring from his frame, raced to the corner flag, clapped his hand repeatedly to the club crest on his shirt, screamed and gesticulated at the crowd to beef up their support, and finally turned for the centre-circle with grim determination etched on his features.

Bayern were already a goal and a man down at that point in the match, following the visitors’ fourth-minute opener and Mark van Bommel’s sending-off on 27 minutes. “Our situation wasn’t great at the time,“ Lucio reasoned afterwards, “so equalising was the best answer.“

Vital goals

The 29-year-old is a man of few words off the field, but a tremendous inspiration on it, especially when the going gets tough, a scenario in which he is hard to restrain in his defensive position behind the halfway line. One of his many giant-striding thrusts forward allowed him to deliver the cross which prompted the handball leading to Franck Ribéry making the score 2-1 from the spot.

Lucio’s goal, his first in the Bundesliga for 17 months, was his 21st overall in 202 appearances. When he does hit the target, it is almost always at a crucial time: his two goals in this season’s UEFA Cup were openers against Aberdeen and Anderlecht. He struck in both legs of last season’s Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid, and his last Bundesliga strike was an equaliser away to Köln in October 2005.

Will to win

“Lucio is a very spirited player. He loses his patience when we go a goal behind and attempts to pull everyone along with him,“ commented Ottmar Hitzfeld, who has attempted to curb the Brazilian’s natural instinct to get forward at every possible opportunity. “I know defending is my priority,” Lucio himself conceded, “but one or two bursts per match must be possible.“ That was certainly the case against Bochum. “When you’re a man down, the defenders have to help out up front,“ remarked Martin Demichelis.

For all his marching through the centre of the field, Lucio in no way neglected his defensive duties on Sunday. “Lucio was unbelievable, he had one of his best games of the season,“ Demichelis said admiringly. “After Mark was sent off, Lucio looked at me and said: Micho, we’re going to win this,“ the Argentine revealed.

Emotional and world-class

“It all came from the heart,“ Lucio declared, explaining his celebratory gesture with the club crest. That passion and will to win makes the Brazil skipper a precious commodity for Bayern. “Lucio is unbelievably motivated at the moment,“ reflected Oliver Kahn, “he has to play with his heart on his sleeve, the way I do from time to time. He’s what you call a world-class defender.“

Christian Lell: It’s a really terrific feeling

Christian Lell is unlikely to forget the 88th minute of Sunday’s meeting with VfL Bochum in a hurry. Bursting onto a sublime Miroslav Klose backheel, the Munich-born full-back cracked a shot into the far corner of the net to make it 3-1 to the men in red. The overjoyed Lell thus broke a top flight scoring duck which had lasted 65 Bundesliga appearances, 39 of them in Bayern colours. The 23-year-old had already netted for the senior team, but that was the fifth in FCB’s 6-0 UEFA Cup demolition of Aris Salonika. fcbayern.de caught up with the beaming goalscorer afterwards and discussed a crucial victory over VfL. Interview: Christian Lell fcbayern.de: Christian, congratulations on the win and on the goal, your first in the Bundesliga. Christian Lell: “That’s right. Funnily enough, I sat with Miroslav Klose at lunch today, and he was telling me about finishing top scorer at the World Cup. I told him I wouldn’t mind scoring one myself – and he promptly set one up for me. It’s a really terrific feeling.“ fcbayern.de: You made heavy weather of it at first against Bochum. Is it possible that Mark van Bommel’s sending off was the wake-up call you needed? Lell: “We fell behind to a hopeful effort which flew in at the top corner. It’s the kind of thing which only seems to happen against us. But it’s definitely the case that we were totally fired up after the sending-off, the fans cheered us on and each and every one of us found another ten or twenty percent. We applied a great deal of pressure and penned Bochum back in their half.“ fcbayern.de: Did that get the adrenalin flowing nicely ready for the return against Getafe? Lell: “Definitely. We were determined to win today and set off for Getafe on a high. That wouldn’t have been easy on the back of a defeat.“ fcbayern.de: Could it be that you’re in a very different mood for Getafe, compared to how you’d feel after a routine 1-0 win? Lell: “Absolutely. We’ve turned a match on its head today and we’ll go to Spain on a roll. We’re aiming to win in Getafe and get through to the next round.“

Ten Man Bayern Defeat Bochum

Bayern triumphed 2-1 at the Allianz Arena with only ten men after the first half sending off of Mark van Bommel. The Dutchman was shown two yellow cards for persistent fouling after Mimoun Azaough had fired Bochum ahead.

A Lucio header equalised in the first half before Franck Ribéry stroked home a second half penalty. Christian Lell finished things off late on to hand Bayern a potentially vital three points.

First Half

Bayern knew that a win would see them go nine points clear at the top of the table and they began brightly with Ribéry missing a good chance after just three minutes.

Lell broke down the right, crossed to Luca Toni, who controlled the ball instantly before laying the ball off to Ribéry. The Frenchman however didn’t wrap his foot around the ball enough and fired wide when everybody expected him to stroke it into the back of the net.

Sixty seconds later though and the visitors took a shock early lead. Danny Fuchs played the ball to Mimoun Azaough just outside the penalty area and the midfielder let fly with a speculative shot that caught Oliver Kahn by surprise as it flew into the top corner of the net.

Despite the early set back, Bayern continued to try and play their normal game and very nearly grabbed the equaliser on the quarter hour mark through Ribéry.

A back heel from Zé Roberto fed Luca Toni and he cleverly found the forward run of Ribéry. Through on goal, the French winger however was only able fire narrowly wide with only Lastuvka to beat.

Bochum continued to look lively as well and nearly caught Bayern napping on 20 minutes with a quickly taken corner from Azaough. His pass was hit first time by Fuchs but fizzed just wide of Oliver Kahn’s post. Bayern for their part were not taking their foot off the gas either and were keeping the Bochum back line occupied.

Firstly Maltritz had to be on his toes to clear the ball before Zé Roberto could shoot, then Demichelis flicked on for Lucio to fire just wide of Lastuvka’s goal.

Bayern suffered a further setback on 27 minutes when midfielder Mark van Bommel saw his second yellow card of the afternoon for persistent fouling and was promptly sent off by referee Weiner.

The home side however reacted to the red card by promptly grabbing the equaliser on 31 minutes. Bastian Schweinsteiger fired in a free kick from the right hand side into the six-yard box where Lucio jumped the highest to nick the ball into the bottom left-hand corner.

Five minutes later and the scene was very nearly repeated with Toni rising to head a Schweinsteiger free kick, only for Lastuvka to save. Bayern weren’t playing like a team with ten men and Ribéry fired in another fine effort after foxing Yahia on the edge of the area.

Second Half

The impressive Azaough had to be replaced at the start of the second 45 minutes due to an ankle injury with Tommy Bechmann coming on.

Bayern began on the front foot and Ribéry got himself to the bye-line three minutes in before crossing to Demichelis, who couldn’t manage to direct his header under pressure from Bönig.

Bochum’s first chance of the second half fell to Benjamin Auer on the hour mark after he beat Martin Demichelis but Kahn was on hand to save with relative ease.

Just after the hour mark Bayern were shouting for a penalty when Lell went down in the area under the challenge of Yahia but the referee waved their appeals away.

Bayern continued to look the more likely to score, even with their man disadvantage. On 69 minutes Ribéry crossed from the left and Luca Toni saw his header fly just wide of the right hand post.

Then with around 15 minutes remaining Bayern were handed a penalty after Pfertzel handled in the Bochum Area. Frank Ribéry stepped up and beat Jan Lastuvka even though the Czech keeper guessed the right way.

Bochum made a few substitutions in an effort to regain parity and with eight minutes left Bönig crossed causing Demichelis problems. He eventually cleared the danger with Auer sniffing around.

Bayern sealed the win on 88 minutes with Christian Lell advancing and putting the finishing touches to a fine move involving Klose and Toni. Luca Toni had a golden chance to make it four late on, but he missed the target narrowly.

Goals:

0-1 Azaough (4)

1-1 Lucio (31)

2-1 Ribéry (74 pen)

3-1 Lell (88)

Bayern Munich: Kahn, Lell, Lahm, Lucio, Demichelis, van Bommel, Zé Roberto (Sosa 72), Schweinsteiger (Ottl 65), Ribéry, Toni, Podolski (Klose 65)

Bochum: Lastuvka, Pfertzel, Maltritz, Yahia, Bönig, Imhof, Schröder (Mieciel 79), Fuchs (Epalle 76), Azaough (Bechmann 46), Sestak, Auer

Mathew Burt