A pre-season phase featuring five arduous weeks of training, two punishing fitness camps and eleven warm-up matches finally comes to an end on Friday evening when Bayern officially open the new Bundesliga programme at home to Borussia Dortmund. The champions are determined to start out with a win as they embark on their declared mission to defend the championship shield.
"It's back to square one. Our back-to-back doubles count for nothing," Oliver Kahn declared on the eve of his 500th German top flight appearance. "As usual, we'll have to give it everything we've got if we're to hit our targets."
Poor results could spark 'explosion'
A poor run in their most recent friendlies may point to a tough year ahead for the men in Red, a consequence of the summer World Cup. The last few internationals only resumed training eleven days ago, and a sequence of four warm-up games without a win or a goal culminating in a humbling 3-0 derby defeat to TSV 1860 on Tuesday evening point to a side groping for rhythm and form. "We're a little bit down in the dressing room at the moment," Kahn conceded.
The club captain remains optimistic about the coming campaign. "What often happens is an explosion once it all starts for real. Tomorrow's match is what counts. We can wipe the slate clean," he declared. Coach Felix Magath was inclined to agree: "You quickly forget pre-season results. Things often change very fast once the league gets underway."
New-look midfield
The head coach reckoned he could sense a "nervous, tingling excitement" ahead of the domestic restart. The departure of Michael Ballack to Chelsea necessitates a fundamental rethink in midfield, but the well-documented problems with late-returning players means the final shape has yet to emerge. "I've not yet seen a formation where I'd say that's the solution. It could be a problem in our opening matches," the boss admitted.
Owen Hargreaves, Julio dos Santos, Roque Santa Cruz and Bastian Schweinsteiger are the contenders for the position in the hole behind the front two, but a muscle strain means Ali Karimi is sidelined, along with long-term absentees Sebastian Deisler, Andreas Görlitz and Christian Lell. Lucio (calf) and Martin Demichelis (hamstring) are both rated doubtful.
Appeal to home support
Bayern can definitely count on their supporters at the first game of the new term, as the Allianz Arena will host another 69,000 full house, a fact the home camp has been quick to appreciate. "You never quite know where you stand after a long break. The crowd will help by making us more confident," Magath remarked. Added Uli Hoeneß: "We really need our fans at the present time. They'll have to get behind the team as one."
With the support of the home faithful, the men from Munich are confident of collecting the first three points of term, although visitors Dortmund represent "a tricky proposition," Magath conceded. "We're looking to win in Munich," Borussia enforcer Sebastian Kehl declared. The Ruhr Valley outfit will be close to full strength, with suspended veteran Christian Wörns the sole absentee, but Kahn promised the men in black and yellow would leave empty-handed. "It's our duty to win our home games," the captain declared.
Probable line-ups:
Bayern Munich: Kahn – Sagnol, Lucio, van Buyten, Lahm – Salihamidzic, Ottl, Hargreaves, Schweinsteiger – Makaay, Podolski
Borussia Dortmund: Weidenfeller - Degen, Brzenska, Metzelder, Dede - Kruska, Kehl, Pienaar, Kringe - Frei, Valdez
Referee: Knut Kircher (Rottenburg)
Bayern's record in the fixture: P37 W22 D9 L6 F89 A38
Poor results could spark 'explosion'
A poor run in their most recent friendlies may point to a tough year ahead for the men in Red, a consequence of the summer World Cup. The last few internationals only resumed training eleven days ago, and a sequence of four warm-up games without a win or a goal culminating in a humbling 3-0 derby defeat to TSV 1860 on Tuesday evening point to a side groping for rhythm and form. "We're a little bit down in the dressing room at the moment," Kahn conceded.
The club captain remains optimistic about the coming campaign. "What often happens is an explosion once it all starts for real. Tomorrow's match is what counts. We can wipe the slate clean," he declared. Coach Felix Magath was inclined to agree: "You quickly forget pre-season results. Things often change very fast once the league gets underway."
New-look midfield
The head coach reckoned he could sense a "nervous, tingling excitement" ahead of the domestic restart. The departure of Michael Ballack to Chelsea necessitates a fundamental rethink in midfield, but the well-documented problems with late-returning players means the final shape has yet to emerge. "I've not yet seen a formation where I'd say that's the solution. It could be a problem in our opening matches," the boss admitted.
Owen Hargreaves, Julio dos Santos, Roque Santa Cruz and Bastian Schweinsteiger are the contenders for the position in the hole behind the front two, but a muscle strain means Ali Karimi is sidelined, along with long-term absentees Sebastian Deisler, Andreas Görlitz and Christian Lell. Lucio (calf) and Martin Demichelis (hamstring) are both rated doubtful.
Appeal to home support
Bayern can definitely count on their supporters at the first game of the new term, as the Allianz Arena will host another 69,000 full house, a fact the home camp has been quick to appreciate. "You never quite know where you stand after a long break. The crowd will help by making us more confident," Magath remarked. Added Uli Hoeneß: "We really need our fans at the present time. They'll have to get behind the team as one."
With the support of the home faithful, the men from Munich are confident of collecting the first three points of term, although visitors Dortmund represent "a tricky proposition," Magath conceded. "We're looking to win in Munich," Borussia enforcer Sebastian Kehl declared. The Ruhr Valley outfit will be close to full strength, with suspended veteran Christian Wörns the sole absentee, but Kahn promised the men in black and yellow would leave empty-handed. "It's our duty to win our home games," the captain declared.
Probable line-ups:
Bayern Munich: Kahn – Sagnol, Lucio, van Buyten, Lahm – Salihamidzic, Ottl, Hargreaves, Schweinsteiger – Makaay, Podolski
Borussia Dortmund: Weidenfeller - Degen, Brzenska, Metzelder, Dede - Kruska, Kehl, Pienaar, Kringe - Frei, Valdez
Referee: Knut Kircher (Rottenburg)
Bayern's record in the fixture: P37 W22 D9 L6 F89 A38
